Whitby railway station
Encyclopedia
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. The station is situated 35 miles (56.3 km) south east of Middlesbrough railway station
and is operated by Northern Rail
who provide all of the station's National Rail passenger services.
On 3 April 2007 services along the heritage North Yorkshire Moors Railway
commenced running from Whitby
to Pickering
, running along the Esk Valley line to Grosmont railway station
where they join the NYMR's own line. The 2011 summer peak service in July and August consists of three departures daily except on Sundays. There are trains to Whitby during the whole of the NYMR's season (mid-March to the start of November), along with trips along the line on Fridays for the NYMR's 2011 season.
From 11 October 2007 the NYMR took over National Rail ticket sales at Whitby (as well as selling their own tickets).
, a single track horse worked line opened throughout in 1836. Its engineer was George Stephenson
.
In 1845, the W&P was taken over by the York and North Midland Railway
and converted into a double track, steam worked, line. The Y&NM built the present Whitby station to the design of its architect George Townsend Andrews
, who also designed the locomotive shed and the goods shed (demolished to make way for a supermarket, although a German bomber made a start during WW2). Andrews station included a fine 'Euston Truss' overall roof which was removed by British Railways in 1953 and replaced by the present awnings.
In 1854, the Y&NM helped form the North Eastern Railway
, who later added two more platforms (also replaced by the supermarket) to help deal with traffic from the other branch lines that served Whitby; the Esk Valley Line finally opened throughout to a junction at in 1863. The coast line from opened in 1883 and from Scarborough in 1885. Block signalling replaced the time interval system in 1876 and brought Whitby an unusual three storey signal box
(to make it high enough to see over the adjacent goods shed).
The NER became part of the London and North Eastern Railway
at the grouping
of the railways in 1923 and the LNER became part of British Railways with the nationalisation of the railways in 1948. The only changes brought to Whitby were in locomotives, rolling stock and signalling; the basic structure remained unchanged.
With the publication of the Beeching Report in 1963, change hung over Whitby station and its railways; the report recommended closure of all three lines that still served Whitby (the fourth line going north up the coast had already closed in 1958).
There was strong local resistance to the closure of the three lines but in the event only one line, that up the Esk Valley to Middlesbrough was saved. It may seem strange that Whitby's 'main line', the largely double track line to Pickering
, Malton
with connections to York
was not the one to survive but the saviour of the Esk Valley Line was the steep and narrow roads to the villages that it served, making replacement bus services impractical, especially for bringing school children to and from school in Whitby.
With the closure of all but the Esk Valley Line, Whitby lost almost all of its staff and in time the pickup goods train was withdrawn; the remaining double track as far as was singled and the signal box closed and later demolished, as was the goods shed. It was only a case put by an ex-Whitby signalman that allowed retention of a basic facility for running round loco-hauled trains, so as to allow for excursions and as it turned out today's through steam services over the NYMR.
Platforms 3 and 4 were entirely removed and the site sold off, to be occupied by a supermarket.
Platform 2 was cut back to what remains of the trainshed and its track removed, leaving only Platform 1 rail served.
Apart from the roofless and truncated station, Whitby's only other surviving railway buildings are the two track engine shed, originally built by the York and North Midland Railway
and extended by the NER
and now in prospect of conversion into Captain Cook World and the neglected remains of one of the pair of Whitby and Pickering Railway
1835 weighbridge houses.
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...
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is the terminus of 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....
, connecting with the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
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...
at 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 provides mainline running for NYMR trains during the summer months. The station is situated 35 miles (56.3 km) south east of Middlesbrough railway station
Middlesbrough railway station
Middlesbrough railway station serves the large town of Middlesbrough in the borough of Middlesbrough and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. The station is managed by First TransPennine Express and has two platforms...
and is operated by Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
who provide all of the station's National Rail passenger services.
Services
Four trains per day leave Whitby on weekdays and Saturdays, with five trains on summer Sundays. Trains call at all stations to Middlesbrough. As the first train of the day from Whitby arrives in Middlesbrough at 10:18am the service is not attractive to commuters.On 3 April 2007 services along the heritage North Yorkshire Moors Railway
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...
commenced running from 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...
to Pickering
Pickering, North Yorkshire
Pickering is an ancient market town and civil parish in the Ryedale district of the county of North Yorkshire, England, on the border of the North York Moors National Park. It sits at the foot of the Moors, overlooking the Vale of Pickering to the south...
, running along the Esk Valley line to Grosmont railway station
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...
where they join the NYMR's own line. The 2011 summer peak service in July and August consists of three departures daily except on Sundays. There are trains to Whitby during the whole of the NYMR's season (mid-March to the start of November), along with trips along the line on Fridays for the NYMR's 2011 season.
From 11 October 2007 the NYMR took over National Rail ticket sales at Whitby (as well as selling their own tickets).
History
Whitby's original 'station' stood near to the end of the remaining platform, in the form of the offices, workshop and carriage shed of the Whitby and Pickering RailwayWhitby 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...
, a single track horse worked line opened throughout in 1836. Its engineer was George Stephenson
George Stephenson
George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives...
.
In 1845, the W&P was taken over by the York and North Midland Railway
York and North Midland Railway
The York and North Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom which opened in 1839, connecting York, with the Leeds and Selby Railway and in 1840 with the North Midland Railway at Normanton near Leeds.-Origins:...
and converted into a double track, steam worked, line. The Y&NM built the present Whitby station to the design of its architect George Townsend Andrews
George Townsend Andrews
George Townsend Andrews was an English architect born in Exeter. He is noted for his buildings designed for George Hudson's railways, especially the York and North Midland Railway...
, who also designed the locomotive shed and the goods shed (demolished to make way for a supermarket, although a German bomber made a start during WW2). Andrews station included a fine 'Euston Truss' overall roof which was removed by British Railways in 1953 and replaced by the present awnings.
In 1854, the Y&NM helped form the North Eastern Railway
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...
, who later added two more platforms (also replaced by the supermarket) to help deal with traffic from the other branch lines that served Whitby; the Esk Valley Line finally opened throughout to a junction at in 1863. The coast line from opened in 1883 and from Scarborough in 1885. Block signalling replaced the time interval system in 1876 and brought Whitby an unusual three storey signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
(to make it high enough to see over the adjacent goods shed).
The NER became part of the London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
at the grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
of the railways in 1923 and the LNER became part of British Railways with the nationalisation of the railways in 1948. The only changes brought to Whitby were in locomotives, rolling stock and signalling; the basic structure remained unchanged.
With the publication of the Beeching Report in 1963, change hung over Whitby station and its railways; the report recommended closure of all three lines that still served Whitby (the fourth line going north up the coast had already closed in 1958).
There was strong local resistance to the closure of the three lines but in the event only one line, that up the Esk Valley to Middlesbrough was saved. It may seem strange that Whitby's 'main line', the largely double track line to Pickering
Pickering, North Yorkshire
Pickering is an ancient market town and civil parish in the Ryedale district of the county of North Yorkshire, England, on the border of the North York Moors National Park. It sits at the foot of the Moors, overlooking the Vale of Pickering to the south...
, Malton
Malton, North Yorkshire
Malton is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. The town is the location of the offices of Ryedale District Council and has a population of around 4,000 people....
with connections to York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
was not the one to survive but the saviour of the Esk Valley Line was the steep and narrow roads to the villages that it served, making replacement bus services impractical, especially for bringing school children to and from school in Whitby.
With the closure of all but the Esk Valley Line, Whitby lost almost all of its staff and in time the pickup goods train was withdrawn; the remaining double track as far as was singled and the signal box closed and later demolished, as was the goods shed. It was only a case put by an ex-Whitby signalman that allowed retention of a basic facility for running round loco-hauled trains, so as to allow for excursions and as it turned out today's through steam services over the NYMR.
Platforms 3 and 4 were entirely removed and the site sold off, to be occupied by a supermarket.
Platform 2 was cut back to what remains of the trainshed and its track removed, leaving only Platform 1 rail served.
Apart from the roofless and truncated station, Whitby's only other surviving railway buildings are the two track engine shed, originally built by the York and North Midland Railway
York and North Midland Railway
The York and North Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom which opened in 1839, connecting York, with the Leeds and Selby Railway and in 1840 with the North Midland Railway at Normanton near Leeds.-Origins:...
and extended by 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...
and now in prospect of conversion into Captain Cook World and the neglected remains of one of the pair of 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...
1835 weighbridge houses.
External links
- Train times and information from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway Whitby Engine Sheds