New claim that axing of Ripon railway line 'cost city almost £4.9m' over last 60 years

Ripon may have missed out on almost £4.9 million during the nearly 60 years the city has been without a railway

Passenger trains last ran on the Ripon line in 1967 but, almost six decades later, the revival of direct rail access is still a topic of conversation for many and a cherished dream for some.

Passenger services to and from the city ended on March 6, 1967 when the route between Harrogate and Northallerton closed as part of the Beeching Axe, a 1960s government plan to cut down the size and cost of the nationalised British railway network.

New analysis issued by World of Railways highlights what a difference the railway might have made to Ripon’s wellbeing - and may still do so at some point in the future.

World of Railways has estimated what that long period without direct passenger rail may have meant economically.

Its working figure is approximately £4.87m between 1967 and 2025.

Emily Warner, at World of Railways, said: “Ripon has now been without a railway station for almost 60 years, but the city has changed enormously in that time, not least with significant population growth.

“What makes the case particularly relevant today is that the need for better connectivity hasn’t gone away.”

The estimate is not an exact bill for closing the railway and does not mean £4.87m simply disappeared from the UK economy.

It is an indication of local economic activity that may have been missed over time.

The population figure used in the model rises from around 8,600 in 1961 to 16,589 in 2021, an increase of almost 93%.

Since 1967, there have been repeated proposals to restore rail services to Ripon, including a bid through the Government’s Restoring Your Railway programme, but that proposal did not progress.

Current local work is instead looking at a possible mobility hub and improvements to bus and onward transport connections.

The investigation is part of World of Railways: Britain’s Lost Railways project ahead of The National Festival of Railway Modelling, at the NEC Birmingham from November 21-22.

More information here

Festival tickets here