Embsay and Bolton Rly

Looks like promising news of joining up to the national network in a news article in today,s Yorkshire Post

 

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Twenty-yards-of-rail-track.6667005.jp

 

Excellent news - should really put this railway on the map, especially for people without cars. I hope it will, however, keep its industrial locos 'ethos' which makes it that little bit different. OK, an Ivatt tank or light mogul wouldn't look out of place.

 

I know the railway want's to head west for NR Skipton station using the abandoned platform 5, but in the long long term i hope they also push south east towards Addingham and finally Ilkley as far as they possiably can.

 

Sounds promising, but they've a huge amount of work ahead of them, not least getting locos and rolling stock approved for running onto NR metals. The NYMR's experience of running to Whitby is probably giving them encouragement, but I do wonder if Skipton will be quite such a lucrative destination.

 

As a regular visitor to Yorkshire and the E&BA Railway I am also glad to see them planning further expansion. I don't think they can get closer to Addingham than North of the village centre due to the loss of the bridge across the main road and buildings on the track bed immediately south of the main road. Approaching Ilkley chunks of the trackbed now lie under the A65.

Skipton should be a good place - it is popular with tourists, it is on a railway line with good connections and therefore should attract attention. There will be a need to add carparking to the equation - the current station car park is not very large and I'm certain could not cope with much additional parking for E&BA trains, particularly if the YDNP want to encourage people to come into the NP by train.

Curiously the E&BA lies just outside the YDNP area!

 

A few years ago there was talk of them using the quarry branch to run trains to grassington when they managed to get in to Skipton dos any one know if this is still on the cards as it would be a good run.
Dave R

 

Having driven past it recently, the rails to the quarry look very well maintained indeed (welded?) and go through some decent scenery. Its a surprisingly long branch if you follow it on the map to near Linton.

 

It's easy to forget that the E & B A Railway was originally formed as the Yorkshire Dales Railway to take over and run the Grassington branch (the line to the quarry) when it inevitably closed and not the present line, which no longer existed! I wonder what would happen if it does eventually close? Would they attempt to take it over or be content with what they now have?

 

Embsay and Bolton? Just how long is this new extension????

 

About 43 miles..........

 

Easily achievable, given the willpower..... Oh, and money. Look upon it as a pioneering adventuire.

 

If this would include relaying Skipton - Earby - Colne, then it would be very welcome. That really was a silly closure removing a useful through route (similar to Uckfield - Lewes), from the days when railway managers got bonuses for closing as much railway as possible. Only half joking with that last remark.

 

The Economic Benefits Study is being presented today to the stakeholders - all those who funded the study get to find out what it says, then it will be released to everyone else!

More to follow later...

 

Look forward to seeing this..........