[3] The Great Northern Railway achieved running powers over the line from the NER which allowed a mutually beneficial service for both companies.

[6] Built to a design by Thomas Elliott Harrison, it was constructed of wrought iron which had two sections spanning 176 feet (54 m).

[8] In the first few years of operation, the bridge would be swung open to allow the passage of river traffic, and would only be moved into alignment with the railway when a train was due to pass.

[10] The span was fixed in place by British Rail in 1956 as river traffic lessened in favour of ports downstream.

To avoid subsidence on this section of line, a 14.5-mile (23.3 km) diversion (the Selby Diversion) was opened between Temple Hirst Junction, just south of Temple Hirst railway station and Colton Junction, some 6 miles (9.7 km) south of York railway station.

[46] The section between Riccall and York now forms part of the Trans-Pennine Trail, and the National Route 65 which Sustrans purchased for the price of £1.

[47] The route has a scale model of the solar system, with each planet staggered along the path at the correct proportional distances from each other.

The swing bridge at Naburn also has a sculpture of a man fishing on the top of it; he is known as The Fisher of Dreams,[48][49] and is constructed of galvanised steel.

[50] The section of line between York and Riccall, was featured on the TV series Walks Around Britain in 2017, complete with a CGI film of how the railway would have looked in the days of steam.