27 July 2026
A long-awaited independent study into reopening the East Cleveland railway line to passenger services has now been published, setting out both the opportunities and the challenges of bringing passenger trains back to the villages.
The detailed work, carried out by ARUP and commissioned by Tees Valley Combined Authority, concludes that there is a “clear strategic case for reopening the line”, with restoring passenger services encouraging economic growth, improving access to jobs, education and healthcare, and helping unlock East Cleveland’s tourism potential. However, it also finds that the cost of upgrading the line has increased significantly compared with earlier assessments.
The report concludes:
“This detailed review of the existing infrastructure has found that it is feasible to reopen the line to passenger services. The project would align with strategic priorities and could help to boost economic growth in the East Cleveland area. The costs are higher than previously estimated, but are now based on more detailed knowledge of the existing infrastructure and a further developed understanding of the route functionality and operational constraints. There is potentially a case for phasing the opening of the line, with the initial option of extending to Brotton being the most straightforward as it would not require passenger services to operate on the privately managed freight line and would avoid the infrastructure costs increase from Brotton towards Boulby Mine.”
ARUP, 2025, ‘East Cleveland Railway: Detailed Feasibility Study Report‘ (p.71, 10.1, Summary of Findings)
The publication marks the latest chapter in a campaign Luke Myer MP has supported for several years.
In 2020, following Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council’s previous commissioned study by SYSTRA, he said the project would benefit “isolated villages all over East Cleveland, and the track’s already there waiting for it”. As a Redcar & Cleveland councillor, Luke repeatedly pressed for better transport links into East Cleveland, and in 2023, called on community leaders to “make the case to Government and to the Mayor” that the project was “worth investing in – it would generate opportunity for people, and it’s about getting people moving and getting our economy moving as well.” He launched a public petition gathering hundreds of signatures calling for the railway to be examined, and following public pressure, in 2024 the Combined Authority committed £1 million to the detailed engineering and business case published today.
Luke has continued to champion the railway since entering Parliament, last year publishing his East Cleveland Growth Plan supporting the proposal, and raising the issue directly with the Transport Secretary in the Commons.
“On 28 September, the historic Boulby line in my constituency will be reopened for passengers to celebrate 200 years of passenger rail. Yet I believe the line ought to be open permanently so people can access jobs and opportunities. Will the Secretary of State meet me to talk about that prospect and other transport proposals that I have for East Cleveland?”
(Hansard, 11 September 2025)
The new study concludes that there is a “clear strategic case”, but that engineering costs are higher than previously estimated, with the best value option (new stations at Saltburn Skelton, and Brotton) coming in at £139m. However, the report also acknowledges that there was “more work required to determine the costs and benefits”, because –
“many of the additional economic benefits that the scheme will provide […] are not always adequately captured within conventional economic analysis.”
ARUP 2025 (p.65)
Tourism, for example, was an area which the report did not include in its economic analysis, while it acknowledged that “a new East Cleveland rail route will increase the tourism activity to the region, giving better access to both the Coast and the Moors”.
Luke said the report should not be seen as the end of the conversation, but that it reiterated the strong strategic and socio-economic case for the project. He vowed to keep fighting for better public transport for East Cleveland.
Luke Myer MP said:
“Every one of us from East Cleveland knows that our public transport system is holding us back. Our villages deserve better connections to jobs, education, healthcare and opportunities, and this report recognises that.
“I’ll continue working with local and national partners to press for better transport for East Cleveland, whether that’s through rail in the future or improvements to buses and other connections that people need today.”
Cllr Carl Quartermain, Cabinet Member for Highways & Transport at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, said:
“The strategic case for improving connectivity in East Cleveland is undeniable. Better transport links are essential if we are to connect our communities with jobs, education and other opportunities.
“While this report highlights significant challenges in bringing passenger services back to this route, it also reinforces why improving connectivity must remain a priority. If this proposal is not viable economically, we will continue working with our partners at Tees Valley Combined Authority to explore and deliver other solutions that provide East Cleveland with the transport connections it needs and deserves.”