The Airedale Line is the name given to one of the rail services in the West Yorkshire Metro area of northern England. The service is operated by Northern Rail, on the route connecting Leeds with Morecambe and Carlisle in the North of England. A map covering the service is here. The route covered by the service was part of the Midland Railway (Midland) system.
The Route & its history
Leeds - Skipton
The first section, between Leeds and Bradford (Forster Square station) was opened by the Midland on 1 July 1846. The route is described below: it originally included stations serving the following places, many of which are now closed:
- Leeds - the station was named Leeds (Wellington) to differentiate it from the other main line stations in the city, belonging to the North Eastern Railway(NER)
- Holbeck
- Armley
- Kirkstall
- Newlay & Horsforth
- Calverley & Rodley
- Apperley Bridge & Rawdon
- here is Thackley tunnel
- here is the triangular junction for the branch line serving Shipley and Bradford. The main line, which was opened from here to Skipton in 1847, continues:
- Saltaire
- Bingley
- Keighley
- Steeton & Silsden
- Kildwick & Crosshills
Here the West Yorkshire Metro system ends
Skipton - Lancaster
The line from here, known as the Little North Western Railway, opened on 1 June 1850 to Lancaster
Here was the junction for the following lines:
The main line continues:
- Gargrave
- Bell Busk, for Malham
- here is the junction for the L&YR line to Blackburn
- Hellifield : here was a locomotive shed
- Long Preston
- Settle Junction - here the line for Carlisle, opened for freight 1875, passengers 1 May 1876, continues.
Settle - Lancaster
The original main line to Lancaster had the following stations:
- Giggleswick
- Clapham - here was the junction for Ingleton and an end-on junction via Sedbergh to Low Gill on the London and North Western Railway (LNW) West Coast Main Line. The line was frequently used as an alternative through route when the Settle-Carlisle main line was blocked. It was opened from Ingleton by the Lancaster & Carlisle Railway in 1857: the route was closed to passenger traffic on 1 Feb 1954
- Bentham
- Wennington - here the Furness Railway connected with the Midland: the line was via Carnforth, on the LNW West Coast Main Line
- Hormby
- Caton
- Halton (closed 1957)
- Lancaster (Green Ayre) - at this point the line divides: a triangular junction for the two lines:
- Morecambe , opened 12 June 1848 - and the branch to
- Heysham Harbour , including a station for Middleton Road Heysham.
- the line was electrified, as Britain's first overhead high tension AC electrification, in 1908.
Settle - Carlisle
The line to Carlisle, from Settle Junction, opened by the Settle-Carlisle Railway (and still known by the name), served the following places:
- Settle
- Horton in Ribblesdale
- Ribblehead - here is the Ribblehead Viaduct (originally named Batty Moss Viaduct) 440 yds (396m), with 24 piers
- Blea Moor Tunnel 2629yds (2366m) long
- here is Dent Head viaduct
- Dent (4.5 miles outside the village of Dent)
- Rise Hill Tunnel
- here were the highest water troughs in the United Kingdom. Steam locomotives were able to pick up water from these troughs whilst still moving.
- Garsdale - originally named Hawes Junction & Garsdale.
- At Hawes station, on the branch to the east of the main line, there was an end-on-junction with the North Eastern Railway (NER) line across the Pennines to Northallerton
- On the next stretch, there were three tunnels (Moorcock Tunnel, Shotlock Hill Tunnel and Birkett Tunnel).
- On this stretch also was the summit of the line at Ais Gill, 1169 ft (350m) ASL
- Kirkby Stephen- the station here served both the Midland and NER (the latter's line from Darlington to Tebay ). It also served the village of Ravenstonedale
- Crosby Garrett
- Ormside
- Appleby - as with Kirby Stephen, the station served both railways: this time on the branch between Kirkby Stephen and Eden Valley Junction on the West Coast Line near Clifton
- Long Marton
- New Biggin
- Culgaith
- there are three tunnels between these stations
- Langwathby
- Lazonby & Kirkoswald
- there are three more tunnels between these two stations
- Armathwaite
- Cotehill
- Cumwhinton
- Scotby - staion also served the NER line from Newcastle
- Carlisle: the station - full title Carlisle Citadel was owned jointly by the LNWR and the Caledonian Railway: the Midland (among others) was a "tenant Company".
The line today
The Line is operated by the Northern Rail operating company.
The fare structure is as follows (these show the Metrocard zones:
- Zone 1
- Zone 3
- Zone 4
- Zone 5
Beyond this point the Metro fares do not operate
External link
Route map and timetable (2005)
