THE Settle to Carlisle railway has “a very bleak future” unless services are “drastically improved”, the line’s supporters have warned.

An article in the Settle-Carlisle Railway Journal says there is evidence that usage by local residents is falling – probably due to the ‘infrequent and irregular’ timetable.

In the piece, one of the Friends of the Settle Carlisle Line’s (FoSCL) vice presidents, David Ward, says frequency and journey times on the current service are virtually no better than when the line was reprieved 26 years ago.

“It is slow and tedious with an average speed from Leeds to Carlisle of 40mph,” he says, adding: “The service frequency is irregular with three hour gaps.”

Arguing for a regular hourly service on the line, Mr Ward says: “The market for improvement has to be in through journeys to and beyond Leeds and Carlisle and at Settle and Appleby as railheads.

“Although the S&C is potentially the fastest route between Leeds and Carlisle, in reality for long periods of the day through passengers are obliged to take alternative longer routes involving changes of train because of the shortcomings in the S&C timetable.

“The solution is an hourly frequency on the S&C over a longer period of the day and on accelerated schedules.”

FoSCL says it will be working with whoever wins the Northern franchise and with Network Rail to “bring the Leeds – Settle – Carlisle part of this amazing journey into the 21st century.”