route head on. From the beginning the line was run by the NER, which held the lease and ran services to Whitby along the Esk Valley Line and the Malton – Whitby Line. The NER took over the line fully in 1889. British Railways published a proposal to close the line in September 1957; the line's operating costs exceeded its revenue generation, closure would result in a yearly saving of £10,950 operating costs and avoid £57,000 () of structural maintenance (over five years) required on tunnels and viaducts particularly between Sandsend and Kettleness. With dwindling passengers after the war years, the route was only popular during summer weekends and closed on 5 May 1958. Whitby West Cliff station remained open for another three years, serving trains from Whitby to Scarborough until it closed on 12 June 1961, after which Scarborough trains had to reverse at Prospect Hill Junction where the line from Whitby Town met those from Scarborough and Loftus. In 1960, work began to dismantle the line, viaducts were sold for scrap metal and concrete was used in the construction of sea defences. The railway today In 1973, a section of the line at the northern end, was re-opened after (Cleveland Potash) developed Boulby potash mine next to the former route, north of the village of Boulby in Redcar and Cleveland. This section of the line remains open as a freight line, but the stations remain closed. The dismantled section south of Boulby is now a footpath. In January 2019, Campaign for Better Transport released a report identifying the line between Saltburn and Loftus which was listed as Priority 2 for reopening. Priority 2 is for those lines which require further development or a change in circumstances (such as housing developments). References Sources Further reading Pre-grouping British railway companies Closed railway lines in Yorkshire and the Humber Railway companies established in 1866 Railway lines opened in 1883 Railway companies disestablished in 1889 1866 establishments in England British companies disestablished in 1889 British companies established in 1883