Disused railway lines in Yorkshire could be reopened

A feasibility study has been launched into reopening the Harrogate to Northallerton line, which ran via Ripon until the route was axed after the Beeching Report in 1963.

It is looking at likely levels of passenger and freight demand and the impact a reinstated railway may have on the local economy and environment.

Jointly funded by the Countryside Agency, North Yorkshire County Council and the Ripon City Partnership, the study is expected to take four months to complete.

Expanded network

David Fanaroff, senior countryside adviser at the Countryside Agency, said: "Our recent report on rail reopenings in Yorkshire and the Humber highlighted that the Harrogate to Northallerton line via Ripon could be reopened to play an important role in an expanded rail network for the region.

"This feasibility study is the first step on a long road towards a potential reopening.

"The route is basically still there, but there would have to be some diversions because houses have been built on one or two stretches of the line."

Fiona Sullivan, programme manager for Ripon City Partnership, said: "This study is a great opportunity to at last get some of the questions answered regarding the viability of rail travel services in Ripon."

The Countryside Agency report also proposes that studies be carried out on the Malton to Pickering line, the York to Hull line via Beverley and Market Weighton and the Manchester to Sheffield line via the Woodhead Line.