Settle to Carlisle Railway

About

The Settle to Carlisle Railway was the last mainline railway to be built in England, taking six years to build and completed for passenger travel in 1876 by the Midland Railway Company. For the 19th century engineers who worked on the project, the landscape presented a tremendous challenge to their ingenuity, skills and abilities.

Consisting of 72 miles of track with 21 viaducts spanning the ravines and 14 tunnels, the line is often considered the most picturesque route to Scotland and one of the most scenic railway journeys in England.

It has survived two attempts to close it – once in the early 1960s and later in the 1980s. Both attempts caused local and national outrage. However, fortunes have now changed as millions of pounds have been spent upgrading tracks and stations. 

From Leeds, the line passes through West Yorkshire to Skipton where the Yorkshire Dales begin. Settle is the gateway to the spectacular Three Peaks area (Pen-y-Ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside), in the heart of which sits the Ribblehead viaduct. The climb continues to the line’s highest point, Ais Gill, which offers awe-inspiring views of Mallerstang before descending into Cumbria’s Eden Valley.

Isolated farms and waterfalls pepper the valley sides and, by Kirkby Stephen, the remote landscape has become increasingly lush and verdant. At Appleby, red sandstone buildings surround a medieval castle in this pretty market town with beautiful riverside walks.

The final stage of the journey is dominated by the hills of the Pennines to the east and the Lakeland fells to the west. The River Eden is never far away, winding through a pastoral backdrop of farmland and woods. Arriving in the historic border city of Carlisle signals the completion of one of the world’s greatest railway journeys

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The Settle-Carlisle Railway Development Company was set up in 1992 as a not-for-profit limited company in response to the call from the Transport Secretary for all political parties to work together following the highly documented reprieve of the Settle to Carlisle rail line in 1989.

It works in partnership with the rail industry, local businesses, community groups and organisations to encourage socio-economic engagement along the world-renowned Leeds-Settle-Carlisle railway.  As station adopter of both Settle and Appleby stations, the Development Company also works closely with a group of dedicated volunteers to maintain the upkeep of the station’s gardens.

View the most recently updated Accessibility information on the website at this link.

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