An entrepreneur named George Hudson was largely responsible for bringing the railway to York in 1839. Ten years later Hudson's dubious dealings had brought him disgrace. By this time York was a major railway centre, and at the turn of the century the railway employed over 5,500 people.

The railway was also instrumental in the expansion of Rowntree's Cocoa Works and Terry's Confectionery Works.

These former small city shops became great factories and along with the railway are still among the city's biggest employers.

In the Victorian era there was a rapid rise in the building of new churches, public buildings, banks, offices, schools and colleges, and in recent years one of the most progressive projects was the new University which opened in 1963.

With the escalation of tourism in England it soon became clear that ancient York was the city's own major asset, and in 1968 the entire historic core of York was designated a conservation area.