News

Engineering work during February and March will mean rail replacement buses will operate on Sundays between various stations.  Following discussions between Northern and Dalesbus the buses operating between Ribblehead and Garsdale will stop in Hawes as detailed below.

The latest programme of guided walks for January to June 2013 has been published and leaflets giving full details of all the walks are being distributed to stations, tourist information offices, and other outlets etc.

Rucksack Readers have recently published a brand new book detailing a walk that follows the entire S&C from Settle to Carlisle.

It's written by Vivienne Crow, a freelance writer and photographer with a passion for the outdoors.  Based in north Cumbria, she has written or co-authored more than a dozen guidebooks.  Readers of the Cumberland News will be familiar with her weekly articles on walks in the Lake District and further afield. 

We’re delighted that, from December,
there will be an extra Sunday service
in each direction between Leeds and
Carlisle. We’ve long hoped for this as
Sunday trains can be quite busy throughout
the year. The start from Sheffield in the
morning and termination at Nottingham
in the evening is an unexpected bonus
and a small step towards our aspiration
for a through service from Nottingham to
Glasgow.

Northern Rail have announced a great offer for holders of Dales Railcards. Between 5 November and 24 February, a flat-fare day return ticket for only £7.00 and you can take up to 4 accompanying children for £3.50 each.

Following this morning's closure of the line due to weather/track conditions, the line has re-opened.

Trains will continue to be the subject of some delays and cancellations.

Check live departure boards at http://www.northernrail.org/travel/livedepartures

Heavy rain overnight has caused flooding in Stainforth Tunnel and in the Smardale area, leading to cancellation of all northbound trains as at 9 am. 

At Smardale the down line is blocked by 300 yards of floodwater.  There is a report of a landslip affecting the up line.

if it's any consolation the East Coast Main Line is also blocked.

Richard Morris, FoSCL Chairman, and Douglas Hodgins, Chairman of the Settle-Carlisle Railway Development Company, were privileged to spend half an hour with Theresa Villiers, Minister of State for Transport, together with John Stevenson, MP for Carlisle.  It's thanks to him and his PA Hannah that we got in to see the Minister at all.

The popularity of the “Fellsman” trains running every Wednesday through the summer from Lancaster, Preston, Blackburn, Clitheroe & Long Preston continue unabated for its fourth season with the first eight trains all fully booked and over 440 passengers on each, the remaining two trains on 22nd and 29th August only having a handful of standard class seats remaining with Premier and First Class selling out weeks ago.

Torrential downpours across northern England on Thursday 27th June caused landslides between Lancaster and Carlisle, closing the West Coast Main Line.  The East Coast Main Line was also closed near Berwick.  The only north-south through route remaining open was the Settle-Carlisle Line.

The 'History' area of the FoSCL website now features four sections, each with a different historical theme:

Appleby Chamber of Trade have invested in three electric bikes for hire.  Click here for further information.

We're delighted that the southbound weekday early morning direct train Carlisle-Leeds also stops at Garsdale from 14th May.  Previously it stopped at most other stations, but Garsdale could not be included due to pathing constraints in the Aire Valley.

You can listen to Michael Portillo's radio programme on the post-Beeching cuts, which was broadcast last Saturday at 8pm on Radio 4.  Click on this link to listen again: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01h2c9p

But hurry, there's only a few days left!

It's worth listening to the entire programme if you have the time.  Otherwise, the relevant bits for the S&C are:

Just under 15 mins in, Tony Freschini gets 2 minutes.

Walking tours on foot around the railway construction site at Ribblehead will take place every Wednesday from July 4th to September 12th inclusive plus Saturday 18th August.

How would you like to spend a few days staying in the station building at Kirkby Stephen West? Not only can you watch all the trains on the Settle-Carlisle line passing your window, but you're in the heart of the upper Eden Valley with fabulous views of the nearby fells. And the bustling market town of Kirkby Stephen is only a view minutes away. Visit http://www.sandctrust.org.uk/BookingOfficeCottage/ for all you need to know. But hurry, it's fully booked well into the summer months already...

Since the end of the Metro special offer on 23rd March, the trains are back to normal, with plenty of seats on most trains. Come walking in the Dales and the Eden Valley, or admire the scenery along the entire Settle-Carlisle route! This is the best time of year, before the trees come into leaf, so you can see far more from the train. There was standing room only on some trains towards the end of the special offer, and FoSCL will be making suggestions to Northern Rail as to how the situation can be improved next winter. Richard FoSCL Chairman

Statesman Rail are pleased to announce that the new series of ITV’s popular series ‘The Dales’ will air in March and in addition to our “Fellsman” steam train being featured on the opening credits of every episode we will have our own feature in episode 2 when the presenter Ade Edmondson rides the footplate of the engine over the iconic Ribblehead Viaduct.

Michael Portillo travelled from Carlisle to Ribblehead, then on to Settle, on Monday 23rd January. 

He is making a radio documentary on the post-Beeching closures.  The S&C is of course a shining example of one that didn't happen.

Tullie House Museum, Carlisle, is offering a special offer of one full price adult admission upon purchase of a full price adult ticket.  Offer valid until 31st March 2012.  

Full details of exhibitions and gallery from the Tullie House web site, including offer voucher to print out.