York and North Midland Railway (Leeds Extension)

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 successfully promoted a rival line, the York and North Midland Railway (Leeds Extension) 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.

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 (Leeds), passing Seacroft, Thorner, Clifford Moor, and crossing the River Wharfe near Thorparch continued via Walton, Syningthwaite, Bilton, Hutton Wandesley, Rufforth and Acomb to York.

The line was 6.5 miles (10.5 km) shorter than the existing route between the two cities (York and North Midland and Leeds and Selby lines). An associated scheme the York, Hull and East and West Yorkshire Junction Railway was also proposed, connection towns in the East Riding of Yorkshire; together they represented a potential strong competitor to George Hudson's railway network in Yorkshire.

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