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THE JOURNEY Where do your trains go? SPECIAL EVENTS Will you be running Operation Dalesman again in 2009? TIMETABLE AND FARES Do trains run every day? FACILITIES Are refreshments available? If you have any question that is not answered on this page, please e-mail the website editor. THE JOURNEY Where do your trains go? We currently run trains between Leeming Bar (near the A1) and Redmire (on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park), a 17 mile trip that takes approximately 50 minutes. Trains stop at Bedale, Finghall and Leyburn on the way. You can find out more about the journey on our Journey page. Our trains normally comprise heritage diesel railcars from the 1960s. Lovingly restored, they have large windows and a great view of the line ahead if you sit behind the driver. There are also occasional freight trains and regular works trains. (This means that trains can run at any time and in either direction, day or night. It is therefore very important that people never trespass on the line or the trackside.) Do you have steam trains? We will have steam-hauled trains from 18 July to 31 August 2009 (except on 10, 11 and 12 August when diesel locomotive-hauled trains will be operating). In addition, from time to time steam-hauled excursion trains visit our railway. Why don’t your trains go to Northallerton? Currently it is necessary to catch a connecting bus between Northallerton and Leeming Bar. This is because the passenger train service from Wensleydale to Northallerton ceased during the 1960s and the platform at Northallerton station serving our line was demolished to make way for a car park. The track into the station from our line was also lifted. We are currently developing plans for restoring services to Northallerton to make the important link with the East Coast Main Line and the hospital, shops and college in Northallerton - see the Northallerton page. In the meantime, we run occasional trains to Castle Hills Junction, where the Wensleydale Railway’s track meets the national network. There is no platform there so it is not possible to alight, but it is possible to see the route of the South Curve, which needs to be restored to allow our trains to reach Northallerton. Look at the Special Excursions page for details of trains towards Northallerton. If you would like to help us to restore services to Northallerton, please join the Wensleydale Railway Association (WRA). You can find out more about the WRA, and download a membership application form, from the WRA website. How do I reach the Wensleydale Railway by car? If you are coming by car, especially on the A1, the most convenient station to use is Leeming Bar, which has a free car park. There are also free station car parks at Leyburn and Redmire. You can find out more information on our Coming by car page. How do I reach the Wensleydale Railway from Northallerton? Connecting buses from Northallerton are shown on our Timetable page. Buses start in Northallerton town centre and there is also a bus stop on the main A684 road opposite the railway station. The journey from Northallerton to Leeming Bar takes approximately 15 minutes. You can find more details on our Coming by bus page. Why do your trains terminate at Redmire? What is there to do there? The Wensleydale Railway originally ran beyond Redmire through Hawes to Garsdale, where it joined the Settle-Carlisle line. But now Redmire is literally the end of the line. When services ceased in the 1960s, the track between Northallerton and Redmire was left in place so that limestone could be carried by train from the quarry at Redmire to the steelworks at Teesside. These trains no longer run, although there are still occasional freight trains on the line. The long-term aim is to restore services all the way to Garsdale, but in the immediate future we are about to carry out a feasibility study to consider the extension of the line for five miles to Aysgarth, to make it easier for visitors to visit Bolton Castle and the famous Aysgarth Falls. In the meantime, Redmire is a good starting point for walks into the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The Bolton Arms in Redmire – ten minutes walk from the station – is a great place to have a meal or a drink. Also from Redmire it is about half an hour’s walk over field paths to Bolton Castle, and on Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays between 4 April and 1 November you can connect at Redmire station onto the Wensleydale Vintage Bus to Hawes and Garsdale (see next question for more details). Can I follow the original route of the Wensleydale Railway? The closed railway line between Redmire and Garsdale is private property, and there is no right to walk upon it except along the few sections where there is a signposted public footpath or bridleway. But between 4 April and 1 November this year, you can take the Wensleydale Vintage Bus from Redmire to Hawes and Garsdale, following the route of the railway for most of the journey. On the morning journey the bus goes as far as Hawes, but on the afternoon journey it continues beyond Hawes all the way to Garsdale station. This enables you to spend two hours in Hawes over lunchtime and then continue on the bus to Garsdale; alternatively you can spend more than three hours in Hawes and catch the bus on its return journey to Redmire, to connect with the train back to Leeming Bar. The vintage bus operates on Tuesdays (which is market day in Hawes), Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Can I help to run the railway? Yes you can!! Like other heritage railways, much of the day-to-day work of running the Wensleydale Railway is carried out by teams of fully trained volunteers who work under the supervision of specialists. Roles range from track inspection and train maintenance to working in our office, shops, buffet coach and teabar. Volunteers also play an important role on Special Event days, especially when excursion trains or Santa visit the Wensleydale Railway. Further information about volunteering opportunities on the Wensleydale Railway is available on the website of the Wensleydale Railway Association, our supporters’ organisation. Can I drive one of your trains? Yes you can!! Sign up for one of our Driver Experience Days and learn to drive one of our diesel multiple unit trains, or buy a gift token for someone else. SPECIAL EVENTS Will you be running Operation Dalesman again in 2009? Operation Dalesman – our re-creation of the Dale during WW2 – will take place on 18-19 July 2009. This year we are calling it the 1940s weekend. Will there be a Diesel Gala in 2009? The Diesel Gala scheduled for to take place on 25-27 September 2009 has been postponed until next year. Will there be guided walks in 2009? We will be running a programme of 25 guided walks during 2009. Details are on the Guided Walks page. What other special events and excursions will you be running in 2009? Full details of all special events and excursions are on the Diary of Events page. TIMETABLE AND FARES Do trains run every day? Trains will be running on 200 days this year – see the timetable for full details. Broadly there is a daily service during school holiday periods (including half-terms), and a weekend service in the winter months. In spring and autumn, during periods when there is not a daily service, there is generally a service on Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. How often do your trains run? On days when trains are running, trains run approximately every two hours and there are three return journeys each day – see the timetable for full details. A special timetable will operate from 18 July to 9 August and from 13 August to 31 August 2009, when some trains will be steam-hauled. Discounted Family Tickets (two adults and up to three children) are available. You can buy Day Rover tickets entitling you to a whole day’s travel on our trains. Alternatively, we offer normal Single and Return tickets, and also Senior Citizen’s and Children’s fares. You can see our range of tickets on our fares page. (Different arrangements may apply on Special Event days including Steam Specials and Santa Specials.) Do I need to book tickets in advance? There is no need to book for our scheduled train services, but it is essential to book in advance for most of our excursions and for the Santa Specials. Are there discounts for groups? Discounts are available for pre-booked groups of eleven or more, and you can book a carriage or even a whole train, or charter a whole train. Smaller groups may like to arrange for exclusive use of the front compartment of the train, for up to twelve people. See out Groups pages for more information. FACILITIES Are refreshments available? Refreshments are available in our buffet coach at Leeming Bar station, and in the station teabar at Leyburn station. There are also plenty of cafés, pubs and restaurants within walking distance of Leyburn and Bedale stations, and pubs within easy walking distance of our stations at Leeming Bar and Redmire. You can also buy hot and cold drinks, newspapers, sandwiches, snacks and crisps from our newspaper kiosk at Northallerton station - and, at times when the kiosk is open (normally 6.30 am to 3 pm, Monday to Friday, and on Saturday mornings), present your Wensleydale Railway ticket for that day on the way home for a free tea or coffee while waiting for your main line train. Can I buy a souvenir of my trip? We have shops at both Leeming Bar and Leyburn stations which stock a wide selection of railway and transport-related products, local maps and also souvenirs of your trip on the line. In addition we sell a number of branded items including the Thomas the Tank Engine range. The shop at Leeming Bar is in a lovingly restored railway carriage. An illustrated guide to the Wensleydale Railway is available for only £2.99. It is available by mail order so you can buy it in advance of your trip. We also sell cards, books, DVDs and calendars by mail order. Where can I find toilets? There are toilets at Leeming Bar and Leyburn stations, and in the centre of Leyburn and Bedale. There are also toilets on the trains. Baby-changing facilities are available at Leeming Bar and Leyburn stations. Are your trains accessible to wheelchair users? See our Accessibility page for full details. Can I bring my dog? Or my bicycle? Well-behaved dogs and bicycles are both welcome on Wensleydale Railway trains free of charge (one dog per paying adult; one bicycle per passenger). There is no need to make reservations for bicycles but groups of cyclists should check for availability of space beforehand. What else is there to do in Wensleydale? There are loads of things to do! See our Wensleydale information pages for full details of local attractions, Summer Sunday buses and walking opportunities in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. There are other ideas (and train times) for trips on the railway on our Group Bookings page. Leyburn Tourist Information Centre (01748 828747) can provide local information on attractions and accommodation. It is open seven days a week in summer and six days a week at other times of the year.
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