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All aboard the Settle & Carlisle Railway as we celebrate 150 years of one of Europe's most scenic train journeys

Our limited availability £1.50 tickets promotion is now over. You can still purchase standard and advance tickets across the route from the ticket widget above, so you can soak in the views as you roll through the Yorkshire Dales and Cumbria countryside. 

 

Leeds to carlisle

Video courtesy of the Settle & Carlisle Railway Development Company. Discover more of their great work:

Things to do on the Settle & Carlisle Railway

The Ribblehead Viaduct walk

The Ribblehead Viaduct circular route kicks off at Ribblehead station and delivers breathtaking scenery

Spend the day in Carlisle

A city steeped in history, Carlisle is the perfect place for those who have nothing but time on their hands

Explore the Yorkshire Dales

The Yorkshire Dales is home to some of the nation's most idyllic scenery and can be summed up in one word: sublime

History of the Settle & Carlisle Railway

Robert Falconer

1876: The first passenger train navigates the railway thanks to the heroic effort of the workers. Over 6000 people contributed to the construction of this line! 

1923: Midland Railway merged with the London North Western Railway to become part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.

1939–1945: The line is a key navigation route for munitions during World War II.

1948: Nationalisation saw the line lose its importance as a vital navigation route.

1963: The Beeching Report condemns the Settle & Carlisle Railway as uneconomical.

1964–1974: Major services are cut including 'The Waverley' and 'The Thames-Clyde Express'.

1981: Friends of Settle & Carlisle Railway founded to campaign against the line's closure.

1989: British Rail agreed to keep the line open.

1990: Settle & Carlisle Railway Trust founded.

1992: The Settle & Carlisle Railway Development Company is founded.

2000–2013: 8 stations reopened including Ribblehead, Horton-in-Ribblesdale and Kirkby Stephen. Plus 2 million annual journeys reached!

2020: Northern enters public ownership.

Now: Northern Trains continues to operate on the Settle & Carlisle Railway and are proud to work alongside the three organisations supporting and promoting this magnificent route.

 

 

 

(Photography credits: Robert Falconer, Settle & Carlisle Railway Trust, Leslie Cullen)

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Northern App

Streamline your journey and get tickets straight to your phone. Making your journey contact-free.