A65, from Ilkley and Otley (The East): Follow the A65 until you reach the junction with the A59. Turn left and follow the brown tourist signs for ‘Embsay Steam Railway’ to get to Embsay Station.

Experience two historic journeys in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales! Skipton Boat Trips and Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway have joined together to create Rail and Sail – a wonderfully nostalgic day out. AccessMuch of the route between Addingham and Ilkley has been re-developed since abandonment. Cuttings have been filled in and Ilkley viaduct was demolished in 1973, six years before the E&BASR re-opened. For Bolton Abbey Station, turn right onto the A59 and follow this road (which runs alongside part of the railway) until the station is signposted as ‘Bolton Abbey Station’.

However, this line did not close (limestone trains from the quarry still use the line today) and so the society switched its attentions to restoring the old Midland Railway route which runs from Skipton, through Embsay, Bolton Abbey and Addingham to Ilkley, which closed in 1965. From the Bolton Abbey Station you can enjoy a walk to the priory , set in a spectacular setting. You can also access The Strid Wood , an area of ancient woodland with lots of wonderful wildlife; and The Strid a natural wonder, where the river suddenly narrows forcing the water through at great pressure.The line runs through the countryside of the Yorkshire Dales in the county council area of North Yorkshire. An extension to Addingham would be a huge project, and would involve a near-doubling of the line's current length. Previous extensions have been built in small sections over a long period of time, so a re-opening of the line to Addingham would be many years off. This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( March 2016) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Draughton (proposed). In the old days of the Midland (later LMS) Railway, there were once plans to build a little halt called Draughton, at the siding, "marking where it was to be built but never had".

The line has been steadily rebuilt by the volunteers as far as Bolton Abbey in the eastwards direction.The railway has helped and supported the surrounding area (and local economy) to regenerate and provide brand new attractions, boosting both trade and tourism. The Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway is a heritage railway formed in 1979 and opened in 1981. It runs four miles between the Embsay Station and Bolton Abbey Station and travels through some dramaticDales scenery. Since then, Bolton Abbey Station has been restored to its original 1800’s style with Victorian and Edwardian carriages, with Platform 1 re-opening in 1998 and Platform 2 and 3 being reinstated at a later date. Walks and activities Skipton platforms 5 & 6 (proposed). One of two long-term objectives (since 2000), the proposed northern terminus of the line to interchange with Northern train services on the nearby Airedale Line. Bolton Abbey. Current terminus of the line. Facilities include booking office, waiting room, toilets, a souvenir shop and tearoom Embsay railway station (then footbridgeless) appeared in Yorkshire Television sitcom In Loving Memory.

A65, from the M6 (The West): Follow the A65 towards Skipton, and follow the brown signs for ‘Embsay Steam Railway’ to get to Embsay Station (this will involve turning left onto the A59). The platforms at Skipton (5 & 6) that served the Ilkley route were made redundant in 1965. If this link were reinstated these platforms would require a rebuild as they have been disused for a very long time. There are plans to rebuild one of the bridge abutments at the end of the surviving embankment to the north as part of the Addingham Project which also involves constructing a replica LMS style station, goods yard and depot on the extra land next to and at the edge of the embankment.In 1982 there were plans to extend the line to Skipton, as a special DMU service was running at the time. [ citation needed] Because British Rail still used the section between the two stations for its operations to Swinden Quarry (this section of the old branch line to Grassington was and is still part of the rail network), plans were dropped, stating that operating as far as Skipton whilst sharing the line with the goods operation was too problematic.