Colne to Skipton Rail Link should be reopened quickly

Northern Life, Summer 2026 – Article “Whose sorry now?”

Nick Tennant, vice-chair of the Skipton East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership (SELRAP), on why the closure of the 12-mile rail link between Skipton and Colne nearly 60 years ago could and should be quickly reversed.

I owe Dr Richard Beeching a belated apology. 

Growing up, I often cursed Dr Beeching, author of the infamous 1960s government rail review, for the demise of the line that served my hometown of Earby till 1970. 

I remember locals fondly describing July “Wakes Week” trips to the coast by train. For young people, rail journeys to school and college in Skipton, Keighley and beyond were the norm for decades too. Theatre and shopping excursions to big towns by rail from Earby were routine as well.

My own mum’s diaries recall how, before she married, she travelled from Earby by train to her first job as a nanny in Hull. 

Sadly, none of these were options for the generation that followed. For most of us, as teenagers, big cities like Leeds, Bradford, Manchester and Liverpool seemed a world away in the 1970s and 80s. 

Back in the day, even getting to Burnley FC matches at Turf Moor by bus was a major day out for car-less Clarets fans from the West Craven area.

My own education and career took me down south to London. It was moving back up north in 2024 that inspired me to join SELRAP. 

I was shocked by the revelation that Dr Beeching’s review had actually advocated the retention of the Skipton-Colne line, because of its strategic importance. He only proposed the closure of the Barnoldswick to Earby branch line and Thornton-in-Craven station, which closed in 1965.

Barbara Castle, the Minister for Transport from 1965-68, also recognised the importance of the Skipton-Colne line for her Blackburn constituency. 

Discovering that similar long-running local campaigns around the country have recently achieved their goal (in Northumberland, Dartmoor and the Scottish Borders, for example) has also fuelled my determination to help get the Pennine’s “Missing Link” back in action. 

The climate crisis and rising cost of fuel only underline the need to invest in integrated public transport networks.  

It’s a personal view, but more roads are simply not the long-term answer to growing, unacceptable levels of traffic congestion

A Golden Opportunity  

Restoring the “Missing Link” is essential to breathe new life into communities that have been unfairly overlooked for years.

Its potential to boost sustainable tourism is particularly significant. Currently, only two per cent of Yorkshire Dales National Park visitors arrive by rail.

Skipton Building Society, a long-term SELRAP supporter, struggles to fill its job vacancies in the town. A rail link to East Lancashire, just a few miles away would help change that.

Miranda Barker, who leads the East Lancashire Chamber of Trade, is another champion of the Skipton-Colne Line, commenting: “Globally competitive, our manufacturers are disabled by not being able to ship their products as fast or as cheaply as the competition. For Lancashire’s strength, for the UK’s economy, Skipton to Colne rail connectivity is vital and can’t wait.”

For politicians’ intent on tackling deprivation and kickstarting economic growth, reopening the Skipton-Colne Line is truly a “no brainer.” That was the phrase used by the former MP for Pendle, Andrew Stephenson. His successor, Jonathan Hinder, is equally convinced of the need for the project, along with other MPs, peers and councillors from across the political spectrum. 

The strength of the business case for the project has also been acknowledged by current ministers at the Department for Transport. 

Troops leaving Earby Station

Next Steps? 

So, with money tighter than ever, is reopening the Skipton-Colne Line a realistic possibility?

The answer categorically is ‘yes’, with a fair wind it could happen within 15 years. 

With the former track bed still largely intact, it is a low-risk option that is ready to go into the development phase, involving detailed studies to identify the best design.

There are two priorities. Firstly, we need the new Lancashire Combined County Authority (LCCA) to lead a coalition of the willing, including its counterparts in West and North Yorkshire, as well as Whitehall-based decision makers. 

The pivotal role the LCCA must play is highlighted by the fact that half of the red rose county’s population lives within two miles of its central rail belt linking Preston and Colne.

Compared to the sums being invested on rail infrastructure projects serving big cities, such as HS2, the TransPennine Route Upgrade and Northern Powerhouse Rail, the price tag for the Skipton-Colne Line is a drop in the ocean; in 2019 the estimate was around £300 million.

The benefits arising would be transformational, creating much-needed access to employment, education and leisure opportunities, especially for young and disadvantaged people living in East Lancashire, home to some of the country’s most deprived communities.

Young people living in Pendle wanting to go to Leeds or Bradford University, or get a job over the border in Yorkshire, have exactly the same need for a fast, frequent train service as their counterparts in metropolitan areas, already comparatively well served by public transport. 

A further benefit of increased rail connectivity through the only natural gap in the Pennines would be to make renewing disused and brownfield housing in East Lancashire a much more realistic prospect. 

Data from June 2024 shows that, buoyed by the success of Northern Rail’s flagship Airedale Line service, linking “the Gateway to the Dales” with Leeds and Bradford, house prices in Skipton are more than double those commanded for properties just over the border in Colne, for example.

Travellers waiting for train at Earby Station

Make Your Voice Heard 

The second prerequisite for reviving the “Missing Link” is for all who want it to make some noise. Shouting from the rooftops why the line is needed will help make it happen sooner rather than later.

Had social media been around 56 years ago, I am convinced the axe would never have fallen on the Skipton-Colne Line.

As a voluntary organisation, SELRAP has no pot of gold, no magic wand. We have around 500 paid-up members but would like more. We rely on donations from the public.

Please join us and help make the Skipton-Colne Line a reality once more. Together, we can prove that Dr Beeching’s recommendation to keep it open was right all along. 

Selrap.org.uk

If you have memories, photos or artefacts relating to the Skipton-Colne Line in its heyday, please share them with SELRAP via nicktennant123@btinternet.com.