COUNCILLORS have hit out after the latest HS2 proposals continued to suggest a new parkway station could be built to the west of York.

Rural West councillors Ian Gillies and Chris Steward say any suggestion of such a new station near Rufforth is "unacceptable" and should be removed from HS2 documents published last week.

The Press revealed for the first time last year that a new railway station could be built to the north or west of York - bypassing the city centre station - if a high speed railway as to be built north towards Newcastle and Scotland.

A “parkway” station near either the A59, the A64, outer ring road or Harrogate to York railway line was one of the options on the cards in a “broad options” report produced by the HS2 company, looking at possible high speed rail links into Scotland.

Now the councillors have revealed that the proposal was still seen as an option as part of a possible extension of the HS2 line in papers released last week.

Cllr Gillies said the authors included an option which, as part of a Phase Two programme to extend the line into Scotland, could pass close to York following the East Coast Main Line northwards. He said the preferred route to Scotland was via the west coast, but he wanted all references to a York parkway station taken out of the papers to avoid problems later on. 

A DFT spokesperson said today: "The Secretary of State confirmed last week that the eastern leg of HS2 will serve new stations in the East Midlands, and Leeds, and includes a spur towards Sheffield city centre.

"A connection onto the East Coast Mainline at Church Fenton will allow HS2 trains to connect London and the West Midlands to York and the North East.”