As the "Gateway to the Yorkshire Dales", Skipton historically has had high volumes of leisure traffic. Ilkley railway station serves as an alternative for this function being at the southern end of the Dales Way.
Initially, passengers would leave the train at Skipton for onward travel to the villages of Wharfedale by horse-drawn coach.[4] There are still over 20 hotels clustered around the station, including the historic Herriots Hotel (formerly the Midland Hotel).[5]
On 30 April 1876, Skipton station was relocated a quarter of a mile north-west of its original location.[6] By now, both the Leeds and Bradford and North Western railways had been absorbed by the Midland Railway. The new station coincided with the opening of the Midland's Settle-Carlisle Line, which made Skipton a station on the London St Pancras to Glasgow main line.[7][8] The new station had four platforms and cost over £15,000,[6] compared with the original station's cost of £2,300.[2] Platform 1 was a bay platform at the Bradford end, adjacent to the station building along with through platform 2, while platforms 3 and 4 formed an island platform.[9]
On 1 October 1888, platforms 5 and 6 were added to serve the Skipton to Ilkley Line, which opened that day. These platforms were at a slightly higher level on a rising gradient, as the new line ran south-west of the existing line and then crossed over it by bridge eastwards.[10][11][12][13] These platforms were also later used by the Yorkshire Dales Railway, a short branch to Grassington from 1902 to 1930.[14] Passenger services to Ilkley ceased on 22 March 1965,[15] after which platforms 5 and 6 were closed to passengers and their access subway was closed off.[9] However, the line through platform 5 is still in use as a single-track freight line to Swinden Quarry via the former Yorkshire Dales line. The track through platform 6 has been lifted.[12] The 1847 station buildings survived intact, latterly used as offices, until 1967 when they were demolished; the site is now occupied by a supermarket.
The line to Colne closed on 2 February 1970[16] and its tracks were lifted the following year. The disused formation is still visible, though the A629 bypass road occupies a short section immediately west of the former junction with the line to Carlisle & Lancaster. An organisation called SELRAP is campaigning for the reinstatement of the link and runs occasional charter trains between the two stations, using a long diversionary route to point out the eleven-mile "missing link".[17]
In the 1970s, the track was removed from platform 1 and platform 4 was used as a siding. However, all four platforms were put back in use when the track layout and signalling were updated in 1994 for electrification.[9] As part of this work, both remaining signal boxes were closed and demolished (control initially passing to Leeds PSB and eventually to the IECC at York) and the former goods yard was converted for use as a carriage depot, complete with a new washer plant. This was upgraded and expanded in 2011 to add capacity for a further three units.[18] Several EMU and DMU sets are stored there overnight and at weekends.
In 1998, the station underwent complete renovation, in preparation for the introduction of direct InterCity services to London.[19] In 2004, the station underwent another minor renovation in preparation for a visit by Prince Charles.[20] Following a change of cleaning contract in early 2007, users of the station began to complain about an alleged deterioration in cleanliness at the station, particularly in the waiting rooms.[21]
The station is used for the overnight servicing of trains. On 9 August 2003, an Arriva Trains Northern employee was seriously assaulted by a group of vandals after challenging two males daubing graffiti on a stabled train.[22]
Major alterations were made to the station when the 2011 Eureka EC clock-face timetable came into effect,[23] including a northbound Sundays-only service from the capital.[24]
Facilities
The station has four platforms. It is staffed on a part-time basis and a ticket office is available at most times, along with automatic ticket machines. Ticket barriers are in operation and a Penalty fare scheme was implemented on the Airedale Line routes in December 2017.[25] Step-free access is available to all platforms from the station entrance, with platforms 3 and 4 via subway.
Skipton comes under the Dales Railcard area. There are three seated waiting rooms available, luggage trolleys, a small café, toilets, a post box and a pay-phone. There is a taxi rank immediately outside the station, bus links nearby and the car park has spaces for 100 vehicles.[26]
The Airedale Line generally provides a half-hourly service to Leeds and an hourly service to Bradford Forster Square. There are additional trains to Leeds during the morning peak and in the opposite direction in the evening rush hour. On Sundays, there is an hourly service to Leeds and to Bradford.
Network Rail is also currently investigating means of increasing capacity on the Airedale Line to Leeds, as part of the Yorkshire and HumberRUS.[30] Options could include longer trains, with up to six carriages in place of the current four, or more frequent services.[31]
Plans for the route north of Skipton have already been outlined in the Lancashire and Cumbria RUS; this will see an increase in train frequency to Carlisle, with services running to a basic one train every two hours pattern, with extra services to fill service gaps at peak times. Leeds to Morecambe/Lancaster services would also be made more frequent; however, these would only run as far as Skipton.[32] Opposition from stakeholders during the consultation phase of the RUS, with regard to the loss of through trains to/from Leeds, has meant that this option will likely not be pursued.[33]
In the long term, SELRAP may achieve their aim of reopening the line to Colne; plans would likely result in some changes to the station.
The Ilkley-bound platforms (5 & 6) were made redundant in 1965; however, Network Rail has carried out a survey for the reinstatement of the connecting points between the Embsay line and the freight line to Grassington, and the reinstatement of the platform 5 at Skipton. If funding is made available, then the line could be extended.[36]
Platform 6 may also be reinstated as a run-round loop as part of the project.
^ abStations in Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, and Stockton-on-Tees are considered part of North East England, while stations in the unitary areas of York and North Yorkshire are considered part of Yorkshire and the Humber.
^Stations in North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire are considered part of Yorkshire and the Humber, while all other stations are considered part of the East Midlands.
