The Lost Railways of East Yorkshire: A Journey Through Time

East Yorkshire was once criss-crossed by a web of railway lines connecting market towns, seaside resorts, and rural villages to the wider world. Today, only the main Hull to Scarborough and Hull to Doncaster lines survive. But the lost railways left their mark on the landscape — and their stories deserve to be told.

The Hornsea Branch Line (1864-1964)

The Hull to Hornsea line was one of the most beloved in the region. Opening in 1864, it carried thousands of day-trippers to Hornsea's beaches every summer.

The line ran for 13 miles through Sutton, Swine, Skirlaugh, and Sigglesthorne before arriving at Hornsea Town station. At its peak, over 500,000 passengers used the line annually.

Dr Richard Beeching's infamous report sealed its fate, and the last train ran on 19 October 1964. The trackbed is now the Hornsea Rail Trail, a popular walking and cycling route.

The Withernsea Branch Line (1854-1964)

Opening ten years before the Hornsea line, the Hull to Withernsea railway was built by Anthony Bannister, a Hull businessman who envisioned Withernsea as a fashionable seaside resort.

The line passed through Hedon, Burstwick, Keyingham, Ottringham, Winestead, and Patrington before reaching Withernsea. The station buildings at several of these villages still stand today.

The Market Weighton Lines

Market Weighton was once a railway junction, with lines running to:

• York via Pocklington (closed 1965)
• Beverley via Cherry Burton (closed 1965)
• Driffield via Middleton-on-the-Wolds (closed 1965)

The Beverley to York route via Market Weighton was known as the "Hudson Way" line and passed through some of the most beautiful countryside in the Yorkshire Wolds. Today, the Hudson Way is a designated walking and cycling trail.

The Driffield to Malton Line

This cross-Wolds route connected Driffield to Malton via Sledmere and Wharram Percy. The engineering was remarkable, with deep cuttings and embankments through the chalk hills.

The deserted medieval village of Wharram Percy, now a popular archaeological site, was once served by its own station on this line.

Legacy

While the railways are gone, their legacy lives on. Station buildings have become private homes, pubs, and community centres. Trackbeds have become some of East Yorkshire's best walking and cycling routes. And the stories of the people who built, operated, and loved these lines remain part of our shared heritage.