Mayor set on improving Scarborough-York rail link

Work is under way to secure a half-hourly service between Scarborough and York

North Yorkshire's elected mayor has said he is determined to get an increase in the frequency of trains running between York and Scarborough.

The route currently has one train an hour run by TransPennine Express. David Skaith wants to double that.

He said meetings with Network Rail and train operators in the region were under way to realise the plans.

The mayor said he was is also looking at developing stations including at Scarborough, Seamer, Thirsk, Malton, and Haxby.

The mayor said there was 'scope' to improve train services between Scarborough and York

He said industry leaders wanted to stay in the region and were eager to see improved transport links which would aid commuters and businesses.

Mr Skaith told the Local Democracy Service: “If we want to be moving people over to the coast and obviously people coming away from the coast into the rural areas and into more urban areas, then having that transport connectivity is key.”

However, the mayor emphasised the need to improve transport links overall, including buses and means of active travel, to give residents “a real opportunity and reliable alternative" to car journeys.

“It’s that fully-integrated system, actually, so if you get off a train, you need to know that you can actually go on from that journey on a bus, a coach or walk and cycle as well," he said.

“We are in a position where we do want to take the dependency away from the car because if you want to move people en masse and in an affordable manner, the traditional car isn’t the way to do it.”

Around a third of bus services in North Yorkshire have seen timetable reductions or have needed extra financial support since the pandemic, partly due to rising operating costs and difficulties recruiting drivers.

A North Yorkshire Council report earlier this year stated that “the majority of the local bus support budget is used to provide rural services”.

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