Whitby Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway
Encyclopedia
The Whitby, Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway (WRMU) was a short lived railway line, running along the northeast coast of England from the River Tees
at Middlesbrough to the Esk at Whitby, where it met the Scarborough & Whitby Railway
line and the Whitby and Pickering Railway
(now the Esk Valley Line
as far as Grosmont
and the NYMR
to Pickering
). For much of its journey it hugged the cliffs, and had a troubled build due to the proximity to the sea and poor build quality of the construction on many of the original bridges and viaducts.
It was essentially created from two separate sections of railway - from Middlesbrough
to Loftus
and from Loftus to Whitby
(West Cliff).
, the Middlesbrough and Guisborough Railway
and the NER
. The first section from Loftus to Priescroft Junction, near Brotton, was part of a route built by the Cleveland Railway to serve the rapidly developing ironstone
industry in the Eston Hills and East Cleveland. The line ran from Normanby
via Guisborough
and on to Loftus with branches to various ironworks and mines along the way. North of this came the Saltburn
Extension, opened to goods in 1872, and to passengers in 1875. Originally it had no stations, as its main purpose was for goods traffic, although North Skelton opened in 1902. From Saltburn, the line continues along the coast via Redcar
along the former Middlesbrough and Redcar Railway – now the Tees Valley Line
.
took up the lease in 1875. John Waddell
won the contract, and the line was scheduled to open on 13 July 1881, but due to the extra work required to bring it up to standard, it was two and a half years before the line was finally opened on 3 December 1883. Many of the bridges were defective and piers out of vertical. Even the original tunnels were so out of line with each other that when boring was done from each end they did not meet in the centre! Part of the proposed line was so dangerously close to the cliff edge that the NER abandoned it and took a route further inland through Sandsend and Kettleness tunnels.
The completed section ran from Whitby to Loftus, where it joined the NER Middlesbrough – Loftus route head on. From the beginning the line was run by the NER, which held the lease and which was at that time also running services to Whitby along what is now the Esk Valley Line and Whitby's 'main line', the Malton
– Whitby line. The NER took over the line fully in 1899.
By 1958, British Rail
claimed that £58,000 worth of maintenance was required to keep the line open (mainly on repairs to the viaducts). With dwindling passengers since the war years, the route was now only popular during summer weekends. The line closed on 5 May 1958. Only Whitby West Cliff
station remained open for another three years, serving trains from Whitby to Scarborough until it too finally closed on 12 June 1961, after which Scarborough trains had to reverse at Prospect Hill Junction where the line from Whitby Town
met those from Scarborough and Loftus.
In 1960 work began to dismantle the line, viaducts were sold for scrap metal and concrete was used in the construction of the local sea defences.
for potash
, conveniently located next to the former route, just north of the village of Boulby in Redcar and Cleveland
. This section of the line remains open today as a freight line, but all of the passenger stations remain closed. The dismantled section south of Boulby is now used as a footpath.
River Tees
The River Tees is in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines, and flows eastwards for 85 miles to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar.-Geography:...
at Middlesbrough to the Esk at Whitby, where it met the Scarborough & Whitby Railway
Scarborough & Whitby Railway
The Scarborough & Whitby Railway was a railway line from Scarborough to Whitby in North Yorkshire, England, the line followed a scenic route along the Yorkshire coast.It fell victim to the Beeching Axe closing in 1965...
line and the Whitby and Pickering Railway
Whitby and Pickering Railway
The Whitby and Pickering Railway was built as the culmination of attempts to halt the gradual decline of the port of Whitby on the east coast of the United Kingdom...
(now the Esk Valley Line
Esk Valley Line
The Esk Valley Line is the railway line from Middlesbrough to Whitby in North Yorkshire, England. The route follows the course of the River Esk for much of its eastern half....
as far as Grosmont
Grosmont railway station
Grosmont railway station serves the village of Grosmont in North Yorkshire, England. It is located on the Esk Valley Line which serves one platform and is operated by Northern Rail who provide the station's passenger services...
and the NYMR
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is a heritage railway in North Yorkshire, England. First opened in 1836 as the Whitby and Pickering Railway, the railway was planned in 1831 by George Stephenson as a means of opening up trade routes inland from the then important seaport of Whitby. The line...
to Pickering
Pickering railway station
Pickering railway station is the southern terminus of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and serves the town of Pickering in North Yorkshire, England.-Whitby and Pickering Railway :...
). For much of its journey it hugged the cliffs, and had a troubled build due to the proximity to the sea and poor build quality of the construction on many of the original bridges and viaducts.
It was essentially created from two separate sections of railway - from Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
to Loftus
Loftus, North Yorkshire
Loftus is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It lies in a region between Saltburn-by-the-Sea and the North York Moors...
and from Loftus to Whitby
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
(West Cliff).
Loftus to Middlesbrough
This section has a complex heritage, being built in stages by the Cleveland RailwayCleveland Railway (England)
The Cleveland Railway was a railway line in north-east England running from Normanby near Middlesbrough, via Guisborough through the Eston Hills, to Loftus in East Cleveland. It carried minerals from numerous iron ore mines along its route to the River Tees for shipment to Tyneside and elsewhere...
, the Middlesbrough and Guisborough Railway
Middlesbrough and Guisborough Railway
The Middlesbrough & Guisborough Railway was a railway line serving the towns of Middlesbrough and Guisborough as well as areas of the Eston Hills in North Yorkshire from 1853 through to 1964.-The Beginning:...
and the NER
North Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
. The first section from Loftus to Priescroft Junction, near Brotton, was part of a route built by the Cleveland Railway to serve the rapidly developing ironstone
Ironstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical repacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron compound from which iron either can be or once was smelted commercially. This term is customarily restricted to hard coarsely...
industry in the Eston Hills and East Cleveland. The line ran from Normanby
Normanby
- Places in England :*Normanby, Redcar and Cleveland, North Yorkshire*Normanby, Ryedale, North Yorkshire*Normanby, North Lincolnshire, home of Normanby Hall*Normanby by Spital*Normanby by Stow*Normanby le Wold- Places in Australia :*Normanby, Queensland...
via Guisborough
Guisborough
Guisborough is a market town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England....
and on to Loftus with branches to various ironworks and mines along the way. North of this came the Saltburn
Saltburn-by-the-Sea
Saltburn-by-the-Sea is a seaside resort in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. The town is around east of Middlesbrough, and had a population of 5,912 at the 2001 Census.-Old Saltburn:...
Extension, opened to goods in 1872, and to passengers in 1875. Originally it had no stations, as its main purpose was for goods traffic, although North Skelton opened in 1902. From Saltburn, the line continues along the coast via Redcar
Redcar
Redcar is a seaside resort in the north east of England, and a major town in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire. It lies east-northeast of Middlesbrough by the North Sea coast...
along the former Middlesbrough and Redcar Railway – now the Tees Valley Line
Tees Valley Line
The Tees Valley Line is a name for the railway route between Bishop Auckland and Saltburn via Darlington and Middlesbrough. Also operated on the line are services from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Middlesbrough and Saltburn via Darlington....
.
Loftus to Whitby
The extension of the line from Loftus to Whitby was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1866, with the majority of construction carried out under John Dickson from 1871 to 1873. Due to a lack of funds and problems with the original contractor work was suspended on the route until the NERNorth Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
took up the lease in 1875. John Waddell
John Waddell
John Henry Waddell is an American sculptor, painter and educator.-Early life:Waddell was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1921 and moved to Evansville, Indiana at the age of ten. There he began to study art at the Katherine Lord Studio, and by the age of 16 was teaching classes there...
won the contract, and the line was scheduled to open on 13 July 1881, but due to the extra work required to bring it up to standard, it was two and a half years before the line was finally opened on 3 December 1883. Many of the bridges were defective and piers out of vertical. Even the original tunnels were so out of line with each other that when boring was done from each end they did not meet in the centre! Part of the proposed line was so dangerously close to the cliff edge that the NER abandoned it and took a route further inland through Sandsend and Kettleness tunnels.
The completed section ran from Whitby to Loftus, where it joined the NER Middlesbrough – Loftus route head on. From the beginning the line was run by the NER, which held the lease and which was at that time also running services to Whitby along what is now the Esk Valley Line and Whitby's 'main line', the Malton
Malton railway station
Malton railway station serves the towns of Malton and Norton-on-Derwent in North Yorkshire, England. It is currently operated by First TransPennine Express who provide all passenger train services.-Services:The typical Monday-Saturday off-peak service is:...
– Whitby line. The NER took over the line fully in 1899.
By 1958, British Rail
BR
- Places :* Bedroom* BR postcode area, a group of eight postal districts in southeast London* Baton Rouge, Louisiana* Brazil , according to:** Its two-letter country code defined in ISO 3166-1 alpha-2** The prefix for Brazil's ISO 3166-2 subdivision codes...
claimed that £58,000 worth of maintenance was required to keep the line open (mainly on repairs to the viaducts). With dwindling passengers since the war years, the route was now only popular during summer weekends. The line closed on 5 May 1958. Only Whitby West Cliff
Whitby West Cliff railway station
Whitby West Cliff railway station was a railway station on the Whitby Redcar and Middlesbrough Union Railway. It was opened on 3 December 1883, to serve the West Cliff area of the town of Whitby, North Yorkshire, England. It closed on 12 June 1961 meaning trains from Scarborough had to reverse at...
station remained open for another three years, serving trains from Whitby to Scarborough until it too finally closed on 12 June 1961, after which Scarborough trains had to reverse at Prospect Hill Junction where the line from Whitby Town
Whitby railway station
Whitby railway station serves the town of Whitby in North Yorkshire, England. It is the terminus of the Esk Valley Line, connecting with the North Yorkshire Moors Railway at Grosmont, and provides mainline running for NYMR trains during the summer months...
met those from Scarborough and Loftus.
In 1960 work began to dismantle the line, viaducts were sold for scrap metal and concrete was used in the construction of the local sea defences.
The railway today
In the 1970s the northern section of the line was revived after ICI decided to sink Boulby mineBoulby Mine
Boulby Mine is a site run by Cleveland Potash, located just southeast of the village of Boulby, on the northeast coast of the North Yorkshire Moors in Redcar and Cleveland, England. It is Europe's second deepest mine at —Pyhäsalmi Mine in Finland is even deeper, being 1,448 metres deep—producing...
for potash
Potash
Potash is the common name for various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. In some rare cases, potash can be formed with traces of organic materials such as plant remains, and this was the major historical source for it before the industrial era...
, conveniently located next to the former route, just north of the village of Boulby in Redcar and Cleveland
Redcar and Cleveland
The borough of Redcar & Cleveland is a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England consisting of Redcar, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Guisborough, and small towns such as Brotton, Eston, Skelton and Loftus. It had a resident population of 139,132 in 2001, and is part of the Tees...
. This section of the line remains open today as a freight line, but all of the passenger stations remain closed. The dismantled section south of Boulby is now used as a footpath.