The line
The Settle-Carlisle line is one of the UK’s most famous scenic rail routes, taking in 20 viaducts, 14 tunnels and countless beautiful vistas along its 72 mile track.
The journey takes you over the iconic Ribblehead Viaduct, which truly is a sight for sore eyes. Another popular stop for trekkers is Horton-in-Ribblesdale, which gives access to the Three Peaks.
The Settle-Carlisle Railway have even held special dark skies events in partnership with local businesses as part of the Dark Skies Festival, allowing visitors to explore the night sky by train.
Walks and activities
The Settle-Carlisle Railway has an abundance of ideas and information on how to access the Dales by train from ‘grand days out‘ to walks and places to visit.
Ride2Stride is a festival of walks, talks and music along the fabulous Settle-Carlisle railway line. It’s a week long celebration of the wonderful landscape and culture of the Western Dales and Eden Valley.
Beat the Train is a guided running trail, following the route of the Settle-Carlisle Railway.
Download our ‘Walking App‘ which has walks from the stations in Settle, Garsdale and Dent. You can also find walks a short distance away from Kirkby Stephen station. These walks are designed to appeal to walkers of all ages and abilities with a mix of linear and circular routes.
Access
The line has good connections from Leeds and Carlisle with direct trains every couple of hours. There are dedicated bus services with timed connections to meet the train, which you can see on the ‘Friends of the Settle and Carlisle Line’ map. You can also view the ‘Friends of the Settle and Carlisle Line’ – Yorkshire Dales National Park rail links and communities map.
General information on accessing the Dales can be found on the Settle-Carlisle website.
There is plenty information on each of the stations situated along the line. A map of the connecting services and an illustrated route map for the Leeds-Settle-Carlisle Railway shows all the stations between Carlisle and Leeds.
The Dalesbus is a local services which runs throughout the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It holds extra services on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
More info
There is a good FAQ section on the Settle-Carlisle website with information on whether you can take your bike on the train, if your dog can accompany you, whether you can use your railcard and how frequently steam train travel takes place.
All the information you need for your journey, including the latest bus information and timetables, can be found on the Settle-Carlisle website.