Reopening of Yorkshire to Lancashire line being prioritised

RAIL ADVENT MAGAZINE Roger Smith 20th August 2026

The end of the line at Colne. // Credit: SELRAP

SELRAP (Skipton East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership) has welcomed a decision by Lancashire Combined County Authority (LCCA) to prioritise the reopening of the 12-mile rail line between Skipton in West Yorkshire and Colne in Lancashire.

The line closed in 1970, and SELRAP contends that reopening it is vital to help kickstart economic growth across the North.

Among those set to benefit will be the younger generation, with around a quarter of students at Craven College in Skipton currently commuting by road from East Lancashire.

Planned route of the line. // Credit: Skipton and East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership

Skipton already has a fast and frequent train service to Leeds and beyond, which has contributed to house values in the town rising to over twice those in Colne.

The line’s reopening would also open up leisure opportunities such as walking in the Yorkshire Dales and around Pendle.

Many Burnley FC supporters also live in the area, and reopening would allow them to travel directly to Turf Moor by train without needing to travel via Leeds.

Next to Colne Station is the Boundary Outlet, one of the North’s biggest shopping attractions, and reopening would make it more accessible from the rest of Yorkshire.

Transport studies being undertaken at Colne. // Credit: Andrew Stephenson

There was no mention of reopening the Skipton to Colne line in the Chancellor’s spending review in June 2025, but in November 2025, MPs held talks in support of re-opening the line

COMMENT:

“The decision by the LCCA this spring to put the Skipton-Colne Line at the heart of its transport strategy is great news for people living on both sides of the Pennines, especially students and school leavers without a car. Reconnecting Pendle with Leeds, the reopening could quickly and cost-effectively provide a much-needed shot in the arm for isolated and increasingly deprived communities, whose needs have been ignored by decision-makers based far away for decades. Local young people’s access to jobs and education would be transformed. For example, vacancies at Skipton Building Society and other major employers in the Yorkshire Dales, such as the increasingly important tourism and hospitality sector, would become a much more realistic opportunity for job seekers based over the border in Lancashire.”

Nick Tennant, vice chair, SELRAP