Valentine's Week Treat on the S&C

There is a very big Valentine's Week treat in store on February 14, 15 and 16 on the world famous Settle-Carlisle railway.

On those three days a total of twelve scheduled Northern services will be replaced by eight coach steam hauled trains.   Four trains each day will traverse the line over the 'roof of England' hauled by Britain's newest steam locomotive Tornado.

This unique operation is thought to be the first time in 50 years that steam has been used to haul scheduled passenger trains in Britain.
It is the happy outcome of a collaboration between the railway industry and the Settle-Carlisle line in the lead-up to the line's official re-opening on 31st March 2017 after more than a year of closure because of the major landslip south of Carlisle.

The steam part of the journeys will be between Skipton and Appleby.
The Friends of the Settle-Carlisle chairman Douglas Hodgins said, 
"The intention here is to give local people especially the opportunity of a real treat and a big 'thank-you' for their loyalty and patience during 2016 while the line has been closed to through traffic.   The event has been the subject of secret planning meetings for many months between ourselves, Northern, Network Rail and others.   The finish date for the work at Eden Brows has been uncertain until very recently and final detailed arrangements are still in hand"

The dates of these steam hauled trains is being made public now so that local people in particular can at least note them.   Full details will be published in local media and online in the next week or so.
The demand for places is expected to be very high indeed.

http://www.settle-carlisle.co.uk/tornado-on-the-sc/