Leyburn railway station
Encyclopedia
Leyburn railway station is on the Wensleydale Railway
and serves the town of Leyburn
in North Yorkshire
, England
. During the summer months it is served by at least three trains per day; at other times of the year the service is mainly at weekends and public holidays.
The Leyburn branch of the Wensleydale Railway Association (which incorporates the Friends of Leyburn Station-FOLS) meets monthly at the station.
The station postal address is Leyburn Station, Harmby Road, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 5ET.
(where it made an end-on junction with the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway branch from Northallerton
). Passenger services commenced six months later, with a further extension westwards to Hawes
being built by the North Eastern Railway
in 1877/8 (the NER having also absorbed the B&L in 1857). At Hawes, another end-on junction was made with the Midland Railway
branch from Hawes Junction that gave the NER access to the Settle-Carlisle Railway
by means of running powers (which it made use of for passenger trains).
The branch became part of the LNER under the terms of the 1923 Grouping
. For most of its life, the route had a basic service of five passenger trains each day along its entire length with one or two extras reaching Leyburn from Northallerton, along with a small number of parcels, milk and goods trains. Nationalisation followed at the end of 1947, but less than a decade later the station was closed when the Northallerton to Hawes route fell victim to road competition, services being withdrawn on 26 April 1954.
The line beyond Redmire
closed completely in April 1964, but aggregate traffic from the quarry there kept the rest of the line open. Leyburn also retained its status as a goods depot until 1982 (and a passing loop
and signal box
), but latterly the entire route operated as a 'one train' single line. The limestone traffic to and from Teesside ended in December 1992 but after a spell of disuse, traffic resumed in the form of Ministry of Defence
military equipment trains to Redmire (where they were transferred for onward movement to/from Catterick Garrison
).
The Wensleydale Railway reopened the station at Leyburn in May 2003 after leasing the line from Railtrack
. The station buildings had survived after closure, which made the re-instatement of passenger facilities there straightforward.
Passenger trains initially ran eastwards from Leyburn to Leeming Bar, but these were extended on to Redmire in August 2004. The company plans to relay/re-instate a run-round loop trackbed (for heritage locos to run-round), but hopes to one day eventually rebuild and reopen the abandoned line westwards to Hawes and eventually to Garsdale
and run trains along the full length of the entire Yorkshire dale from Northallerton to Garsdale — a trip of almost 40 miles (64 km) in length (nearly making the railway itself the longest heritage line in the UK).
Wensleydale Railway
The Wensleydale Railway is a railway line in Wensleydale and Lower Swaledale in North Yorkshire, England and the name of the company that operates services on the line....
and serves the town of Leyburn
Leyburn
Leyburn is a busy market town and civil parish in the borough of Richmondshire, North Yorkshire, England sitting above the northern bank of the River Ure in Wensleydale. Historically within the North Riding of Yorkshire, the name was derived from 'Ley' or 'Le' , and 'burn' , meaning clearing by the...
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. During the summer months it is served by at least three trains per day; at other times of the year the service is mainly at weekends and public holidays.
The Leyburn branch of the Wensleydale Railway Association (which incorporates the Friends of Leyburn Station-FOLS) meets monthly at the station.
The station postal address is Leyburn Station, Harmby Road, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 5ET.
History
The railway first reached Leyburn in November 1855, when the Bedale & Leyburn Railway opened its line from LeemingLeeming Bar railway station
Leeming Bar railway station is the current rail passenger terminus of the Wensleydale Railway and serves the villages of Leeming Bar and Leeming in North Yorkshire, England. Trains are timed to link in with Dales and District service buses to Northallerton to connect with the National Rail network...
(where it made an end-on junction with the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway branch from Northallerton
Northallerton railway station
Northallerton railway station serves the town of Northallerton in North Yorkshire, England. The station lies on the East Coast Main Line north of York...
). Passenger services commenced six months later, with a further extension westwards to Hawes
Hawes railway station
Hawes railway station is a disused railway station that served the town of Hawes in North Yorkshire, England. It was closed in 1959 and now forms part of the Dales Countryside Museum.-History:...
being built by the North Eastern Railway
North Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
in 1877/8 (the NER having also absorbed the B&L in 1857). At Hawes, another end-on junction was made with the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
branch from Hawes Junction that gave the NER access to the Settle-Carlisle Railway
Settle-Carlisle Railway
The Settle–Carlisle Line is a long main railway line in northern England. It is also known as the Settle and Carlisle. It is a part of the National Rail network and was constructed in the 1870s...
by means of running powers (which it made use of for passenger trains).
The branch became part of the LNER under the terms of the 1923 Grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
. For most of its life, the route had a basic service of five passenger trains each day along its entire length with one or two extras reaching Leyburn from Northallerton, along with a small number of parcels, milk and goods trains. Nationalisation followed at the end of 1947, but less than a decade later the station was closed when the Northallerton to Hawes route fell victim to road competition, services being withdrawn on 26 April 1954.
The line beyond Redmire
Redmire railway station
Redmire railway station is the current western terminus of the Wensleydale Railway and serves the village of Redmire in North Yorkshire, England. The site was redeveloped in the early 1990s by the Ministry of Defence to allow movement of military equipment by rail to and from Catterick Garrison,...
closed completely in April 1964, but aggregate traffic from the quarry there kept the rest of the line open. Leyburn also retained its status as a goods depot until 1982 (and a passing loop
Passing loop
A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...
and signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
), but latterly the entire route operated as a 'one train' single line. The limestone traffic to and from Teesside ended in December 1992 but after a spell of disuse, traffic resumed in the form of Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
military equipment trains to Redmire (where they were transferred for onward movement to/from Catterick Garrison
Catterick Garrison
Catterick Garrison is a major Army base located in Northern England. It is the largest British Army garrison in the world with a population of around 12,000, plus a large temporary population of soldiers, and is larger than its older neighbour...
).
The Wensleydale Railway reopened the station at Leyburn in May 2003 after leasing the line from Railtrack
Railtrack
Railtrack was a group of companies that owned the track, signalling, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and all but a handful of the stations of the British railway system from its formation in April 1994 until 2002...
. The station buildings had survived after closure, which made the re-instatement of passenger facilities there straightforward.
Passenger trains initially ran eastwards from Leyburn to Leeming Bar, but these were extended on to Redmire in August 2004. The company plans to relay/re-instate a run-round loop trackbed (for heritage locos to run-round), but hopes to one day eventually rebuild and reopen the abandoned line westwards to Hawes and eventually to Garsdale
Garsdale railway station
Garsdale railway station is a railway station which serves the immediate hamlet of Garsdale Head, Cumbria, England, together with the valley of Garsdale and the nearby towns of Sedbergh, Cumbria and Hawes, North Yorkshire...
and run trains along the full length of the entire Yorkshire dale from Northallerton to Garsdale — a trip of almost 40 miles (64 km) in length (nearly making the railway itself the longest heritage line in the UK).