As I've said before York railway station is an impressive piece of architecture. It was designed by the North Eastern Railway architects Thomas Prosser and William Peachey, and opened on 25 June 1877. It originally had 13 platforms and was at that time the largest in the world.
It was the third railway station in York. The first station was a temporary wooden structure on Queen Street outside the walls of the city, opened in 1839 by the York and North Midland Railway. It was succeeded in 1841, inside the walls, by what became York old railway station, and which has now been converted to office space for York city council, allowing all their staff and departments to be housed in one building for the first time.
Both of these stations had the disadvantage of being dead-end stations, designed to serve routes to the south and west. As soon as lines to the north and east were opened, complicated shunting manouvers were needed to allow trains to run north.
This third station overcame that problem. It was built on a sweeping curve so that all routes could be more easily served and through trains became possible.
The station building consisted of three arch roof structures, a large one flanked by two smaller ones. The arch in this shot is one of the smaller ones. As the space at the left side of the train suggests, there was a second track here, removed around 1990 when the tracks were rationalised as part of the electrification of the main line through York. The single track left is a bay platform that serves Harrogate line services.
The train on the right is one of the oldest at work on the national network. It was built in the mid 1980s at the railway works that used to exist in York. These trains are in the process of being refurbished, and the one I travelled on last weekend to see my mum has been equiped with wifi, so it looks like they have a few more years work ahead of them.
It is hard to believe we still have these vintage trains in service. The government was congratulating itself on getting rid of the Pacers, but these are of a simular vintage, and not much better than the Pacers were. There are over 130 of these trains at work, mainly across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, so they will be expensive to replace.
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
More from York railway station in my next post.
Ian
It is hard to believe we still have these vintage trains in service. The government was congratulating itself on getting rid of the Pacers, but these are of a simular vintage, and not much better than the Pacers were. There are over 130 of these trains at work, mainly across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, so they will be expensive to replace.
Ian
You made me think of the Simon and Garfunkel song 'Homeward Bound'!
Ian
Thank you Pat. I love the shape of this building. It is also the beginning and end of many adventures for us as we explore the country by train.
Ian