The Wensleydale Railway is a short line in North Yorkshire which runs through 16 miles of amazing Yorkshire Dales countryside between Leeming Bar and Redmire, via Bedale and Leyburn. Until the 1950s it was part of the main rail network and linked Northallerton on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) and Garsdale on the Settle-Carlisle line. The Wensleydale Railway Association was set up in1990 to restore the original link from the ECML to the west of the county. Although freight traffic can still link up with the ECML, there is no direct link into Northallerton Station for passengers, but plans are underway to restore the link and to extend the line, in stages, on the west side so that eventually passengers will be able to travel by train all the way to Garsdale where it would link up with the Settle-Carlisle Railway. At present there are bus links at either end of the Wensleydale Railway for passengers to meet their connections.
This talk tells about this important lifeline for Dales’ residents and visitors: the campaign to reopen the line, how it’s run on a day-to-day basis, and what the railway’s plans for the future are. The presenter, Ruth Annison, hails from Hawes and was one of those instrumental in saving the Settle-Carlisle Railway when it was under threat in the 1980s. Once that was reprieved Ruth turned her attention into the re-opening of the Wensleydale Railway.
You can find out more about the New Wensleydale Railway (including timetables) by visiting these two websites:
www.wensleydalerailwayassociation.com
The talk takes place at The Galtres Centre, Easingwold on 12 October 2011 at 7.30pm.
Tickets: Adults £6.50, 16 & under £4
Box office: Monday – Friday 9.00 am – 5.00 pm, tel: 01347 822 472
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