The Leeds and York Railway was a proposed railway line, promoted in the mid 1840s, intended to connect York and Leeds. The line lost a significant promoter, the Manchester and Leeds Railway in 1845/6 as a result of a non-competition arrangement between that company, and the York and North Midland Railway. The York and North Midland Railway had successfully promoted a rival line in the same session of parliament, and obtained an act for its construction in 1846. The Tadcaster Viaduct had been completed by 1848 when the Y&NMR decided to abandon construction of the line. The line was not completed.
History
Leeds and York Railway
The Leeds and York Railway was promoted in the 1840s, during the Railway Mania; the line formed an alternative route from Leeds to York, starting in Wellington Street, passing Seacroft, Thorner, Clifford Moor, and crossing the River Wharfe near Thorp Arch continued via Walton, Syningthwaite, Bilton, Hutton Wandesley, Rufforth and Acomb to York. The line was shorter than the existing route between the two cities. An associated scheme the York, Hull and East and West Yorkshire Junction Railway was also proposed, connecting towns in the East Riding of Yorkshire; together they represented a potential strong competitor to George Hudson's railway network in Yorkshire. In 1845 the Leeds and York company gained the support of the Manchester and Leeds Railway, which decided to take up shares in the company on the condition that the line would use the station of the proposed West Riding Union company; the company also determined to support the Leeds and York in their obtaining an act of parliament. In late 1845 the York and North Midland Railway company and the Manchester and Leeds company entered into a non-competition arrangement as part of an agreement between the two firms on the leasing of the Hull and Selby Railway. Part of the agreement was that the M&L would withdraw its support from both the York-Leeds and York-Hull schemes. The new agreement with the Y&NMR was contradictory to the previous one with the proponents of the Leeds and York and York and Hull schemes, and the board of the M&L withdrew their support and connection to the scheme in November 1845. The Leeds and York refused an offer to return the shares, and the M&L was required to take up 5,000 £25 shares. Rival schemes between Leeds and York were also proposed in the same period, including the Leeds, York and Midland Railway, and the Leeds Extension of the York of North Midland Railway, both of which followed similar routes to the Leeds and York company's plans.
The Y&NMR applied for an act for a railway of similar route in 1845, starting at Copmanthorpe at a junction with the York and North Midland's main line, then running southeast to Tadcaster where a connection was to be made with the Y&NMR's Church Fenton and Harrogate branch. The route then ran south for approximately 1 mile, the route left the Harrogate-Church Fenton line and continued roughly southwest towards a junction with the Leeds and Selby Railway near Cross Gates. The Y&NMR's line was successful in parliament over the rival Leeds and York Railway scheme. An act, the "York and North Midland Railway Act" was obtained in 1846, for a line of with power to raise capital of £360,000 and a further third in loans. John Towlerton Leather was contracted to build the Tadcaster-York section, a viaduct at Tadcaster was completed before the work was abandoned after the end of the Railway Mania. In its 1849 report to shareholders the company reported: In 1849 the Y&NMR applied for deviation of and abandonment of the original section from Tadcaster to York, passed as part of the "York and North Midland Railway Act" of 1849. No line was completed along the route, either by the Leeds and York, York and North Midland or other companies. A shorter route from Leeds to York was opened in 1869, via a cut off from Church Fenton to Micklefield.
Tadcaster Viaduct
The Tadcaster Viaduct was constructed as part of the northern section of the Leeds-York Line. The viaduct was constructed of 11 arches, 7 west of the river, 2 east of the river, and 2 wider arches across the River Wharfe; made of magnesian limestone with millstone grit arch voussoirs. Earthworks were constructed for a triangle junction connection to the Harrogate-Church Fenton line immediately northwest of Tadcaster railway station; the viaduct crossed the river upstream and north of the town. From 1882 or '83 to 1955 there was a siding across the viaduct which was used to supply corn and later coal to Ingleby's Mill on the east bank of the river. After 1901 the Mill was converted to a power station for the Tadcaster Electricity Company. The siding, known as the Ingleby's Mill branch closed in 1959. In 1980 the viaduct was acquired by the town council from British Rail. The structure was listed in 1985.
