Place Ravenglass Station code RAV DfT category F2 Number of platforms 2 | Grid reference SD085964 Managed by Northern 2011/12 36,376 | |
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Address Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, Ravenglass CA18 1SW, United Kingdom Similar Drigg railway station, Seascale railway station, Sellafield railway station, Dalegarth railway station, Ravenglass and Eskdale | ||
Ravenglass railway station serves the village of Ravenglass in Cumbria, England. It is a stop on the scenic Cumbrian Coast Line 29 1⁄4 miles (47.1 km) north of Barrow-in-Furness and the terminus of the Ravenglass and Eskdale heritage railway. The two parts of the station are separated by the station's car park. Its National Rail station is operated by Northern, who provide all passenger train services, whilst the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway run its own platforms and services. The mainline station was originally known as Ravenglass before being lengthened to Ravenglass for Eskdale. It was then renamed to Ravenglass on 6 May 1974. When First North Western operated the station during the early part of the 21st century, it reverted to its name of Ravenglass for Eskdale until Northern rebranded the station signage in 2007, losing the "for Eskdale" suffix once more.
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Overview
This station has two platforms, one serving trains travelling towards Barrow-in-Furness and one for trains travelling towards Carlisle. All former station buildings on the National Rail site, which is now unstaffed, are currently owned by the Eskdale Railway company - the main building being a pub, The Ratty Arms, the old southbound shelter a museum (leaving only small shelters for mainline travellers) and the goods shed an engineering workshop. The old Furness Railway main line signal box south of the station also survives - though out of railway use since 1965, it has been restored by the R&ER as a working museum exhibit and is open to the public.
Step-free access to both (staggered) platforms is available, with the northbound one via ramps from the underpass linking the two (there is also a footbridge link to the R&ER station at the south end of this platform). Train running information can be obtained from timetable posters, information screens and by telephone.
Twelve trains per weekday in each direction call at the station (roughly every hour, albeit with longer gaps in the afternoon), although one northbound train terminates at Sellafield rather than running through to Carlisle. There are no passenger services at this part of the station during the evening or on Sundays. Through tickets from trains on the Cumbria Coast Line are available to the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.
Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, also known as La'al Ratty from Cumbrian dialect, is a heritage railway, providing journeys on a narrow-gauge railway up the scenic Eskdale valley. The Ravenglass station owned by the line is the other side of the car park and is the line's primary station and base of operations, with fully equipped workshops, motive power depot, carriage shed, paint shop and signal box. For passengers, there is a museum, café, gift shop and ticket office. The station has a turntable and three platforms, however only platforms 1 and 3 see regular use.
The station opened in 1875 and has closed and reopened to passengers as the companies have. It has had many changes in layout and design, and is currently at its largest size that it has ever been.
See Ravenglass (R&ER) railway station for more details.