A YORK resident has spoken of the horrors of living close to a railway line.

Peggy Lister, 86, of Hillsborough Terrace, Clifton, says the smell and noise from passing trains on the York to Scarborough line has become so bad that she can no longer open her windows.

Mrs Lister and her husband, Michael, 86, are both disabled and live close to the railway line with their dog, Nando.

They have lived at the property for the past 35 years but said that since the noisy Class 68 diesel locomotives were introduced at the end of 2019 it has been unbearable. Mrs Lister said: “We opened our windows wide to let some fresh air into our house. Well, we rapidly were overcome by the disgusting stink and noise of the trains.

“I’m dreading it in the summer."

The 86-year-old got in touch with Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central, about the issue.

Rachael Maskell said the situation was unacceptable. She said: “I walked down to Grosvenor Terrace the other day - you can’t hear yourself think.

“The trains are idling before they enter York station.

“No train should be idling in a residential area - it should be doing that outside the city.”

Maskell wrote to Neil Ferris, Corporate Director of Place at City of York Council, on Mrs Lister's behalf in September 2021, but there has been no response.

A spokesperson for TransPennine Express said the Nova 3 trains, which are pulled by the Class 68s, were introduced in 2019 to increase passenger capacity. 

The Nova 3s are fully applicable with noise and air quality standards. However, the TransPennine spokesperson said: "We entirely understand the concerns of some residents and have been operating on this route since 2019.

“We're sorry for any discomfort our trains cause for those who live near to the railway.

“Our services between York and Scarborough provide a valuable connection for local communities and in recent years, we’ve invested £500 million in bringing in new, modern trains, such as our Nova 3s, which operate on this route and have enabled us to provide much-needed extra capacity for customers."

York Press: York resident claims the smell and noise from passing TransPennine trains is so bad they cannot open their windows.York resident claims the smell and noise from passing TransPennine trains is so bad they cannot open their windows.

TransPennine Express said they have started to seek alternatives to the diesel Class 68s that are more environmentally friendly. These new trains will be powered by overhead electric lines in addition to diesel or a battery.

Paul Staples, Fleet Director at TransPennine Express, previously told RailAdvent: “We are determined to make a positive impact for the environment and make rail, which is already one of the most environmentally friendly modes of transport, even greener.”

TransPennine Express were unable to provide a date for when these changes would be implemented but said they would keep customers updated.

Rachael Maskell MP said the response from TransPennine is “not good enough.”

She said: “I have taken it up to Northern (Railway) and TransPennine.

“It’s a massive problem putting pollution into the local environment. We need train companies to take responsibility for their actions.

“I’m going to go back to TransPennine to raise my concern based on my recent visit there.”

Have you been affected by the York to Scarborough line? If so contact Dylan Connell: dylan.connell@newsquest.co.uk