The North Lakes Line... How is this not a thing yet?
"Here we are buried - shut out from the world, as it were - 15 hours from a morning paper while other people know at an instant what happens at the other end of the kingdom" a Keswick resident said back in 1857... And here we are, in 2021 and Keswick again, has no rail connection to the rest of the country!
History:
The line originally opened to passengers on 2nd January 1865. Although mineral traffic had been running 26th October 1864. The line when it opened connected with the WCML just south of Penrith and West towards Keswick. The line then went onto Cockermouth and onto Workington.
The line was originally opened as a single track line, despite the advise from LNWR to double track it. One contemporary critic, was reported to say that the engineering of the line, and the purchase of land made no provision for future doubling: consequently the line was "really a miserable affair, anything but a first-class line as it was originally boasted to be. Everything connected with it has been sacrificed to cheapness, which in this undertaking, as everyone must see, has been unquestionably carried too far. The line is single, the bridges are single; everything appertaining or belonging to it is single, and, strange to say, land has been taken up for a single line only." That said, between 1892 and 1901 some parts of the line were double tracked to allow for the absolute block working.
When the line between Keswick & Penrith was open the main stations on the line were Threlkeld, Troutbeck, Penruddock & Blencow. At different times there was also halts at Briery Siding (for workmen) and at Highgate (for school children).
In April 1966 the line west of Keswick was closed as recommended in the infamous Beeching report. The line between Keswick and Penrith survived for a few years longer with the last train running on Saturday 4th March. Parts of the line did stay in use until 19th June 1972 for lime freight workings.
So why does it need reopening?:
There is an estimated 15.8 million visitors to the Lake District every year. With 15.8 million visitors, the Lake Districts roads are struggling to cope. Especially the A66 between the M6 at Penrith and Keswick, the gateway to the North Lakes.
Imagine if there was a way of of relieving some of the traffic on the roads!
Imagine if there was a way of relieving parking issues in the town centre of Keswick!
Well there is a way, by the rail line reopening between Penrith and Keswick! This line would allow for more people to use Public Transport when visiting the Lake District. Also with the introduction of a park and ride station just off the A66 within 5 minutes of J40 on the M6, this would allow people to conveniently park and take what I think would be a 15 minute train journey into the heart of Keswick.
There is also the prospect of services from Keswick going straight through to Carlisle. This would allow for students living in the North Lakes area to have easier access to colleges and University. There is currently a bus service that runs from Keswick to Carlisle, but this takes a whopping 1 hour 20 minutes. The train would be able to do this journey in roughly 42 minutes. Likewise the current bus service Keswick to Penrith takes 47 minutes. The train to Penrith would take roughly 25 minutes.
By reopening this line the whole public transport in the Lake District could benefit. Below is ways public transport could benefit from the Keswick to Penrith line reopening:
- Main bus routes from Keswick to the Lake District could be rerouted through the town to serve right outside the station meaning for easy passenger connections to Seatoller, Buttermere, Honister, Lake Ullswater, Grasmere, Ambleside, Bowness, Windermere, Cockermouth & Workington.
- Further Bus services could be added to take passengers to more places, eg: Coniston (Currently only served by bus from Windermere/Kendal and an infrequent service to Ulverston).
- The current 599 open top bus service that runs from Bowness to Grasmere could be extended to run from Windermere station to Keswick Station to allow for circular day trips to be made. Promoting this could encourage more day trips to the Lake District using public transport.
How the line could look:
Penrith:
Interestingly, the station in many ways is already set up for services to Keswick. There is the remains of what used to be a bay platform which I assume was used for the Keswick line before closure.
With work and extending the bay platform, this could be used for shuttle services from Penrith to Keswick. In addition to this there is already a little used platform that would require minimal work to put into frequent use. This platform would allow for through services to and from Carlisle.
Heading out of Penrith, the line for Keswick would run adjoined to the WCML before just after crossing the M6 the line bears right and heads West.
North Lakes Parkway:
This would form a park and ride station on the line. A location just 5 minutes from J40 of the M6 which will mean that it is easily accessible for people travelling to the North Lakes. Locating the station at the end of the dual carriageway part of the A66 will mean traffic flow will cope easier than further down the road where it is single carriageway.
A substantial sized free car park with EV charge points will encourage people to use the trains rather than the single carriage A roads which begin shortly after the station.
The location of the station could also be used as a handy crossing point on the line meaning that at peak times and during the high tourist season additional services could be operated.
Keswick:
The station platform remains attached to the hotel that is currently on the site. Although the site will only allow for limited parking this should not be a direct issue given it's close proximity to the town centre.
A single platform would be sufficient, but a double platform would make running a more frequent service easier.
What services could look like:
An hourly service could operate between Penrith and Keswick. Given the line between Penrith and the junction will be a separate line to the WCML. This eases the need to fit it into the busy working timetable the WCML creates.
At peak times services could operate between Carlisle and Keswick operating as 'fast services', (ie, not calling at North Lakes Parkway). These services added to the Penrith to Keswick services could give the line a peak time service every 30 minutes between Penrith and Keswick.
With a passing loop installed at the parkway station, this gives the option for additional services in the summer.
In an ideal world, the line would be electrified to allow for greener energy trains to be used on the line. If this was not possible then it could be possible for some Vivarail units to be used on the line between Penrith and Keswick. These could be the battery/battery hybrid variety that would help drive the use of green energy usage on the line.
Services between Carlisle and Keswick could operating using current units that are operated in and about Carlisle, 156s, 158s and could even use 195s when they start operating in the Carlisle area.
Beyond Keswick:
The line to the west, towards Cockermouth and Workington, is almost certainly not an option. This is mainly due to the lack of route options since the A66 now uses the old routing of the former line. But also, I am not sure there is much demand for a service between Keswick and Workington.
But going the other way... As Gareth Dennis discusses in his twitter thread to the right/below, a new line could be built connecting the WCML at Penrith and with the ECML at Darlington. This would allow for Transpennine services to run from Scarborough to Keswick via Barnard Castle.
These services would give a much needed fast connection between the West and East.
See the below Image showing the route Gareth proposed.
Well, here's £4.5bn worth of 125mph North Pennine Mainline for you to play with/comment on...
— Gareth Dennis (@GarethDennis) May 27, 2020
Here's the map (if it doesn't work, you may need to open it in incognito mode): https://t.co/JWD1DRE22g
Here's the speed/alignment data, too: https://t.co/pOU5lzqlp3 pic.twitter.com/uHR8aNkgKz
Now I have written my thoughts about the Keswick line, I bid you farewell...
Until next time
Stuart
Side Note: I am no railway engineer, I am in no way an expert in railway reopenings or proposals. All the above is just me putting my thoughts to paper.
