News

Work has started on creating the second and final section of an all weather footpath for pedestrians and cyclists, linking Kirkby Stephen town centre with the station on the popular Settle-Carlisle railway.
 
The work, funded by Cumbria County Council, started last year when phase 1 involved creating a footpath along the busy A685 over the former Stainmore Railway to Victoria Park.  The current project involves creating a path from the station approach road through fields to Halfpenny House where it joins the lane from Wharton Hall.

The next programme of FoSCL guided walks (January to June 2011) has been finalised and printed.  Copies of the leaflet are being distributed to stations, tourist information offices, libraries and other outlets that publicise FoSCL activities.  In addition the full programme is available as  a searchable list on the web site where it is also possible to download and print a copy.

For enquiries about any guided walks please email walksinfo@settle-carlisle.com

On 9th December John Johnson, FoSCL committee member, married Tracey Rawson.  For the full story see the Settle-Carlisle website news item.  FoSCL has commissioned a commemorative plaque which will be installed in Armathwaite signal box, now lovingly maintained by the newly-weds after FoSCL volunteers restored it in the early 1990s. 

See a photo of the plaque below; also three very fine pictures of the happy couple by Mark Rand.

FoSCL Members' Area including interactive Forum is now up and running.  You can also look at Committee Meeting Minutes (if you really want to know in detail what your committee has been discussing!), Annual Accounts and the Constitution. 

Network Rail is building a nationwide Railway Communications System, see www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/6386.aspx for full details. 

They will be holding a 'drop-in' session on Thursday 2nd December between 3pm and 7pm at the Station Inn, Ribblehead.  Members of the NwR project team will be there to answer questions about their plan for the Settle-Carlisle Line in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

The next AGM of the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line will take place in the Victoria Hall, Settle on Saturday 16th April 2011.   The keen-eyed among our members may have noticed that the date was wrongly given in the November magazine as Easter Saturday!   This was one of those rare occasions where an error slipped past Secretary, Magazine Editor and the proof readers.  Sorry for misleading you, but we're all human!

Same place as last time, namely Kirkby Stephen West station.  This time a Focus DIY artic was comprehensively scalped.  The bridge seems to have emerged unscathed.

Photos courtesy of Andrew Griffiths, ImageRail.

Carlisle Station Manager Stuart Davison and three of his colleagues are planning to spend the night of 30th October in the Undercroft beneath Carlisle Station in order to raise money for charity.  To sponsor them, or just to learn more about the spooky goings-on in the station, see The Undercroft web site.

The Department for Transport is seeking responses currently to its consultation document called Reforming Rail Franchising.  See the DfT web site for details and to download a copy of the document.

FoSCL is producing an official response which will be ready by 30th September. The submission of the final version to the DfT will by 15th October to meet their deadline.

An Argos van hit the bridge at Kirkby Stephen West station on 26th August.  Below is an eye witness account from David Singleton, FoSCL's Guided Walks Coordinator.

We have received an update from Network Rail on planned infrastructure work at two stations on the S&C..

There has been a record turnout so far this year for the archaeology summer tour programme of the Ribblehead Viaduct and Blea Moor Tunnel area, run by the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line.  Everyone is welcome on these free walks, and they provide a fascinating insight into how the engineers and navvies won their hard-fought battle against the elements to build the rail line at this bleak and dramatic location.

As of last Friday (23rd July) much of the netting under the roof of Carlisle Station, together with the dead pigeons entangled in it which had caused so much concern to rail passengers, had been removed. 

We understand that this and the improvement of the area in front of Platforms 5 & 6 are all part of the same station improvement plan.  We have been assured that the budget for this is safe in spite of government cutbacks, so we live in hope...

Network Rail's restoration and refurbishment of Garsdale Station was recognised last year with a National Rail Heritage Award.  FoSCL contributed £10,000 towards the cost, which funded the display boards inside the two waiting rooms.  These high quality displays tell the story of Garsdale (formerly Hawes Junction) station and the sad tale of Ruswarp the dog, whose bronze statue now stands on a plinth on the up platform.  FoSCL launched a highly successful appeal for the statue, which has now become a tourist attraction in its own right. 

Work is scheduled to begin on the planned enhancements to the area in front of Platforms 5 and 6 at Carlisle Citadel Station the second week in July.

This will include a "gateway" to the Settle-Carlisle Line and the Hadrian's Wall line, plus a new seating area with displays. 

The S&C section of Michael Portillo's widely acclaimed TV series on great rail journeys is still available to watch on YouTube.  It's split into several sections because YouTube only allows a maximum of 10 minutes per entry.  Just click on these links to see it:

S&C journey Part 1