It's now clear that no events in the Settle-Carlisle corridor will take place until at least July.  

This of course includes the Cumbria Easter Vehicle Rally and the Appleby Horse Fair which normally takes place in June.

The Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line AGM, which was scheduled for 18th May, is postponed indefinitely.  Members will be kept informed via the S&C Journal once we can get this printed - our printers are however now closed until further notice.

All FoSCL's Guided Walks are cancelled with immediate effect, following the government's latest guidance on self-isolation and social distancing.  We are sorry to have to do this but feel that it would be irresponsible not to.  

Our shops at Settle and Appleby are now closed, and the signal boxes at Settle and Armathwaite are closed to visitors.  

We hope we shall be allowed to resume our normal activities before too many weeks have gone by.

Every one of the stations on the Settle-Carlisle Line now has Customer Information Screens installed.  Many have loudspeakers as well.  At Settle and Armathwaite these screens and loudspeakers work very well, providing much useful information for passengers.  However they are still only working on one platform, or not working at all, at all the other stations.  There are good reasons for this, which is after all an ambitious project requiring coordination between Northern Rail and Network Rail to complete the cabling required, the installation of a complex system and the testing of advanced

Appleby signal box, officially known as `Appleby North` has been undergoing major structural and refurbishment work intended to extend the life of the asset into the mid 2050s. The work on Appleby box became necessary due to ground movement which resulted in the structure which dates from the summer of 1951 developing a lean to one side. The scope of the work also included drainage repairs and improved facilities for the signallers.

The attached paper gives an overview of the state of public transport along the Leeds-Settle-Carlisle (SCL) rail line corridor and identifies a significant opportunity for the railway to lead the development of an integrated transport solution for the area.
1.2 A more integrated transport network centred on the SCL corridor would not only benefit local communities providing access to the outside world for leisure, college, health and employment but also allow tourism to develop thus benefiting the local economy and, ultimately, the economy of the railway.

The tunnel is under threat of abandonment.  The photo shows how it could look if restored.