Record passenger numbers reported on railway route

A railway route in North Yorkshire has seen its highest annual passenger numbers, a rail operator has said.

TransPennine Express (TPE) said more than 263,000 train journeys were made between York and Scarborough in the financial year 2024-25.

The current year, which runs to April, has so far seen 257,570 journeys, TPE added, compared with 66,000 in 2020-21, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Andrew McClements, from the firm, said the growth reflected "a combination of increased leisure travel, strong seasonal tourism on the coast and growing confidence in rail across the wider North Yorkshire area".

"We are pleased to see demand returning and an increase in customer numbers on our York to Scarborough services," he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Trains along the route currently run once per hour, but a proposed doubling of the number of services from December 2028 was announced in July.

However, McClements said this would only happen if "necessary approvals and funding are in place".

"Discussions with funders continue, including with the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, albeit no funding has yet been provided nor approvals received," he added.

David Skaith, the elected Labour Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, previously said: "The whole York to Scarborough corridor is so important for visitors and commuters, but also for the growth of businesses.

​"There are companies in Scarborough and Seamer looking to attract more employees and attract those high-skilled jobs, and with just one train an hour, it doesn't open up those opportunities".

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