Rejoicing in Ripon: Ripon hopes for link to high-speed London connection

It’s almost 60 years since the last passenger train arrived in Ripon, but the long-awaited remedy for re‑establishing an economy‑boosting high‑speed link to and from London King’s Cross is easily achievable.

Behind‑the‑scenes discussions between Ripon BID and all relevant parties — most notably the office of David Skaith, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire — have been ongoing since the Mayor took office in  2024. BID Manager Lilla Bathurst told Tim Flanagan of the Rejoicing in Ripon blog:

“Ripon and district, with its incredible history dating back 1,354 years to when St Wilfrid put down the foundations of its world‑class cathedral, has heritage attractions, burgeoning cultural activities – such as the nightly Hornblower ceremony 📯, annual Theatre Festival 🎭 and St Wilfrid’s Procession, plus a rich array of independent retailers and hospitality businesses 🛍️🍽️, all of which would benefit from the lucrative trade that a London connection would most certainly bring.”

Lilla added:

“Ironically, at a time when multi‑billion Northern Powerhouse Rail prospective long‑term developments have been grabbing the news headlines, we have an affordable and readily implementable solution just 11 miles and 20 minutes away in Thirsk, which could be delivered with the pull of a lever 🔧.

“The idea that we and other city stakeholders have put to Mayor David Skaith is for a shuttle bus service 🚌 linked to the 13 daily arrivals of trains from King’s Cross at a station that would be re‑named Thirsk for Ripon.”

The BID will continue to push hard for the London link and encourages all interested parties to support the ongoing campaign 💪.

Information on the Trainline site says it takes an average of 2 hours and 16 minutes to travel from London King’s Cross to Thirsk by train, over a distance of around 194 miles (311 km). There are normally 13 trains per day travelling from London King’s Cross to Thirsk, and tickets for this journey start from £20.70 for those who book in advance 💷.

If you add the 11‑mile journey by shuttle bus to Ripon, the city‑to‑city journey will take approximately 2 1/2 hours in total ⏱️.