Network Rail have released Drone footage to show the scale of the repairs made to the Settle and Carlisle line since the landslip in 2016.

The 500,000-tonne landslip caused the line to shut for 13 months as the £23m repair programme took place.

The line was reopened in March 2017 after a concrete track base was secured into the bedrock of the Eden gorge.

The engineering behind the repair means that if the land was to give way in the future, the railway won’t move.

The Settle-Carlisle line opened in 1876. People, unfortunately, died in the making of the line but goes through some stunning scenery.

Work still continues until March 2018 placing rock armour to protect the line.

Woodland cleared as part of the repair will be replanted with tree species approved by Natural England when the scheme concludes.

What did the officials say?

Martin Frobisher, managing director of Network Rail’s London North Western route, said: “It’s not until you see the aerial shots that you appreciate the sheer scale of this repair. The landscape is as rugged as it is beautiful. The Victorians certainly did choose a wonderful spot to build a railway.”

Paul Barnfield, regional director at Northern, said: “The work carried out by Network Rail and its contractors are nothing short of breath-taking. I was fortunate enough to be on the first passenger train to travel over the repaired section of the line. That was a fantastic day for everyone involved in the project and, more importantly, for our customers. It is great to have rail services back on track for the communities on the Settle-Carlisle line.”

Mark Rand, of the Friends of Settle Carlisle Line, said: “Eden Brows suffered a massive landslip when the line was being built in the 1870s. History repeated itself in 2016. That work of this scale has been done in such fine style underlines the strategic importance, and tremendous potential, of this line.”

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