Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway Expansion

[alexl92]

Just been reading the Wikipedia article about this line and their plans for possible extension in the future, as I have fond memories of visiting as a kid.

The first stage seems to be to connect to Skipton, 2 miles west. Then potential expansion southeast from Bolton Abbey to Addingham, and in an ideal world, all the way to Ilkley, which is highly unlikely.

I was just wondering if anyone knew what stage they were at with any of these plans? Their website is only ever updated with info about specific upcoming events (the latest item on their news page is something like July 2013) and they don't have an official facebook presence so it's pretty hard to keep up with them, which is a shame.

I'm particularly interested to know what's happening with the trackbed to Addingham. There was talk of rebuilding a bridge abbutment and apparently Sustrans wanted to make the trackbed into a cycle path but again, I've not heard any further news on this.

Any info at all about any of their plans or projects gratefully appreciated!

 

[ianhr]

Re-connecting to Network Rail (Grassington Branch) at Embsay Junction to allow through running to/from Skipton (the currently disused platform on the west side) is still an objective but there is as yet no funding in place.

There is no official intention to extend to Addingham, although the track bed is unobstructed to the edge of the village but not to the site of the original station.

I think it is fair to say that unfortunately the line will never be reconnected to Ilkley as there was a 25 arch stone viaduct through the town (to the O&IJR station) which has long since been demolished and the land developed for housing, retail outlets etc.

The immediate objective is to reconstruct Platform 2 at Bolton Abbey to passenger standards, with associated track work and signalling, which is now partially funded. Fundraising continues and work should start soon.

The AGM will be held at BA this Saturday (22/11/14) and I will post an update if anything more is revealed!

 

[alexl92]

Thanks, that's interesting. Is there any timescale for Skipton?

 

[ianhr]

Thanks, that's interesting. Is there any timescale for Skipton?

No time scale yet that I am aware of, although I believe some discussion has taken place and NR may even have something pencilled in.

The amount of physical work needed is not huge: a few 10's of metres of track at Embsay Junction, a turnout from the Grassington line, a trap point on the YDR side of the junction, signalling and interlocking with an interface with NR (Skipton is, or will be, controlled from York), a tidy up of the disused platform at Skipton and re-opening the western end of the subway.

Obviously there needs to be some operating agreement. Mineral trains still operate over the Grassington branch and are expected to do so for the foreseeable future and any passenger operation would have to accommodate these. The options seem to be: a DMU operated by a TOC from Skipton to Embsay or Bolton Abbey, YDR steam or diesel powered trains from Skipton to Embsay or Bolton Abbey, steam or diesel powered excursions from the main line to Bolton Abbey (for which the new platform would be useful).