York is one of the central hubs of the UK railway network, sitting equidistant between London and Edinburgh on the East Coast mainline. It is one of the main rail administration areas in the UK, and up until recently was one of the largest manufacturers of railway carriages in Europe. The city’s proud railways heritage made it the ideal home for the National Railway Museum (NRM), which is located approximately a mile from the Minster. The NRM is one of the jewels in York’s crown and a must-visit for any tourist.
Great Hall, National Rail Museum
The Old York Station
The early beginnings of rail
York has been involved in railways from the very beginning, getting its first station in 1839. This only lasted two years before a more substantial station was built just inside the walls. Much of the Old York Railway Station still exists today, even though it’s been incorporated in to offices. From the city walls, you can still see the outline of the old platform and the archway where the trains ran through the city walls.
New Station & Hotel
As the railways grew rapidly during the mid-1800’s, having a station located inside the city walls became impractical. It was not large enough, and its design meant that trains had to back-out of the station to continue their journey. So in 1877 a new station opened outside of the city walls. The extra space enabled more platforms (13 in total), easier access and the opportunity to build a new Railway Hotel, as was the fashion in the Victorian period. At the time of completion York was the largest railway station in the world. It is still today one of the largest curved stations in the world.
The Royal Station Hotel, York
York’s Saviour?
Some historians believe that the railways saved York from obscurity. After the English Civil War, York lost much of its political and military influence. During Georgian times it was a very popular social scene, but the Victorian-driven Industrial Revolution left York behind some of its northern neighbours like Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester and Liverpool. York’s inclusion in the rapidly expanding railway network was not guaranteed, and originally George Stephenson had planned his main East Coast line from Newcastle to pass through Leeds rather than York. This would have left York excluded as a backwater, as the railways became the dominant means of transport for over a century, until the motorcar entered the mainstream post-WW2.
George Hudson
George Hudson
Fortunately for York, George Hudson (a York man) persuaded Stephenson to route the line through York rather than Leeds. Even Hudson could not have anticipated quite what an impact this decision would have on York’s future. And it is for this reason that Hudson is now remembered as one of York’s greatest sons. One of the main thoroughfares in York was renamed ‘George Hudson Street’ in his honour.
George Hudson is known in York as “the Railway King”. He initially became involved in the railways as Treasurer of the new line from York to Leeds in 1833. However, it was a chance meeting with railway legend George Stephenson that sealed his place in York folklore, as he ensured that the mail line passed through York. At its peak, the railway expansion resembled that of the dot.com bubble, seemingly creating overnight millionaires. Hudson’s influence knew no bounds as he controlled Midland Railway and owned over 1000 miles of track. He became Lord Mayor of York and a Member of Parliament. Not bad for an apprentice draper who left school at 15.
Unfortunately it did not all end well for Hudson. He was ruined by accusations of fraud and bribery, which led to a rapid unravelling of his business interests. He took excessive risks with ambitious expansions, and paid a hefty price, losing his influence and wealth, and dying almost penniless. Despite this less than glorious end to his life, he will always be held in high esteem in York for what he did for the city.
York's Carriageworks
York Carriageworks
York’s role in building trains started off on a small scale in 1839. However, as the railway network expanded rapidly so did the demand for railway carriages. By 1864 the original Queen St factory was turning out over 100 carriages per week. By the 1880’s North Eastern Railway moved its manufacturing base to a new HQ at Holgate just south of York Station. At its peak this site employed over 5000 workers. It flourished through the first half of the twentieth century, before struggling to compete with cheaper foreign competition. The site finally closed its doors for the last time in 1996. At the time this was a very controversial decision, as York’s “traditional” industries such as railways, chocolate and coal were on the wane. There is very little manufacturing left nowadays, with the city relying primarily on tertiary industries like tourism and financial services.
If you travel down through Holgate you can still see much of where the carriageworks was located. At its peak it occupied 45 acres of York. Much of this land has been redeveloped for offices and housing, but there are still remnants of the factories and workshops that employed so many people in the past.
The Mallard, NRM
The National Railway Museum is the largest railway museum in the world, attracting almost 1 million visitors per year. If you are a fan of steam trains, this is the place for you! But you don’t have to be a trainspotter to appreciate the NRM. It caters for all the family, with interactive displays, various exhibits, children’s sections and the centrepiece Great Hall which is stuffed full of magnificent locomotives from across the world. Read more…
Scenic Railway Lines
Settle to Carlisle
Possibly the most scenic railway line in Britain, the 72 mile route from Settle to Carlisle takes you on a journey through the magnificent Yorkshire Dales, over the 24 arches of the Ribblehead Viaduct before plunging in to the longest tunnel on the line at Blea Moor. Emerging onto the side of Dentdale, the line leaves the Dales at Garsdale and makes it way through the gentle, lush rolling hills of the Eden Valley, with rural villages and market towns before arriving at the great border city of Carlisle.
The Ribblehead Viaduct, Settle-to-Carlisle line
The line operates as a regular scheduled service. It is possible to do a day trip from York. You will need to get the train to Leeds, and then change on to the Leeds to Carlisle line. There is no need to book. Refer to www.settle-carlisle.co.uk for timetables & further information. The regular service operates modern diesel unit trains. However, Steam and diesel charter services also operate over the line from time to time. Special bookings are required for these trains and need to be booked in advance by contacting the charter operator direct. Settle is about 90 minutes from York in the car or on the train.
Settle to Carlisle line
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is one of the most popular heritage railway lines in the world, running across the North Yorkshire Moors from Pickering via Levisham, Newton Dale, Goathland, Grosmont and on to the seaside town of Whitby. Pickering is approximately a 45 minute drive from York. Originally part of the Whitby to Malton line, it was part of the national rail network, but was closed in 1965 as part of the Beeching cuts. The NYMR is mostly operated and staffed by volunteers and rail enthusiasts. Trains are mostly steam-hauled; however in some cases heritage diesel is used. As well as the normal passenger running, there are dining services on some evenings and weekends.
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
The line has featured in several TV series and films, including Harry Potter (Hogsmeade Station), Heartbeat, Brideshead Revisited, The Royal, Poirot and Sherlock Holmes.
Goathland Station, aka Hogwarts
The NYMR runs several special event trains throughout the year including the War-time Weekend, Santa Specials, Vintage Vehicle Weekend, Music on the Moors and a Wizard Weekend.
Refer to http://www.nymr.co.uk/ for timetables & further information.
