News

The Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line have purchased Dent Station, comprising the main station building and the immediately surrounding area.  This adds another station on the Settle-Carlisle Line to those already in the family and owned by the S&C Trust’s Property Company, Ribblehead, Horton-in-Ribblesdale and Kirkby Stephen.  Dent is the highest mainline station in England.

*A message from Northern Trains regarding the annual Winter Offer for Dales Railcard holders: 

“Firstly, thank you for your continued support over the years of Northern and specifically the annual winter offer for Dales Rail Card and West Yorkshire Metro card holders.

FoSCL is on the look out for a new Treasurer as current Treasurer, John Ingham, has decided for personal reasons not to apply for re-election at the next AGM. It would be ideal if the new Treasurer were to be appointed before the next FoSCL year end at 28/02/21.

For five days, from Saturday 24 until Wednesday 28 October 2020, the Settle and Carlisle line between Settle Junction and Kirby Stephen will be closed.
Network Rail will be replacing two underbridges, Banks and Forsters, which are located along the route between Settle and Blea Moor.
In addition, Network Rail will also be competing the final stages of the major refurbishment on the Grade 2 listed Ribblehead Viaduct, which started in the Spring.

Regrettably we have been forced by the COVID-19 regulations to close Settle Signal Box to visitors until further notice.  It is a small enclosed space and there is no way that people can visit and remain socially distanced from our volunteers who would normally be present.  We hope that announcing this on the web site will avoid disappointment for anyone visiting Settle and hoping to be able to view the Box.  

As soon as we are allowed to reopen we shall let people know on the web site and via social media.  

Dent Station, England’s highest mainline railway station building - standing at 1,200 ft above sea level, has been purchased by the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line.

From 14th September we have 6 trains each way on weekdays including reinstated early morning through trains. Compared with the pre-COVID timetable we are still lacking the 1518 and 1818 departures from Leeds.  To cater for the schoolchildren returning to Settle in the afternoon, an extra bus service has been put on leaving Skipton at 1600, arriving Settle at 1635 and Ribblehead at 1700.

We are pleased to announce that the Friends’ shops at both Settle and Appleby stations are open again on most days. Our usual ranges of books, DVDs, bespoke gifts and much more is on sale. We would ask you to pay by card if at all possible (Settle) and of course wear face protection in line with government advice. Our volunteers are all equipped with the necessary protection and hand sanitiser is available too.

New timetable from today 6th July. Early morning commuter services are back, bus into Carlisle (better than nowt) and train Settle-Leeds.  Following evidence of demand by key workers from Appleby and Settle, FoSCL worked closely with Northern Trains to get these services put in. We’ll keep pressing for further improvements.

After the emergency timetable which saw us down to 4 trains a day in each direction, and no early morning trains into Leeds or Carlisle from the Settle-Carlisle line which meant that our key workers couldn't get into work, we are very gradually seeing an improvement.  FoSCL has been working closely with Northern Trains towards reinstatement of our early morning trains, and from 22nd June a temporary bus service has been running into Carlisle from Kirkby Stephen calling at all intermediate stations. As a bonus Northern have put on a return bus from Carlisle at 1745.

We are delighted to say that The Ribblehead Visitor Centre will open on Saturday 4th July. We will open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am until 4pm initially. We hope to extend the days we open later.

We have some outside seating but there is plenty of space outdoors  and glorious views We will have take away drinks and snacks in the cafe together with souvenirs, books etc from our shop.

The Exhibition will also be open but visitors will need to ensure they comply with social distancing guidelines.

It is hoped that a reinstated junction with the existing  Leeds – Settle – Carlisle railway line at Garsdale (see photo) will allow ‘through’ trains to run from Hawes via Garsdale Junction, past the Yorkshire Three Peaks to Settle, then onwards through Hellifield and Clitheroe into Lancashire for Preston and Greater Manchester.

The Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line are producing regular emergency newsletters to be emailed out to members during the current emergency.  If you received the first one, you are a member and we have a valid email address which you have kindly provided.  If you are a FoSCL member but haven't received the newsletter, and would like to in future, please use the Contact Us form to tell us your email address.  We look forward to hearing from you.  

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.

After two sell-out tours in 2019, the iconic 45596 ‘Bahamas’ will steam over the picturesque Settle & Carlisle Railway on 22nd February. To find out more about this LMS Jubilee Class Locomotive, please click here.