Bedale railway station
Encyclopedia
Bedale railway station is on the Wensleydale Railway
and serves the town of Bedale
in North Yorkshire
, England
.
First opened by the Bedale and Leyburn Railway in November 1855, the station very nearly did not get built at all as the initial plans for the Leeming
to Leyburn
route would have completely bypassed the town. This problem was subsequently corrected (following a major outcry in the locality) and by May 1856, passenger services had started running between Northallerton
and Leyburn. These were subsequently extended to Hawes
and Hawes Junction by the North Eastern Railway
in 1878.
Although the section between Bedale and Leeming was doubled by the turn of the century, the station never received a second platform as the line became single again before passing through it and the adjacent level crossing
. Services were always modest at best, with a basic timetable of between five and seven trains each way operating right up until the closure of the line to passengers in April 1954, less than a decade after British Railways took over the line upon nationalisation of the UK network.
The station remained open for goods traffic for many years after the cessation of passenger trains (until 1982) and even then the platform and signal box survived (the latter to supervise the crossing and the last remaining passing loop
on the otherwise single track route). Limestone trains from Redmire
to the steelworks at Redcar
ended in December 1992, but the line was subsequently retained for use by the Ministry of Defence
to move military hardware to and from Catterick Garrison
via a new transshipment facility at Redmire.
The WRC took over the station after leasing the branch from Railtrack
in the spring of 2003, with services returning to Bedale in 2004 for the first time in 50 years. The Class 31 D5584 shown on the right was on a Sunday evening special. Trains currently operate between Leeming and Redmire, but the company hopes to eventually rebuild the currently derelict section of the line west of Redmire and run services all the way from Northallerton to Garsdale
.
Wensleydale Railway
The Wensleydale Railway is a railway line in Wensleydale and Lower Swaledale in North Yorkshire, England and the name of the company that operates services on the line....
and serves the town of Bedale
Bedale
Bedale is a market town and civil parish in the district of Hambleton, North Yorkshire, England. It lies north of Leeds, southwest of Middlesbrough, and south west of the county town of Northallerton...
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
First opened by the Bedale and Leyburn Railway in November 1855, the station very nearly did not get built at all as the initial plans for the Leeming
Leeming Bar railway station
Leeming Bar railway station is the current rail passenger terminus of the Wensleydale Railway and serves the villages of Leeming Bar and Leeming in North Yorkshire, England. Trains are timed to link in with Dales and District service buses to Northallerton to connect with the National Rail network...
to Leyburn
Leyburn railway station
Leyburn railway station is on the Wensleydale Railway and serves the town of Leyburn in North Yorkshire, England. During the summer months it is served by at least three trains per day; at other times of the year the service is mainly at weekends and public holidays.The Leyburn branch of the...
route would have completely bypassed the town. This problem was subsequently corrected (following a major outcry in the locality) and by May 1856, passenger services had started running between Northallerton
Northallerton railway station
Northallerton railway station serves the town of Northallerton in North Yorkshire, England. The station lies on the East Coast Main Line north of York...
and Leyburn. These were subsequently extended to Hawes
Hawes railway station
Hawes railway station is a disused railway station that served the town of Hawes in North Yorkshire, England. It was closed in 1959 and now forms part of the Dales Countryside Museum.-History:...
and Hawes Junction by the North Eastern Railway
North Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
in 1878.
Although the section between Bedale and Leeming was doubled by the turn of the century, the station never received a second platform as the line became single again before passing through it and the adjacent level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
. Services were always modest at best, with a basic timetable of between five and seven trains each way operating right up until the closure of the line to passengers in April 1954, less than a decade after British Railways took over the line upon nationalisation of the UK network.
The station remained open for goods traffic for many years after the cessation of passenger trains (until 1982) and even then the platform and signal box survived (the latter to supervise the crossing and the last remaining passing loop
Passing loop
A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...
on the otherwise single track route). Limestone trains from Redmire
Redmire railway station
Redmire railway station is the current western terminus of the Wensleydale Railway and serves the village of Redmire in North Yorkshire, England. The site was redeveloped in the early 1990s by the Ministry of Defence to allow movement of military equipment by rail to and from Catterick Garrison,...
to the steelworks at Redcar
Redcar
Redcar is a seaside resort in the north east of England, and a major town in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire. It lies east-northeast of Middlesbrough by the North Sea coast...
ended in December 1992, but the line was subsequently retained for use by the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
to move military hardware to and from Catterick Garrison
Catterick Garrison
Catterick Garrison is a major Army base located in Northern England. It is the largest British Army garrison in the world with a population of around 12,000, plus a large temporary population of soldiers, and is larger than its older neighbour...
via a new transshipment facility at Redmire.
The WRC took over the station after leasing the branch from Railtrack
Railtrack
Railtrack was a group of companies that owned the track, signalling, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and all but a handful of the stations of the British railway system from its formation in April 1994 until 2002...
in the spring of 2003, with services returning to Bedale in 2004 for the first time in 50 years. The Class 31 D5584 shown on the right was on a Sunday evening special. Trains currently operate between Leeming and Redmire, but the company hopes to eventually rebuild the currently derelict section of the line west of Redmire and run services all the way from Northallerton to Garsdale
Garsdale railway station
Garsdale railway station is a railway station which serves the immediate hamlet of Garsdale Head, Cumbria, England, together with the valley of Garsdale and the nearby towns of Sedbergh, Cumbria and Hawes, North Yorkshire...
.