Scenic Settle-Carlisle railway line closed after landslip

The Ribblehead Viaduct forms part of the Settle-Carlisle line, which has closed indefinitely

Network Rail closed the line on Thursday night aerial monitoring confirmed the scale of ground movement in the railway embankment at Appleby.

Engineers attended the site yesterday to assess the level of damage.

Martin Frobisher, route managing director for Network Rail, said: “The safety of train passengers and railway staff is paramount and is the reason behind this decision.

“Consistent high levels of rainfall have saturated the ground and caused this slip, which has affected the stability of the railway through the area

He added that services will only be reinstated when it is safe to do so.

Northern Rail ran road replacement services between Appleby and Carlisle yesterday.

The scenic line passes some of North Yorkshire’s finest landscapes, and offers views of the Dales and the Three Peaks to passengers.

It also travels over the famous Ribblehead Viaduct, the inspiration behind current ITV drama “Jericho”.

A trip on the 72-mile line is described by Welcome to Yorkshire as “one of the world’s greatest railway journeys”.

Network Rail said yesterday they had no details as to when the line would re-open.

Alex Hynes, Managing Director for Northern Rail, said: “We would like to apologise to customers for the disruption this has caused and thank them for their continued patience.”

Passengers concerned about future journeys should visit www.nationalrail.co.uk.