{"id":387845,"date":"2026-03-16T20:22:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T10:22:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/railuk.com\/?p=190629"},"modified":"2026-03-16T20:22:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T10:22:14","slug":"one-million-journeys-expected-on-scenic-railway-in-150th-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=387845","title":{"rendered":"One million journeys expected on scenic railway in 150th year"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Passengers are expected to make more than 1 million journeys along one of the most scenic railway lines in Europe this year.<\/p>\n

Northern recorded 995,000 passenger journeys on the line which links Leeds, Settle, and Carlisle in 2025 \u2013 the highest annual total since the Covid-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n

The most popular month for travel on the route last year was August, when 96,000 journeys were made.<\/p>\n

Demand is expected to rise again this year, as a series of events will be held to mark the 150th anniversary of the Settle-Carlisle line opening to passengers.<\/p>\n

Settle Carlisle Railway Development Company said it has planned a year of celebrations and will be running a chartered steam train between Carlisle and York on Monday, 25 May.<\/p>\n

Northern is planning to offer thousands of \u00a31.50 tickets to customers travelling on the route in the coming months, to mark the milestone.<\/p>\n

The railway line is very popular with tourists, as they can enjoy stunning views of the Pennine Hills, the Yorkshire Dales and Cumbria’s Eden Valley.<\/p>\n

The route also features the iconic 24-arch Ribblehead Viaduct, which is a quarter of a mile long and 104 feet high.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Lonely Planet named it as one of the top 10 most scenic train trips in Europe.<\/p>\n

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Alex Hornby, Northern\u2019s commercial and customer director, said: \u201cIt\u2019s easy to see why this line is so popular and we\u2019re confident we will see more than 1 million journeys this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cCustomers can enjoy miles of breathtaking scenery, which changes throughout the year, and there are plenty of opportunities to get off and explore.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re delighted to see that it\u2019s been rightly recognised as one of the most scenic trips in Europe and we\u2019re looking forward to the celebrations marking the 150th anniversary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pete Myers, chair of the Settle Carlisle Railway Development Company, commented: \u201cThe Settle-Carlisle line is unique, connecting communities from Yorkshire through to Cumbria, and also providing a sustainable and beautiful way for visitors to explore the Yorkshire Dales, Westmorland Dales, and Lake District.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn our special anniversary year, we are working closely with communities along the line to provide a host of events for visitors and locals to enjoy, and all accessible via our award-winning line.”<\/p>\n

The Settle-Carlisle section of the line was completed in 1875, following a challenging and complex construction project involving 6,000 workers. It covers 72 miles and there are 14 tunnels and more than 20 viaducts.<\/p>\n

Freight trains ran on the line for a year before passenger services were introduced on May 1 in 1876.<\/p>\n

British Rail announced plans to close the line to passengers in 1983, amid concerns about the cost of repairing the Ribblehead Viaduct.<\/p>\n

However, Minister of State for Transport Michael Portillo agreed to step in and save the line, after campaigns run by activists from Friends of the Settle Carlisle Line and Campaign for Better Transport were backed by a swell of public support.<\/p>\n

Image credit: Northern<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Passengers are expected to make more than 1 million journeys along one of the most scenic railway lines in Europe this year. Northern recorded 995,000 passenger journeys on the line which links Leeds, Settle, and Carlisle in 2025 \u2013 the highest annual total since the Covid-19 pandemic. The most popular month for travel on the [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2305,47,16016,913,85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-387845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-environment","category-rail-news","category-train-operating-companies","category-travel","category-uk"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t