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RAIL INDUSTRY COMPANY CORUS TO HELP WENSLEYDALE RAILWAY
A major rail industry company, Corus Railway Infrastructure Services, is to sponsor the surveying and engineering design work for a new-build section of the Wensleydale Railway (WR) in North Yorkshire.
Wensleydale Railway, which re-opened to passengers in 2003 after half a century, is rail-connected to the East Coast main line, so trains can travel from one railway to the other. However passengers cannot travel between the five WR stations and the county town of Northallerton because the short section of track linking the line into the station platform at Northallerton was taken up many years ago.
First to hear news of the Corus offer were WR’s shareholders at their recent annual general meeting. A spokesperson from Corus said, “Corus Railway Infrastructure Services is delighted to support the Wensleydale Railway with the offer of engineering support for the Northallerton Link.
“As a design consultancy business specialising in rail, Corus Railway Infrastructure Services (CRIS) understands the importance of rail links to economic development and regeneration, and appreciates how vital the Wensleydale Railway is to the people of Wensleydale and its visitors. With its head office in York, many CRIS staff have a personal interest in the Northallerton Link.
“The CRIS sponsorship package offers its staff’s time on a voluntary basis, with access to any company resources needed. It will be a great project for CRIS staff, particularly the younger members, giving them a firsthand feel for the challenges involved in planning, financing, designing, building, operating and maintaining a railway.
“The project will be dedicated to Clive Roberts, a much-missed CRIS colleague from its York office.”
Clive Roberts was one of the founders of the WR re-opening project and its first engineering director, for five years from 2000-2005. He died tragically young in 2006, in his mid-forties, and was well-known among Corus colleagues for his professional work, including the Sunderland Metro extension. This was a major engineering project, of special significance to Clive, because of the positive benefit to his home town of Sunderland.
Welcoming news of the Corus offer on behalf of the Wensleydale Railway, director of Communities and Regeneration Ian Sesnan said:
“Making the connection between Northallerton station and the Wensleydale line will open up
many new journey possibilities as it will bring WR’s remaining five miles of line between Leeming Bar and Northallerton into regular use. This will link Wensleydale once again with the East Coast main line, making ‘green tourism’ easier and enabling the people of the dale easier access to the goods and services in the market town of Northallerton.”
Currently the Wensleydale Railway runs passenger services for 17 miles from Leeming Bar (close to the A1/A684 junction) to Redmire, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The long-term aim is to re-build 18 miles of track westwards through Aysgarth, Askrigg and Hawes to Garsdale, thus re-connecting the East Coast Main Line with the renowned Settle-Carlisle railway, 40 miles away.
Wensleydale Railway plc’s chairman, Mrs Ruth Annison, said this week: “Coincidentally, the company is advertising a new post of full-time General Manager, so this will be a demanding and challenging time for the new member of staff when appointed.
“The company has seven part-time paid staff and more than 300 working volunteers, who operate and maintain the railway and provide customer services such as catering and shops at Leeming Bar and Leyburn. We are looking for someone who can lead an enthusiastic workforce of paid staff and many volunteers whilst at the same time opening up new business to support the expansion of the line. Meanwhile we are extremely grateful to Corus for taking this initiative which is so important to the future of the Wensleydale Railway and the wider community.”
Notes for Editors
WENSLEYDALE RAILWAY
1. The 40 mile line was built over a 30 year period between 1850 and 1878. It carried passengers and freight until it closed in stages during the 1950s. A limited freight service ran until 1992, taking stone from the quarry at Redmire to British Steel’s plant at Redcar.
2. In 1990 the Wensleydale Railway Association (WRA) was established with the aim of campaigning for the return of passenger services on the surviving 22 mile line (Northallerton to Redmire) and the eventual reconstruction of the 18 miles between Redmire to Garsdale, thus re-connecting the East Coast Main Line with the Settle-Carlisle line. However the loss of the quarry traffic in 1992, followed by the privatisation of British Rail in 1994, left the campaigners with no option but to ‘do-it-yourself or do without.’
3. By this time, the economic and environmental benefits of rural railways were becoming clear, especially the links between Trains and Trade, the title of a 1991 report by the Settle-Carlisle Railway Business Liaison Group and subsequent work by ACoRP, the Association of Community Rail Partnerships. (Note: SCRBLG has since changed its name to SCENe, the Settle-Carlisle Enterprise Network).
4. The privatisation of British Rail in 1994 changed the WRA’s perspective and activities and, after much discussion, Railtrack (as it then was) agreed in 2001 to release the 22 mile surviving track to WR on a 99 year lease. However, with the demise of Railtrack into administration, it was two more years before Network Rail – as it had become – was able to complete the arrangements and for Wensleydale Railway plc to begin running trains.
5. The WRA established Wensleydale Railway plc in 2000 and the company ran its first train service, for 12 miles between Leeming Bar and Leyburn, on July 4, 2003. The following year, services were extended another five miles to Redmire (the present railhead) and three more stations re-opened: Bedale and Redmire on August 2 and Fingall on December 23, 2004.
6. Currently, DMU (diesel multiple unit) passenger trains run year round, with a seasonally adjusted timetable and special events such as Day Out With Thomas and Santa Specials in December. There are also occasional freight and charter trains and in August 2007 there was a month long daily steam service in addition to the DMU services.
7. Network Rail’s own business case includes aspirations for re-connection of the section of line between Northallerton station and the Wensleydale Railway, published on website www.networkrail.co.uk (Business Case, Route 9, Figure 18).
8. Further information about the Wensleydale Railway on www.wensleydalerailway.com (fares and timetables) and on www.WensleydaleRailwayAssociation.com (history and volunteering opportunities).
PRESS ENQUIRIES RE WENSLEYDALE RAILWAY TO RUTH ANNISON
CORUS RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES:
1. Corus is Europe's second largest steel producer with revenues of £9.7 billion and crude steel production of 18.3 million tonnes in 2006, primarily in the UK and the Netherlands. Corus' three principal divisions comprising Strip Products, Long Products and Distribution & Building Systems provide innovative solutions to the most demanding markets around the world such as construction, automotive, aerospace, packaging, rail and general engineering worldwide.
Corus is a subsidiary of Tata Steel, the world's sixth largest steel producer. With a combined presence in nearly 50 countries, Tata Steel including Corus has 84,000 employees across five continents and a pro forma crude steel production of 27 million tonnes in 2007.
2. Corus’ rail business supplies rail networks worldwide and has commercial and technical teams, supported by local representatives in over 85 countries with extensive experience in international trade. Customers benefit from expertise in high-speed lines, heavy haul, urban transport and logistics. The rail product portfolio includes; heavy rail (flat bottom, bullhead, conductor) in all grades, also head hardened, grooved, stainless steel clad, corrosion resistant, asymmetric, light, bridge and crane rail, long welded rail up to 220m, steel sleepers, fishplates and base plates.
3. Corus also offers a wide range of railway infrastructure services, which gives the business a unique range of products and services that are driven by multi-disciplinary and co-located teams of professional engineers, architects, consultants and surveyors, delivering a comprehensive and integrated consultancy and design service. Depth of experience and expertise in key areas ensure a pro-active and innovative approach to the challenge of maintaining, renewing and enhancing railway infrastructure in the UK and worldwide.
Local media enquiries re Corus Rail Infrastructure Services – Karen Spencer 01904 454646
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