Skipton–Ilkley line

Skipton–Ilkley line
Down train of tank wagons at Bolton Abbey Station
Overview
StatusClosed
Termini
  • Skipton railway station
  • Ilkley railway station
Stations5
Service
TypeHeavy rail
History
Ilkley to Bolton Abbey open16 May 1888
Bolton abbey to Skipton open1 October 1888
Full line closure19 October 1968
Technical
Line length11.5 mi (18.5 km)
Number of tracks2
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Highest elevation512 ft (156 m)

The Skipton–Ilkley line is the route that the Midland Railway took to link the towns of Skipton and Ilkley via the villages of Embsay, Bolton Abbey and Addingham. First proposed in 1846, the line was opened in 1888, and then closed between 1965 and 1969, though a short section at the west end of the line remains open as a freight line, and the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway operate a heritage railway between Embsay and Bolton Abbey.