Work to reinstate quarry rail link reaches major milestone

Tarmac’s Arcow and Dry Rigg quarries reconnected to main Settle to Carlisle railway line

A PROJECT to reconnect two quarries with the main Settle to Carlisle railway line at Horton in Ribblesdale reached a major milestone at the end of October when the new line was connected to the existing network.

The rail connection was originally removed from use in the 1960s.

Funded by Tarmac in support of their Arcow and Dry Rigg quarries, the £5 million project will help remove more than 16,000 lorry journeys from the local road network each year.

Approval for the scheme followed a number of years of close liaison with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Craven District Council, local parish council, and residents, to look at alternative ways of transporting materials.

Work on the project began this summer and was delivered by Network Rail and their partners Babcock and Story Contracting.

The new link is scheduled to open to rail traffic in late 2015/early 2016.

Ross Halley, Tarmac’s regional estates manager for the North and Scotland, said: ‘The opening will remove thousands of vehicle movements from the local highway network, increase connectivity to Tarmac’s sites, and help secure the line for future generations.

‘This project would not have been possible without commitment from Network Rail and our local stakeholders, including the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, and we are delighted that this project is nearing completion.’

Network Rail’s scheme project manager, Joelle Calderelli, said: ‘On completion, this new link will have a major, positive impact upon the local road network, helping remove thousands of lorry journeys from the Yorkshire Dales National Park.’