The construction project

Settle Junction to Settle

Construction was undertaken primarily in order to give the Midland Railway a direct route to Scotland and to avoid having to use the line from Ingleton to Lowgill  (near Tebay, Cumbria) which was owned by its great rival, the L& NWR (London and North Western Railway). The Settle - Carlisle Railway was one of the last great building projects of the Victorian railway age. The Parliamentary Bill authorizing construction of the line received its Royal Assent on the 16th of July 1866 and the line opened for passenger traffic over ten years later on the 1st of May 1876.

Typical of the line and its mountain setting

OS Grid reference SD776559

Some Settle - Carlisle Facts

325 bridges

21 viaducts

14 tunnels

103 culverts

In the early 1980's British Rail started to put into place its plan to close the line. The infrastructure was allowed to run down and only the most essential maintenance was carried out. Freight traffic was diverted away from the line and the local passenger service was withdrawn, leaving only the stations at Settle and Appleby open. For a long while the future looked bleak, as indeed it was.

However, in 1975 the Dales Rail initiative heralded the return of a limited weekend DMU stopping service. This was organized to bring walkers from Lancashire and further afield and this proved to mark the turning point in the fortunes of the line. The struggle to save the line is a story in itself and is well described in the book "The line that refused to die". Finally, and in the face of highly exaggerated claims by British Rail regarding the cost of the necessary  rectification works on Ribblehead Viaduct, money was found for repairs.

The work , which involved waterproofing the viaduct deck, was completed at a fraction of the original cost estimates with the condition of the viaduct fabric proving to be much better than had been claimed. During the last years of the Conservative Government the line was then put forward for privatization but (fortunately) there were no serious takers. During the years of uncertainty a well-organised and vociferous anti-closure lobby had emerged and after a protracted and vigorous campaign, the line was reprieved.

Strangely, the changed economics of the post privatization railway scene have also helped to reverse the fortunes of the line and its value as an alternative to the crowded West Coast Main Line was quickly recognized by the new freight operator English Welsh and Scottish Railways Weekend passenger diversions returned to the line, much to the delight of enthusiasts.

Railtrack, the owners of the privatized infrastructure then started a programme of track renewal. A number of high profile derailments and the presence of a multitude of speed restrictions due to track condition helped to underline the urgent need for infrastructure renewal and in 1999 the line was closed for the first of a series of major track renewals.

 An "out and back" trip of 144 miles over the line to Carlisle, passing over the Ribblehead viaduct atan elevation of over 1000 ft above sea level, can easily be made in a day, leaving enough free time to explore the border town of Carlisle with its historic castle and modern shopping centres. The journey takes approximately one and three quarter hours starting from Settle.

Tickets may be obtained at Settle station or bought on the train if you board from an unmanned station. Northern Trains now operate the franchise, having taken over from Arriva Trains Northern on the 12th of December 2004. Before Arriva, the franchise was operated by Northern Spirit, and before the privatisation of the railways, by Regional Railways North East,  a sector of British Rail.

The construction project

Settle Junction to Settle