The York Potash Project is Sirius Minerals' main development asset. Based in North Yorkshire, within the United Kingdom, the Project targets both Polyhalite as a source of Sulphate of Potash (SOP), and Potassium Chloride (KCI) as a source of Muriate of Potash (MOP). Historical data from this established potash region, including over 97,000 metres of historical drilling logs, suggests the Project area to potentially host the world's largest and richest deposit of Polyhalite, as well as world-class Potassium Chloride. The Project footprint includes over 620km2 of mineral rights agreements and growing, and the Company is currently drilling to confirm the Project's mineral potential. Sirius believes that the York Potash Project could be developed as one of the world's largest low-cost SOP producers, fulfilling our mission to become the world's New Potash Powerhouse.

http://www.siriusminerals.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=255&Itemid=40 

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Boulby have a polyhalite development of their own.

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And Boulby's boss has been head-hunted by Sirius

http://www.scarborougheveningnews.co.uk/news/business/boulby_man_takes_over_1_3882335 

The Sirius website (nearly) says some very interesting things about local/regional transport infrastructures.

http://www.siriusminerals.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=255&Itemid=40 

"Rail
Yorkshire has extensive inland and coastal railway systems which we believe are both accessible through consultation with rail operators, and sufficient for any rail haulage requirements." (someone is remembering the late 50's early 60's)

Has nobody at Sirius noticed that, apart from the Whitby-Esk Valley line and the Whitby-Grosmont-Pickering line, that there are no existing rail connections anywhere near their prospective sites.

Are we going to see the Boulby Mine-Teesport line reinstated through to Whitby, Hawsker and beyond (as planned 30 to 40 years ago), with potash trains crossing the viaduct over the Esk again? I personally see no other chance of them getting the stuff to Teesport, Redcar or Hartlepool. And I don't see them getting planning clearance for the number of bridges it would entail either.

Or maybe they'll transform Whitby into a deep-water port (grin)

Any rail route through to Hull or Immingham seems to me to be a non-starter.

I'm afraid that I would file this whole project under "if, as and when".

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The website gives alot of information but of a very general nature.
Although it mentions rail transport it also says that slurry transport by pipeline from mine to processing plant is likely. Potentially the mine could be near (say) Ravenscar and the processing plant near (say) Seamer with the use of rail transport to Hull and therefore no need to use the Esk Valley line.
Whitby is too small to consider as a potash exporting port.

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More news on the BBC.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-15535869 

No idea how much it costs to build and fit out a 'major geo-sciences centre' (other than a chuffing lot I expect) but I suspect £2.8m will barely pay for the carpark.