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Skipton-Colne 1970

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Kendalian

Kendalian

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Sadly today marks the 50th anniversary of the closure of the Skipton-Colne route.

What do readers think are the prospects of the line reopening within the next 10 years? I'd go for 40%. We can but hope...
 
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52290

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I use to travel on the line on certain bank holiday Mondays in the 1960's when BR would run an excursion from Blackpool to York via Skipton, Otley and Harrogate. We would have a Black Five as far as Skipton and a B1 onward to York. I think it was in 1965 that the B1 was replaced by a class 47. Whilst in York we would bunk round the shed. In 1966 and 1967 I used it to connect with the Settle-Carlisle line which still had Jubilees working over the long drag.
I hope it reopens but I wouldn't put money on it, but then I never thought the Borders line would reopen either.
 
Kendalian

Kendalian

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HSP 2 said:
IIRC I don't think that all of it has. Just a bit out of Edinburgh.
Click to expand...

I like to think it's nearly a third of the Waverley Line....

Now if Skipton-Colne was in Scotland, I would add another 20% to the probability :E
 
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Bcn1973

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Been a political football for decades, current Tory mp is keen to see it reopened but lot of opposition from residents along the mostly intact old track bed, plus would need a lot of strengthening work on the colne and Burnley viaducts if freight trains or longer passenger units were to use the route
 
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muddythefish

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Travelled on it a few times in a Cravens DMU in the late 1960s from Blackburn to Skipton on the way to spotting trips in Leeds. Very scenic line but it was noticeable that the train was significantly more empty after Colne. Rose Grove - Colne was busy in those days with freight and parcels traffic, unrecognisable now. Hope the line reopens but the business case must be marginal.
 
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philthetube

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one of the drawbacks to the line that it terminated at Skipton, had it carried on into Yorkshire I am sure it would have been much busier.
 
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muddythefish

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philthetube said:
one of the drawbacks to the line that it terminated at Skipton, had it carried on into Yorkshire I am sure it would have been much busier.
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The line didn't end at Skipton because it joined the Hellifield-Leeds line before Skipton station but the passenger services from east Lancs certainly terminated at Skipton. I cannot recall Blackburn - Leeds trains going direct that way. Presuambly, if the line did reopen future services would go all the way to Leeds.
 
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billio

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philthetube said:
one of the drawbacks to the line that it terminated at Skipton, had it carried on into Yorkshire I am sure it would have been much busier.
Click to expand...
On the other hand it once provided a direct service to Manchester via Accrington and Bury.
 
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