Yorkshire Dales Railway

Yorkshire Dales Railway
Legend Leeds and Bradford Extension Railway Skipton Leeds and Bradford Extension Railway Skipton to Ilkley Line Rylstone Swinden Quarry Grassington & Threshfield

The Yorkshire Dales Railway was a branch line linking the town of Skipton with the villages of Rylstone, Threshfield and Grassington in North Yorkshire, England. There were two stations on the line - Grassington & Threshfield and Rylstone - and a connection via the Skipton to Ilkley Line to Skipton. It is also known as the Grassington Branch.

The railway company was authorised by Act of Parliament dated 6 August 1897 and opened its single-track line on 29 July 1902. It was operated by the Midland Railway from the start.

Regular passenger services ceased on 22 September 1930, but freight and occasional excursion trains continued until 11 August 1969. The line was then cut back to Swinden Quarry and today it remains a freight-only line used for carrying bulk trainloads of limestone aggregate from the quarry to terminals in Leeds, Redcar, Hull, Birmingham & Wellingborough.

The station at Grassington was built as a through station despite being the line's terminus, as there were plans to extend the line northwards to Hawes where it would meet the Wensleydale Railway. These plans were never realised, however. The name "Yorkshire Dales Railway" survives as the trust that operates the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway.

References

• Awdry, C. (1990), Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies, Patrick Stephens Ltd, Wellingborough, ISBN 1-85260-049-7

External links

• A history of the Skipton railways and surrounding area
• A history of Grassington railways
• Information and photographs from the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway
• Grassington & Threshfield Station at Disused Railways