AN ONLINE petition to restore a rail link from Whitby to York and connect the town to the south has been launched.
It is the brainchild of 18- year- old Ben Hughes, a biomedical sciences student, who describes himself as being passionate about railways.
He has submitted an electronic petition to re-open the Malton to Pickering railway line to Downing Street re
cently via their website.
Mr Hughes said: “I put this petition online as I am a keen railway enthusiast and believe that re-opening Malton to Pickering and upgrading the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) would be of benefit to North Yorkshire.”
Re-opening the link would mean re-laying track and co-ordinating services with the NYMR.
The re-opening would result in reduced road congestion and improved journey times.
Hopes of restoring the rail link were reported in the Gazette in 2002 when Coun Jane Kenyon claimed that Whitby had suffered geographical and transport isolation since the Beeching rail cuts of the 1960s.
Mr Hughes said: “This may be a sensitive issue, there is general support for re-opening it because it would enable steam trains to run from York to Whitby. It will not be worthwhile if Malton- Pickering and the NYMR were not primarily used for services that people could use frequently.
“Plans to upgrade the A64 to dual-carriageway have been refused until 2016 because it would cost £500 million.”
The first year undergraduate, from Wombleton, nine miles from Pickering is currently studying at Sheffield Hallam University.
“I am expecting a negative response to my petition” he said
“I can see the importance of the steam trains as a tourist attraction but at the same time I feel the A64 gets very overcrowded.
“I have not yet passed my driving test but I am very familiar with that stretch of road.”
“The petition requests for the NYMR's track to be upgraded to allow trains to run faster than 25mph.
“Services would make Whitby more accessible as not everyone has a car. Passengers could work on laptops as they travel.
“This would benefit people along the A64 corridor between Malton and York, because Whitby's contribution to A64 traffic would be reduced.”
Philip Benham, General Manager NYMR said the petition is not something they have been directly involved in.
“Currently, our longest journey (Pickering-Whitby) takes one hour and 35 minutes and carries with it a fare of £20 and it has proved to be very popular. To lengthen the journey by a further seven miles to 31 miles in total, would make it a long journey and more expensive. This could be a double-edged sword.
“Ultimately the NYMR is known for being a good value, leisurely day out.”
Mr Benham pointed out NYMR is a major contributor to the local economy, helping to attract in excess of £30 million and this could be jeopardised if Pickering was a through line.
“We are happy to work with any agency that’s got plans, so long as it is good for the area and good for NYMR.
