Date: July 6th
Category: Lost Railways | Railway Rambling | Northern England
It once linked Yorkshire’s Dales to Lancashire’s mills.
It carried schoolchildren, soldiers, sheep, and sandwiches.
It was closed in 1970.
But the Skipton–Colne Line, though torn up and written off, refuses to vanish quietly.
Today, it’s a campaign trail, a public footpath, and a pilgrimage for railway lovers. So lace up your boots — we’re walking the bones of a railway that wants to live again.
🛤️ Skipton–Colne Line: A Brief History
- Opened: 1848
- Route: Skipton (North Yorkshire) to Colne (Lancashire), connecting the Leeds–Carlisle line with East Lancashire
- Closed to passengers: 1970 (despite strong usage)
- Track lifted: Early 1980s
- Length: 11.5 miles
- Status: Under active reopening campaign since the 1990s
The Skipton–Colne Line was a key cross-Pennine route and a strategic link for freight and regional development. Its closure created a gap still keenly felt today.
🚶♂️ Walk the Route Today: What You’ll See
Though the track is gone, much of the alignment remains accessible — via public footpaths, bridleways, and the occasional polite diversion around someone’s chicken coop.
🗺️ Suggested Route (Self-Guided)
Start: Skipton Station
End: Colne Station (operational)
Highlights along the way:
- 🏞️ Embankments and cuttings overgrown with bracken and birch
- 🌉 The Grade II listed Elslack Viaduct — still standing, still stunning
- 🧱 Abandoned bridge abutments, culverts, and ghost platforms
- 🐑 Plenty of sheep. Probably watching you.
🎒 Tip: Bring OS Explorer Map OL21 (South Pennines) and wear sturdy boots — sections can be muddy and steep.
🗣️ Local Stories from the Line
“We used it to get to Blackpool on factory week. Everyone on the train wore their best hat and ate egg and cress.” – Joan, Barnoldswick
“They said it wasn’t used, but we were on it every weekend for footie or fish and chips.” – Geoff, Colne
“I remember my dad missing it every Sunday after the pubs shut.” – Anonymous, Skipton
🛠️ Could It Reopen?
Campaigners say yes — and they’re gaining momentum.
🟢 The Skipton–East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership (SELRAP)
This group has been:
- Lobbying since 2001
- Gained support from MPs, mayors, and businesses
- Argued the case for green travel, economic connectivity, and freight access
- In 2020, the Department for Transport included the line in its Restoring Your Railway fund for further development
📣 Follow and support at: www.selrap.org.uk
📷 Guild Walk Highlights
- 📸 “Viaduct Through the Trees” – Elslack in morning mist
- 📸 “Railway Gate to Nowhere” – a five-bar gate opening into brambles
- 📸 “Station Sign Recreated in Chalk” – by a local school on the fence where Foulridge Station once stood
📚 Want to Know More?
- Britain’s Lost Railways by Julian Holland
- Railway Walks by Christopher Somerville
- Skipton–Colne Line: The Case for Reopening – SELRAP publications
- SELRAP Archive and Route Maps
💬 Have You Walked the Route? Share It: #SkiptonToColne
Post your pictures, memories, and chalked-out station signs with #SkiptonToColne and tag @TimeTravellersGuild — we’ll feature your contributions in the next Rail Rambler’s Gazette.
