Organisations which support and promote the Settle Carlisle Railway are working together to provide a year of celebrations to mark 150 years of passenger services along the world-famous line.

The first passenger train travelled over the famous Ribblehead Viaduct along the 73-mile line on May 1, 1876.

To mark the anniversary, the Settle Carlisle Railway ‘family’ – Settle Carlisle Railway Development Company, Friends of the Settle Carlisle Line and Settle Carlisle Railway Trust are hosting a wide range of activities throughout the year, working with communities along the line.

The celebrations officially start today (Wednesday, 4 February) with a Stakeholder Breakfast for supporters at The Victoria Hall in Settle. And the 150th Anniversary Photography competition has also been launched for professional and amateur photographers with the theme of connecting communities, capturing images of the unique stations along the line.

Ribblehead Station Café and Visitor Centre is currently undergoing refurbishment, with a reopening to the public scheduled for March 2026, marking the start of the 2026 season. And in the summer, there will be 40th anniversary events to mark the re-opening of stations along the line.

In March, a Settle Carlisle passport will be launched, offering passengers a challenge to collect unique brass rubbings at each station – encouraging people to visit by whatever means. And the new family activity will continue after the anniversary year to provide another way to enjoy visiting the line.

A new play about the Settle Carlisle line has commissioned. Local playwright Joan Barnard is working with Kirkby Stephen-based Vagabond Theatre Group, who will perform their premiere in the Public Hall, Appleby on Saturday 4 July and their second performance in The Victoria Hall, Settle on Sunday 5 July. The matinee performances will enable people to travel by train to see both performances.

From April 28 to May 4, a Ride to Stride walking festival will take place, celebrating the many routes accessible via the Settle Carlisle line, with guided walks, talks and music.

Young people are the future passengers, employees and volunteers.  The Art150 project brings together 150 primary school children from communities along the line to create a timeline with local award-winning artist Karen Babayan. The work will be displayed on all the stations along the line.

School children will also be taking part in a journey back in time, dressing in Victorian costumes to travel from Lazonby and Kirkoswald.

To recapture the age of steam when the line opened, an anniversary Charter Steam Train will be taking passengers from Carlisle to York on May 25, the spring bank holiday.

During the summer holidays, the line will be linking up two annual Flower Pot Festivals, with volunteers in Settle and Appleby coming together for workshops, and hosting their own town displays and trails.

Other events will be taking place with other organisation, including a model railway fair in Keighley, Settle Railway Days with Settle Church and a conference and study day with the Midland Railway Society and Lancaster University.

Work is also underway for a celebration of the food producers, cafes and bars along the line in the autumn, and the anniversary year will be completed with Christmas activities at various stations along the line.

The railway was saved from closure in the 1980s. Today, the Settle Carlisle line has been named the best scenic railway route in Europe by travel publisher Lonely Planet. The line continues to carry passengers and freight, providing a service between Carlisle and Leeds. Earlier this year, the line provided an alternative route for the West Coast mainline when the bridge across the M6 had to be replaced, highlighting the importance and relevance of the line 150 years after opening to the public.

Events will be launched throughout the year, and the latest information will be available on the Settle Carlisle Railway social media platforms and website www.settle-carlisle.co.uk