Scruton railway station

Scruton railway station is a restored railway station on the Wensleydale Railway that serves the village of Scruton, in North Yorkshire, England.

Scruton
Station on heritage railway
Scruton railway station in September 2013
General information
LocationScruton, Hambleton
England
Coordinates54°19′11″N 1°32′01″W / 54.319604°N 1.533628°W / 54.319604; -1.533628
Grid referenceSE304916
Operated byWensleydale Railway
Platforms1
History
Original companyYork, Newcastle and Berwick Railway
Pre-groupingNorth Eastern Railway
Post-groupingLondon and North Eastern Railway
Key dates
6 March 1848Opened as Scruton Lane
UnknownRenamed Scruton
26 April 1954Closed to passengers
7 May 1956Closed to goods
26 April 2014Reopened

History edit

Opened by the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway on 6 March 1848 as "Scruton Lane", it was renamed "Scruton" not long afterwards.[1][2] The station became part of the London and North Eastern Railway upon the railway grouping of 1923 before being taken over by British Railways on nationalisation in 1948. It was closed to passenger traffic by British Railways on 26 April 1954,[1][2] with goods traffic continuing until 7 May 1956.[3]

Present day edit

Despite the station's closure, the line remained open for limestone traffic until 1992 after which it was taken over by the Wensleydale Railway which obtained a lease of the 22 miles (35 km) from Northallerton to Redmire.[4]

 
Scruton railway station in 2015

By the time the Wensleydale Railway opened in 2003, Scruton station was a dilapidated and overgrown state.[5] Restoration works were undertaken with the support of Scruton Parish Council and a grant from the Railway Heritage Trust.[5] After completion of the restoration of the structure of the buildings and re-roofing, the Wensleydale Railway signed a sublease with Scruton Parish Council on 27 April 2011 which passed the responsibility for maintaining and restoring the building to the Wensleydale Railway Trust.[5]

On 26 April 2014, Scruton station reopened to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the line's closure to passenger services.[6] A special reopening service was run with Leyland railbus LEV1.[7] By November 2014, although restoration of the building was virtually complete[8] a short length of platform was required for construction to bring it into compliance with modern regulations which require platforms to be at least 60 metres (200 ft).[7][9][10] The station did not operate until the Wensleydale's eastern terminus at Northallerton West was completed and opened to the public on 22 November 2014.[7][11]

The station, along with that at Northallerton West, was closed in August 2016 following a collision between a train and a car at a level crossing near Yafforth.[12] Scruton station has since reopened and is currently the eastern terminus of the Wensleydale Railway. The station is only served on select operating days and is home to the railway's "Living History Experience".[13]

References edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b Butt (1995), p. 207.
  2. ^ a b Quick (2009), p. 345.
  3. ^ Clinker (1988), p. 121.
  4. ^ "About us". The Wensleydale Railway. 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  5. ^ a b c "Restoration of Scruton Station" (PDF) (Press release). Wensleydale Railway Trust. 27 April 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 January 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  6. ^ "Scruton Station reopening news". Wensleydale Railway. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  7. ^ a b c Nigel Harris, ed. (14–27 May 2014). "Wensleydale celebrates station re-opening". RAIL (748): 21.
  8. ^ Richardson, Andy, ed. (21 April 2017). "Lunchtime talk to reveal history of station". Darlington & Stockton Times. No. 2017–16. p. 13. ISSN 2040-3933.
  9. ^ "Scruton station on Wensleydale Railway reopens after 60 years". BBC News. BBC. 27 April 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
  10. ^ "Scruton Station Platform Appeal". Charity Choice. 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  11. ^ "New Platform Opens in Hambleton". Star Radio North East. 22 November 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  12. ^ Minting, Stuart. "Investigation launched after woman seriously hurt after car hit by train near Northallerton". The Northern Echo. Newsquest (North East) Ltd. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  13. ^ "Scruton". Wensleydale Railway. Retrieved 20 June 2023.

Sources edit

External links edit

Preceding station    Heritage railways Following station
Leeming Bar   Wensleydale Railway   Northallerton West
  Historical railways  
Leeming Bar
Line and station open
  North Eastern Railway
York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway
  Ainderby
Line and station closed
   Proposed Heritage railways
Leeming Bar
Line and station open
  Wensleydale Railway   Ainderby
Line and station closed