Urgent calls have been made to protect a ‘vital’ rail link from toppling into the sea – which would cut off a steel plant making ‘cutting edge’ products for shipbuilding and a globally-important fertiliser mine employing over 800 people.
The single-track line carries several trains a day just yards from the top of precipitous 100 metre (330ft) cliffs which are vulnerable to coastal erosion.
Solutions are being demanded ranging from shoreline defences and stabilisation measures to even rerouting the vulnerable half a mile of track, east of Saltburn, North Yorkshire, further inland.
The only thing in between the railway and the North Sea at Huntcliff is an equally vulnerable section of the Cleveland Way coastal footpath.
The Victorian-built railway provides the only main link for heavy goods traffic to and from two important industrial sites, as local roads are narrow and hilly.
Just a mile beyond the cliffs is state-run British Steel’s historic Skinningrove steel rolling mill, employing over 300.
These days the plant, dating back to 1874, makes cutting edge ‘special profiles’ for sectors including shipbuilding, mining and machinery. Only last September, £26m was invested in a new production line.
The railway, which is not used by passenger trains, comes to an end at Boulby Mine, the world’s only producer of polyhalite fertiliser, which has 500 staff. It is owned by US-Israeli firm ICL.
Aerial picture showing the close proximity between the railway and edge of 300ft cliffs
Just a narrow strip of land separates the railway from a precipitous drop to the beach below
Boulby mine also produces potash fertiliser and houses the UK’s national deep underground science laboratory, 1,100m (3,600ft) below ground and one of just a few such facilities in the world.
Tees Valley's Tory Mayor Lord Houchen said: 'Freight access along the Saltburn to Boulby line is absolutely vital to industry in East Cleveland, including both the steelworks at Skinningrove and the Boulby mine, two major employers that families across our region rely on.
'Protecting this line means protecting local jobs, so I’d urge Network Rail to do everything in its power to keep it running and fit for the future.'
Concerns for the future of the route, owned by Network Rail, were raised last week at a meeting of Redcar and Cleveland Council.
Teesside Mayor Lord Houchem has urged Network Rail to protect the 'vital' rail line
British Steel's Skinningrove steel rolling mills and ICL's Boulby Mine depend on the railway
One councillor, Philip Thompson highlighted the ‘cliff instability near rail assets’ and said: ‘The clear lay evidence is that this part of the coast has a large question about its longevity.
‘The service to the potash mine and British Steel works at Skinningrove requires a forward plan, not waiting for further slippage.’
A former local councillor, Philip Chisholm, said the line, which ‘clings to the cliff edge’ was a ‘working artery’ to and ‘vital’ to both the steelworks and mine.
He said: ‘The loss of the line would ripple through supply chains, employment, and regional competitiveness.
Train passes perilously close to the top of cliffs, which Network Rail says are closely monitored
‘The question is no longer whether the railway is vulnerable, but whether we are prepared to act before it is lost.’
Mr Thomson asked council to make a formal approach to Network Rail for details of any planned work to safeguard the line.
Options to rebuild the railway are difficult and expensive because the threatened section loops around a steep hillside, potentially requiring a tunnel.
Land immediately south of the line is part of the National Trust’s historically-important Warsett Hill estate, which includes a Bronze Age barrow cemetery.
A Redcar and Cleveland Council spokeswoman said the cliffs were ‘subject to a shoreline management plan’ but added the ‘[current] policy is no active intervention…and not to encourage new defences’.
Network Rail, which owns the railway, said it is closely monitoring stability of the cliffs and considering the ‘most sustainable long-term solution’ for the line.
A spokesperson said: ‘We continue to closely monitor the clifftop near Loftus as part of our long‑term response to coastal erosion.
‘A real-time ground monitoring system has been installed along the most exposed section, with sensors checking for very small movements and alerting engineers immediately if thresholds are exceeded.
‘We’re also carrying out detailed 3D surveys of the cliff, allowing us to track stability with increased accuracy. This work will help us decide the most sustainable long‑term solution, while keeping services moving safely in the meantime.’