Skipton and Colne 'more likely than ever' to get 'missing rail link'

At present, very few people make the move across this particular divide because of poor transport links, but it is now "more likely than ever" that Skipton and Colne will be reconnected by rail.

It was 1970 when Skipton, no stranger to The Sunday Times 'best places to live' list, lost its rail link to Colne, an area of East Lancashire where some communities are ranked among the most deprived in the UK.

Despite its busy high street and period properties, the Colne Neighbourhood Development Plan reveals that inner parts of Colne, particularly parts of the Waterside area, are some of the most deprived in the country. On the Index of Multiple Deprivation, many parts of Colne are among the 10 per cent most deprived areas in the country. 

Now, enthusiastic support has been given by Skipton councillors to the rebuilding of the 'missing link' railway line between the towns.

Skipton town councillors reaffirmed the council's long standing commitment to the £300 million project which would see the reinstatement of the 12- mile stretch.

Representatives of the Skipton-East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership (SELRAP) told the full council at its meeting last week that reinstatement of the line, which was closed in 1970, but with large parts of the track bed still in place, was a 'transformational project' that would reap benefits for both areas.

For Skipton there would be quick and easy access to East Lancashire and onto Manchester; and for its businesses, such as SELRAP supporter, Skipton Building Society, potential employees.

Part of the old trackbed between Skipton and Thornton-in-Craven (Image: Lesley Tate)

For East Lancashire, described in the meeting as one of the most socially deprived areas in the north of England, it would open up the jobs market in the Skipton area.

Andy Shackleton, for SELRAP, told the meeting, held at the offices of North Yorkshire Council in Belle Vue Mills, that confidence in the re-building of the line had 'ebbed and flowed' over the years, but that it was thought there had never been a better time for it to be built.

Councillors were told support was now needed by organisations in both North Yorkshire and Lancashire and that a series of meetings were being held by SELRAP to garner renewed backing for the project.

Mr Shackleton said rebuilding of the line would be largely straight-forward.

A station would have to be built somewhere in the Earby area and also at Colne, but interference in the existing railway would be minimal, with connection happening only at the end of the rebuilding project.

An advert for the final train to Colne from Skipton (Image: Lesley Tate)

There would be two trains an hour running from Leeds across the Pennines to Preston and possibly Blackpool.

"It has ebbed and flowed a bit in terms of whether we thought it would ever get built is being completely honest, but I think it now looks more likely than it ever has," he told the meeting.

He said the aim was to connect the Airedale line with the branch-line to Colne.

"Essentially, we are talking about picking up your very successful Airedale line, where most of the trains terminate at Skipton, and is probably one of the best performing trains in the north of England and join it with with what is probably the worst performing railway in the north, the branch line to Colne. The two would become one service and we would get a nice busy line being connected with a not very busy line at all," he said.

Mr Shackleton described the project as 'transformational'.

Another section of the former trackbed  (Image: Lesley Tate)

"Not many people make the move across the divide because of the very poor transport links. For Skipton, there will be fast rail access to Lancashire, and people who want to work in Skipton but can't afford to, places are a lot cheaper in Colne."

He said despite just being 12 miles away, on average property was £100,000 cheaper in Colne than in Skipton, with the price of a standard terrace house in Colne £80,000 cheaper on average than in Skipton.

"That is quite shocking really for a country that is quite well connected," he said.

Skipton would also become more of a hub for people heading to the Yorkshire Dales and would attract workers from places where they could afford to live.

"East Lancashire is one of the most deprived areas in England and is getting worse, and that can not be let to go on for ever. Most places are improving, but there it is getting worse," he said.

SELRAP chair, Peter Bryson said something he always told people that it was quicker to get from Skipton to Westminster, London, by train than it was to get to Colne.

"This is the missing link across the Pennines. We nearly got there four years ago, but then the pandemic came along. Instead of being the end of the line, Skipton will be the middle of the line," he said.

Town councillors said they were very supportive of the project and agreed to reaffirm the council's support.

They also agreed to put the SELRAP campaign on the agenda of their next appropriate meeting.

Cllr Aidan Higgins descried the scheme as a 'no-brainer' and asked what the council could do to help.

Cllr Robert Heseltine said the town council had always supported the campaign to reinstate the line.

"The economy needs a boost in the next few years, if not the next 10, 20 or 30 years.

Skipton Town Council has always been in support of the Skipton to Colne link and that has been a consistent policy; we can reaffirm that support, and I wish them the best of luck."