Scarborough and Whitby Railway

31st August 2022

The trackbed of the Scarborough & Whitby Railway is now the Cinder Track between Scarborough and Whitby.

According to Disused Stations, the Scarborough & Whitby Railway was built quite late on, opening on 16th July 1885. This was because the terrain is hilly, and it was difficult to find a route that would be economic to build, and hard to find capital for the project.

The first bill incorporating a Scarborough & Whitby Railway was passed by Parliament in 1865. The powers lapsed, but a new bill was passed in 1871. Construction started in 1872, but had ground to a halt by 1877.

A new bill was put before Parliament in 1879, work restarted in 1881, and the line opened in 1885.

It was North Eastern Railway that operated the line, and they bought it from SWR in 1898.

In the 1930s, traffic increased with the introduction of cheap fares aimed at holidaymakers. Camping coaches were placed at Scalby, Cloughton, Staintondale, Ravenscar and Robin Hood's Bay. They were very popular.

Road traffic increased after World War II, and rail passenger numbers declined.

The Scarborough & Whitby Railway closed:

to goods traffic on 10th August 1964 and
to passengers on 6th March 1965

Scarborough and Whitby Railway: Stations

Scalby

Scalby Station closed to passengers in 1953, and was converted to holiday accommodation. There were also camping coaches.

The station was demolished in 1974 to make way for a housing development.

Cloughton

Cloughton Station survived until the closure of the line in 1965.

The station building and station master's house were restored as a guesthouse. There's also self-catering accommodation in an old railway carriage and the Old Goods Shed. The tearoom closed in 2019.

Hayburn Wyke

A station master's house at Hayburn Wyke Station was built in 1892. Hayburn Wyke was downgraded from a station to a halt in 1953.

Staintondale

Staintondale Station was so-called until 1937, when it changed its name to Stainton Dale Station.

Staintondale won a number of prizes for best kept station. There were camping coaches here. The main station building is now a private house.

Staintondale is an anagram of 'lend a station'. I think we all know that is quite significant.

Ravenscar

Ravenscar Station was originally called Peak, then it was renamed Ravenscar in 1897.

This was the highest point on the line.

Fyling Hall

Fyling Hall Station was closed from 1915 to 1920 as an economy measure during World War I.

It became an unstaffed halt from 1958.

Robin Hood's Bay

Robin Hood's Bay Station is now holiday accommodation. You pass it when riding the Cinder Track.

This station had the largest goods yard on the line, and four camping coaches.

Hawsker

Hawsker Station was used as holiday accommodation and for cycle hire, after it closed - a business called Trailways. In 2022 the business is on pause.