Wensleydale Railway completes major track repairs as part of plans to restore passenger services to Redmire where ITV's Vera was filmed

Wensleydale Railway has announced that it has successfully completed essential track repairs and work began in mid-September on a 0.75-mile section of the track at Wensley, close to the site of the former Wensley station.

The earthworks that carried the railway along the foot of the cliffs below Leyburn Shawl had corroded and material had fallen into the adjacent fields. Some sleeper ends were left exposed and unsupported.

The railway hired the services of a specialist railway contractor, Lampitt Rail Services, to carry out the repair work, with support from its operations staff and infrastructure volunteers. The work included rebuilding and widening sections of eroded embankment and slewing some of the track into a more stable position.

The railway presently runs services from Leeming Bar to Leburn; the 5.5-mile section of railway between the Georgian market town of Leyburn to Redmire village has been closed to the public since 2020. This has been caused by the deteriorating condition of the track and infrastructure on this section of the railway. Some of the track is life-expired and dates back to before the First World War. Wensley is located approximately half-way between Leyburn and Redmire.

Wensleydale Railway has set itself the goal of re-opening the line between Leyburn and Redmire stations by September 2025 and this is to coincide with the 200th anniversary of celebrations of the world’s first passenger service on the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825.

Celebrate Yorkshire’s history with us by signing up to our weekly Heritage newsletter

In support of this goal and focused on the Wensley track repair work, the Wensleydale Railway Association (Trust) launched a fundraising appeal in July 2024 that has raised roughly £37,000 to date.

Director of infrastructure at Wensleydale Railway Plc, Russell Lord, said: “Completing this project is a major step forwards in our plans to restore passenger services to Redmire. Our goal to return to Redmire in 2025 is an ambitious one and we face a few challenges ahead. However, we are determined to succeed and will shortly be focusing our attention on the section of track west of Wensley Station towards Redmire Station.”

Fundraising and marketing manager at the railway, Nick Keegan, said: “The response to our latest fundraising appeal has been excellent and demonstrates not only the incredible generosity of people, but also their genuine desire to see this beautiful scenic section of our railway once again carrying passengers.

“I would like to thank everyone who has donated and made this work possible. We very much rely on the kindness and generosity of our charitable Trust members, shareholders and the general public to keep our community railway running. Your support is greatly appreciated.”

Director of Lampitt Rail Services, Toby Lampitt, said: “I was very pleased to be able to support Wensleydale Railway and their plans to restore passenger services to Redmire Station. This project was completed over a 5-week period, and I look forward to providing further support to the railway in the future.”

You can make a donation to the project by visiting the Wensleydale Railway website.