of the first implementation of FirstGroup's experimental and controversial FTR bus concept, which sought to confer the advantages of a modern tramway system at a lower cost. The service was withdrawn following an election manifesto pledge by the Labour Group at the 2011 local government election. Transdev York also operates a large number of local bus services. Open-top tourist and sightseeing buses are operated by Transdev York, on behalf of City Sightseeing. Rural services, linking local towns and villages with York, are provided by a number of companies with Transdev York & Country, East Yorkshire and Reliance Motor Services operating most of them. Longer-distance bus services are provided by a number of operators, including Arriva Yorkshire services to Selby, East Yorkshire routes to Hull, Beverley, Driffield, Market Weighton and Pocklington, and Harrogate Bus Company services to Knaresborough and Harrogate. Yorkshire Coastliner links Leeds via York with Scarborough, Filey, Bridlington and Whitby. Railway York has been a major railway centre since the first line arrived in 1839, at the beginning of the railway age. For many years, the city hosted the headquarters and works of the North Eastern Railway. Air The closest international airports are Leeds Bradford at , Teesside , Doncaster Sheffield , Humberside . Further afield are Manchester and Newcastle . Manchester Airport – with connections to Europe, North America, Africa and Asia – has direct rail links by TransPennine Express with its . By road its accessible by the A64 to the M60 via the A1(M) motorway, M1 and M62. Teesside Airport has one connection via and with a limited service with a bus from to the airport. By road, it is accessible by the A19 north to the A67. Newcastle Airport has one connection via with the metro to , it is accessible by the A1(M) north to the A1 then the A696. Leeds Bradford and Humberside have no direct station with buses from the nearest stations. Leeds Bradford serves most major European and North African airports, as well as Pakistan and New York City. Humberside is accessible by the A1079 to the A15 via the A63; Leeds Bradford by the A59 to the A658 via the A661. York has an airfield at the former RAF Elvington, south-east of the city centre, which is the home of the Yorkshire Air Museum and used for private aviation. In 2003, plans were drafted to expand the site for business