An early proposal for a railway eastwards from Hull into Holderness was made in 1845 by the York and North Midland Railway for a line from a junction on a line to the east Dock at Drypool to Patrington via Hedon; the Patrington line was not included in the resultant acts of 1846. A second attempt at a line was promoted by Hull businessman Anthony Bannister, with the intention of linking Hull with the rich agricultural area of South Holderness, and the development of a coastal village into a new seaside resort. The silting up of Patrington and Hedon Havens was another incentive for the construction of a line, since it could no longer be used for transportation by water. A prospectus was issued in 1852, and the "Hull and Holderness Railway Act" passed 1853. Construction of the line in the flat and open Holderness plain was rapid and the line of about was opened on 24 June 1854.
Description and operations
The line was originally built as a single track line, except sections at Hedon and near Ryehill. At Withernsea a hotel, the "Station Hotel" was built. The line began at the York and North Midland Railway's Victoria Dock station and ran east, passing Hedon to the north; it then turned south-east, passing Burstwick to the south, halfway between the village and Ryehill, then the line passed Keyingham to the north and then east and south to Patrington, the last village of any note before Withernsea, which was to the north-east, and in which the line terminated. Up till 1859 the Hull and Holderness Railway operated its own trains, but from 1860 the line was operated by the North Eastern Railway on lease rental, and in 1862 the same company acquired the line; a short connecting chord was built that allowed trains to run through onto the dock branch, and, from 1864, services ran to Paragon station in the city centre via the Victoria Dock Branch Line.
Closure
Passenger service ended following the Beeching Report. The last passenger train ran on 19 October 1964. Goods traffic continued to use the whole line until 3 May 1965, after which it only operated between Hull and Hedon railway station. This service continued until 3 June 1968, the goods service to Marfleet lasting until 1972.
Line post closure
Most of the trackbed remains, and parts of it have become a footpath. The Queen's Hotel in Withernsea became a convalescence home. Most of the station buildings have become private residences, with the exception of Withernsea station and Hollym Gate which have been demolished.
