Timeline
| 1834 | Application to Parliament |
| 1839 | Temporary station at York outside walls |
| 1845 | Proposed ’direct’ route from St Pancras via Cawood |
| 1850 | Actual route via Askern, Knottingley Sherburn in Elmet and Church Fenton |
| 1864 | York via Doncaster route approved by Parliament despite opposition from Lancashire and Yorkshire |
| 1870 | Line complete |
| 1871 | Route open January 1st. 3 miles shorter and 30m minutes quicker |
| 1877 | New station outside walls |
| 1923 | NER absorbed into LNER – compete route under one company |
| 1948 | Nationalised under British Rail |