The Knottingley to Goole railway line runs through the southern edge of North Yorkshire serving Whitley Bridge, Hensall and Snaith.
There are just two trains per day to Leeds (One in the morning and one in the evening) and only one train a day to Goole and that’s in the evening too. There is no Sunday service on the line. It’s one of the worst timetables in the country.
Stantec has been commissioned to develop a ‘Case for Change’ for improving the strategic public transport connectivity in the Lower Aire Valley
A study is looking at the longstanding aspiration for a regular rail service between Goole and Knottingley, and onwards to Leeds and Hull.
It is being led by East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Hull City Council, North Yorkshire Council, Wakefield Council, West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), and York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA).
Now it’s time to have your say
There have been significant changes in the economy of the Lower Aire Valley and this has led to changes in travel demand.
- Employment development – of particular importance has been the development of the 300-acre Goole 36 site, which is part of the Humber Enterprise Zone and includes several large, modern and high value companies. More recently, Siemens Mobility has invested heavily in a major rolling stock factory in Goole, which is manufacturing the new trains for the Piccadilly Line in London. There are also significant new developments in the wider study area, including the Core 62 site on the former Eggborough Power Station and Konect62 at Kellingley.
- Housing development – like most local authorities in England, East Riding of Yorkshire and North Yorkshire are required to significantly expand their annual housing completions. Several large housing sites are already being explored within or in close proximity to the study area, including a new 1,500-unit site to the west of Eggborough and the potential development of Drax Power Station.
- Greater demand for regional and leisure travel – there has been a strong trend towards devolution within England over the last decade, with cities such as Leeds growing strongly as Regional Centres. This has created an increased demand for labour. There has also been a growth in demand for leisure travel, with destinations in close proximity to the study area, including Xscape and the Junction 32 Shopping Outlet.
You can give your feedback here
The development of a robust Case for Change will provide the foundation for any subsequent business case which will include the identification and appraisal of a range of options for improvement, including potentially a regular rail service between Goole and Leeds via Knottingley.
