Track repairs threaten to derail growth in isolated Hull

Hull Council has voiced concerns the city and its hinterlands could be effectively “cut off” from the national rail network if repair work after the catastrophic landslip at Hatfield, which has already blocked one major route, clashes with planned maintenance at Selby.

Network Rail says the blocked line from Hull to Doncaster may not reopen until the end of June and while it does not expect the works to overlap it is unable to provide categorical assurances they will not, sparking fears passengers would only be able to get in and out of the city through one rail route.

The maintenance work on Selby’s 160-year-old swingbridge is due to start on July 28 on the route normally used by trains from Hull to London.

Transport portfolio holder Coun Martin Mancey said it would be “totally unacceptable” if the city was cut off.

He said: “Unless Network Rail resolve the significant problems on the Hull to Doncaster route, they need to delay any work at Selby, otherwise Hull and its economy of over 400,000 people will be effectively cut off from the UK’s strategic rail network.”

Coun Mancey, who is meeting Network Rail route managing director Phil Verster tomorrow, added: “Clearly for a city with the regional significance of Hull, not to have any means of reasonable access via a rail link, is just totally unacceptable. We are not just talking about people making short journeys, we are talking about people coming from London and abroad. We are worried about the landslip job overrunning.

“I don’t think hopping on the bus is acceptable. This is at a time when we are particularly keen on attracting inward investment, and it does us no good at all if people who want to make these decisions can’t get here on a reasonable rail service.”

The damage at Hatfield – which Network Rail has said is “a lot worse” than originally thought –has already led to long delays for passengers using First TransPennine Express, which has put on replacement bus services between Doncaster, Scunthorpe and Cleethorpes.

East Hull MP Karl Turner said: “I would urge Network Rail to look at its plan for works on the Selby swingbridge in light of the ongoing problems due to the landslide at Hatfield. There has been a number of problems over recent months with the rail link from Hull to Doncaster.

“Our local economy relies on a reliable and affordable rail service and these ongoing problems have serious consequences to growth.”

David Hooper, from Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, said: “There’s always the danger that if train journeys are too long, or too inconvenient, commuters will find other means of transport which could make our roads even busier, while other visitors may simply stay away from the city altogether and spend their money elsewhere. Businesses which use the railways need reliable supplies and they too will find alternatives if they have to, but this may in turn push up costs which will then have to be passed on.”

A spokeswoman for Network Rail insisted there would still be routes out of Hull. “The Selby swingbridge work is planned a month after we expect the work at Stainforth to be finished but we can’t say 100 per cent that will be the case. We have only just been able to get detailed investigations underway. Stabilising it is the first thing before we can even think about putting track on it.”

Work on the bridge is expected to take six weeks. She added: “The nature of railway engineering work is that they are planned years in advance. If we delay at this stage there is a risk it could be put back quite significantly. We want to exhaust every possibility of getting both of these works done as they are scheduled to be done.”

Northern Rail, which is running buses between Goole and Doncaster because of the landslide, said they are closely monitoring the situation at Hatfield.

First Hull Trains, which operates 90 services a week from Hull to King’s Cross, used an alternative route via Snaith recently when preparatory works were being undertaken on the swingbridge, but it is circuitous and not known to all train drivers and may require additional staff to run.

A spokesman said: “If the work at Selby goes ahead, we may need to use this route again or we will look for further alternatives. Our objective will be to keep our passengers on the move, without having to transfer to road transport, wherever we can.”