Based at Leeming Bar close to Northallerton in North Yorkshire, the Wensleydale Railway is starting a fundraising appeal which will return passenger services from the Georgian market town of Leyburn to Redmire Village for the first time in over 3 years. Passenger services were stopped as the condition of the track and infrastructure had deteriorated on the section of the railway as well as some tracks being life-expired dating back to pre-First World War.
The railway is mainly built on ash ballast, wooden sleepers and 90lb North Eastern Rail which is extremely worn. The project will also require the clearance of a substantial amount of vegetation and will also require re-ballasting as well as the renewal of drainage. Further to this, major infrastructure work will be needed with the construction of a 2nd platform and the replacement of the footbridge and signalling at Leyburn. The cost of completing the necessary track and infrastructure upgrade work is anticipated to be in excess of £1 million.
The appeal aims to raise vital ‘pump-priming’ funds which will create essential support for future, larger grant funding applications. These funds will behave as a match-funding resource which will offer important leverage when applications are made for larger and governmental funding opportunities which will be required in order to see this section of the line open.
To make donations and support the railway in moving forward with this huge project please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/returntoredmire
Nigel Park, Chairman of the Wensleydale Railway Association (Trust) Limited, said: “The Trust is pleased to launch our new appeal designed to raise funds for match-funding and the application processes for major grant-aid to upgrade the Railway’s infrastructure and bring the standard of the whole route up to where we aspire it to be. This is probably the most important appeal we have ever made.”
“This appeal is the next step in the railway’s ongoing plans to develop & improve its customer experience.” Nick Keegan, Fundraising Manager
Responses
It’s good to hear that the Wensleydale Railway is seeking to re-instate the railway between Leyburn and Redmire and I wish them every success. Having recently visited the railway at Leyburn I was disappointed to see that they are currently only offering journeys aboard fairly decrepit Pacer trains. These have only recently been withdrawn from mainline service so are not “heritage” units. They were uncomfortable, draughty and rough running and thus disliked in mainline service and this will be no different on the Wensleydale line. Although I understand they will be relatively cheap to run, I cannot see many people being attracted to riding in them, and I think the Wensleydale railway will lose some custom by using them as their only option.