Railway station near Lancaster gets welcome £4.2m boost

£4.2m is being invested in the North Yorkshire station on the picturesque Settle to Carlisle line.

A footbridge with lifts is being installed to make crossing the tracks safer and more accessible at this idyllic location.

The station is close to Pen-y-Ghent, a fell that features in the Yorkshire Three Peaks walk.

Currently, passengers and walkers are required to cross the tracks over a foot crossing. The work will make crossing over to each platform safer for everyone.

The footbridge is expected to be completed July 2024, with work to install the lifts being completed in September 2024.

A temporary crossing is in place at the north end of the station.

Rory Kingdon, senior sponsor at Network Rail, said: “I’d like to thank passengers and walkers for bearing with us whilst we install a footbridge with lifts at Horton-in-Ribblesdale station. This work will make crossing at the station safer and more accessible for all.”

£1m of the funding comes from the Department for Transport’s Access for All programme.

Rail Minister Huw Merriman said: “Passengers deserve an inclusive, accessible railway and it’s great to see these essential upgrades are getting underway at Horton-in-Ribblesdale, made possible through the Government’s Access for All programme.

“This demonstrates our ongoing commitment to ensuring the rail network works for everyone, investing in infrastructure that will deliver easy and enjoyable journeys for passengers and encourage more people to travel by train.”

The station is managed by train operator, Northern.

Kerry Peters, regional director for Northern, said: “Anything that improves the accessibility credentials of our stations is welcomed and this new bridge and lifts at Horton-in-Ribblesdale station will make a real difference to the travel experience of people visiting the area. We look forward to the work being complete and available for customers to use later this year.”

Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon, said: "It's great to see investment going towards improving safety for passengers and walkers in this wonderful area. I'm pleased that the project keeps accessibility in mind too."