Langwathby railway station

Langwathby is a railway station on the Settle and Carlisle Line, which runs between Carlisle and Leeds via Settle. The station, situated 19 miles 59 chains (31.8 km) south-east of Carlisle, serves the village of Langwathby in Cumbria, England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.

Langwathby
General information
Location	Langwathby, Westmorland and Furness England
Coordinates	54°41′40″N 2°39′49″W
Grid reference	NY573334
Owned by	Network Rail
Managed by	Northern Trains
Platforms	2
Tracks	2
Other information
Station code	LGW
Classification	DfT category F2
History
Original company	Midland Railway
Pre-grouping	Midland Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland and Scottish Railway British Rail (London Midland Region)
Key dates
1 May 1876	Opened as Longwathby
1 October 1876	Renamed Langwathby
4 May 1970	Closed
14 July 1986	Reopened
Passengers
2019/20	22,002
2020/21	3,006
2021/22	17,168
2022/23	16,712
2023/24	19,066
Services
Preceding station Northern Following station Appleby towards Leeds via Settle Settle and Carlisle Line Lazonby & Kirkoswald towards Carlisle
Location Langwathby Location in Eden, Cumbria Show map of the former Eden District Langwathby Location in Cumbria, England Show map of Cumbria
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History

The station was built by the Midland Railway and opened in 1876. The station was designed by the Midland Railway company architect John Holloway Sanders.^[1] It closed when local stopping trains over the Settle-Carlisle Line were withdrawn in May 1970, but was reopened by British Rail in July 1986.

Stationmasters

• Joseph Shaw 1876^[2] - 1884^[3]
• Thomas Wakefield 1884 - 1890^[3] (afterwards station master at Lazonby)
• Oliver John Haddock 1890 - 1892^[3]
• William Dickinson 1892^[3] - ca. 191
• Robert James Tinsley from 1959 (also station master at Little Salkeld)^[4]

Facilities

The Carlisle-bound (down) station building has been converted into the Brief Encounter Tea Rooms and an antique shop. An enclosed bus-shelter style waiting room has been provided at the Carlisle end of the platform (a stone shelter is also present on the Leeds-bound platform). Step-free access is available to both platforms via ramps from the road below.^[5] The station is unstaffed. Tickets can be bought at the station from a vending machine installed in 2019. Train running information is available via timetable posters, digital information screens (also installed in 2019) or telephone.

Accidents and incidents

• On 29 November 1912, goods guard R.Mallinson’s hand was crushed during shunting operations in the goods yard. He attempted to couple two waggons with his shunting pole when he slipped on some snow.^[6]
• On 6 March 1930, a passenger train, hauled by Ex-LNWR Claughton 4-6-0 No. 5971, departed from Culgaith station against signals and was in collision with a ballast train, hauled by Midland Railway 3835 Class 0-6-0 No. 4009. Two people were killed and four were seriously injured.^[7]

Services

Northern Trains Route 7
v t e
Settle & Carlisle & Bentham lines
Carlisle Armathwaite Lazonby & Kirkoswald Langwathby Appleby Kirkby Stephen Garsdale Dent Ribblehead Horton-in-Ribblesdale Settle Heysham Port Morecambe Bare Lane Lancaster Carnforth Wennington Bentham Clapham Giggleswick Long Preston Hellifield Gargrave Skipton Keighley Bingley Shipley Leeds

Eight northbound and seven southbound services call at Langwathby on weekdays and five trains in each direction on Sundays. The station was also served by a single DalesRail train from Preston & Blackpool North to Carlisle (and return) on Sundays during the summer months (but this is currently suspended until spring 2024).^[8] One additional call each way was instituted at the summer 2018 timetable change as part of DfT-mandated Northern franchise improvements.

Services through to Carlisle were suspended from 9 February 2016 (until March 2017) by a landslip at Eden Brow (near Armathwaite), which destabilised the embankment on the eastern side of the railway where it passes through the Eden Gorge. An emergency timetable was in operation, with trains only operating as far as Armathwaite (with a bus link to Carlisle) northbound and Appleby southbound until repairs were completed in the spring of 2017.^[9] Following the successful completion of the repair work, the regular timetable resumed on 31 March 2017.