Quarry's Settle-Carlisle rail link reinstated after 60 years as freight trains to site resume

A rail link on the Settle-Carlisle has been reinstated after a gap of 60 years.

Heidelberg Materials has reinstated the link to its Horton Quarry at Horton-in-Ribblesdale station on June 17. The previous rail siding was removed in 1965.

Trains to and from the site are being operated by GB Railfreight (GBRf). 

“The reopening of the rail link is fantastic news and has been years in the making,” said Becky Murphy, Aggregates Regional Director at Heidelberg Materials UK.

“It will allow us to supply high-quality aggregate to major construction projects by rail, reducing vehicle movements on the wider road network and cutting associated CO₂ emissions.”

The quarry’s new rail terminal is still undergoing testing. Once fully operational, it is expected that each train will supply around 1,650 tonnes of aggregate to construction projects across the North West.

At present trains are running to and from Tuebrook Sidings in Liverpool. While empty services can set back into the terminal from Horton-in-Ribblesdale station, loaded trains must run to Blea Moor where the locomotive runs round before heading south.

Heidelberg has said the trial of the line and siding is taking place over the second half of June and into early July. Final traffic numbers will “ultimately depend on demand and operational efficiency”.

GBRf said fully laden trainscan take up to 129 lorries from the road.