Carlisle MP John Stevenson has launched the UK's first dedicated iPhone app to act as an on-train guide for passengers. Speaking at an event at Carlisle's Hallmark Hotel, he described the 21st century communication technology behind the app as today's equivalent of what the Victorians achieved when they built the railway network in the 19th Century.

FELLSMAN

Wednesday 6 June then every Wednesday from 4 July - 29 August

Departing From:

Walking - a Social, environmental and economic priority. 

A one day conference to be held on Wednesday 16th November 2011 in the Victoria Hall, Saltaire.  Booking deadline October 31st.

SCENE Members - £10, Non-Members £15,  Non-member joining Scene now - - £25 (conference plus 12 months membership saving £15) Retired non-member joining SCENE now - £20 (conference plus 12 months membership saving £10). All include buffet lunch.

Thieves who stole signalling cable caused major disruption to trains in the Leeds area on Sunday morning 2nd October.  The theft which took place in the Micklefield area meant that no trains departed from Leeds until around 10 am.  This included the 09.00 Leeds-Settle-Carlisle service which was delayed by over an hour. 

As a result the planned FoSCL guided walk in Swaledale was severely disrupted as the knock-on effect caused delays to the connecting Ribblehead-Hawes-Richmond bus.  Apologies to anyone who had to abandon their plans to join this walk.

The closure of Settle Station ticket office is being considered in the McNulty Report on value for money in the rail industry, published in April this year.  As Chairman of the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line, I have written to the Editor of the Craven Herald as follows:

A series of 10 short 'postcard' self guided walks has been published by the Friends of the Settle Carlisle Line.  Each postcard describes a short circular walk from one of the stations along the line and is aimed at encouraging visitors to explore the immediate vicinity of the stations.  The walks will take between one and two hours to complete and are up to 3 miles in length.  Most follow established clear footpaths and minor roads but because of stiles etc they are not all suitable for pushchairs or wheelchair users.

One hundred station name signs are up for grabs in an online auction being organised by ImageRail, based at Kirkby Stephen Station.

The signs are aluminium and date from the late 1990s to the early 2000s.  Roughly half are from stations in the north of England and include Armathwaite, St Bees, Millom, Askam, Harrington, Gargrave and other locations in South and West Yorkshire. Others are from stations in the south west of England.  Most bear the scars of life outside on railway platforms, with bumps and scratches all being part of the character.

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. 

The latest edition of Rail magazine has a first class 8-page feature on the Settle-Carlisle Line by well-known journalist Steve Broadbent.  In it he quotes extensively from my predecessor as FoSCL Chairman, Mark Rand, and myself. 

There are also some excellent photos by Andrew Griffiths, our Press Officer.  The front cover features a photo of a Freightliner Class 70 hauling a coal train past Ribblehead station.