Scenic Train Journeys: Exploring Yorkshire by Rail

Why Yorkshire’s Railways Matter

Yorkshire’s railways aren’t just scenic routes; they are living threads that tie together landscape, history, engineering, and culture.

• They reveal places roads cannot reach.
• They preserve the golden age of rail travel.
• They connect coast, moor, dale, and town in a way no car ever could.
• They offer slow travel — the kind that lets you breathe, look, and appreciate.

Whether you crave sweeping Pennine panoramas or the cosy chSometimes, the best way to experience the dramatic landscapes of Yorkshire is to leave the car behind entirely. Driving through the Dales or the Moors can be beautiful, but it also demands constant attention — narrow roads, tight bends, steep climbs, and sudden drops. Travelling by rail changes everything. You slow down. You look up. You see the land as it was meant to be seen.

Yorkshire’s railways are more than just transport; they are living museums, feats of Victorian ambition, and moving viewpoints that glide through scenery you simply cannot reach by road. Whether you’re being pulled by a snorting steam locomotive through a valley of purple heather or crossing a colossal viaduct high above a windswept moor, these journeys offer a rare combination of natural beauty and engineering wonder.

🎒 PRACTICAL TRAVEL TIPS FOR ALL YORKSHIRE RAILWAYS

Best Times to Travel

• Spring: Fresh greens, quieter trains
• Summer: Heather in bloom, long daylight
• Autumn: Golden valleys, misty mornings
• Winter: Atmospheric steam, dramatic skies

Accessibility

• NYMR: Accessible carriages available; Goathland has slopes
• Settle–Carlisle: Most stations accessible; Dent & Garsdale have steep approaches
• KWVR: Accessible at Keighley; Oakworth has steps

Best Seats for Scenery

• NYMR: Right side Pickering → Whitby
• Settle–Carlisle: Left side northbound
• KWVR: Front for valley climbs, rear for locomotive views

Photography Spots

• Ribblehead Viaduct (ground + train)
• Goathland Station
• Haworth Main Street
• Newton Dale from the carriage window

Suggested Itineraries

• NYMR + Whitby Day Trip
• Settle–Carlisle + Ribblehead Walk
• KWVR + Haworth Brontë Trail

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR)

If you want the classic heritage railway experience — the steam, the nostalgia, the romance — the North Yorkshire Moors Railway is arguably the finest in the UK.

Running for 24 miles between Pickering and Whitby, the NYMR is a triumph of preservation, kept alive by passionate volunteers who have restored stations, locomotives, and carriages with astonishing attention to detail.

The NYMR is one of Britain’s most beloved heritage railways, offering a nostalgic steam journey through the North York Moors National Park.

What You’ll See

• Newton Dale’s untouched valley
• Goathland’s famous station
• Rolling heather moorland
• Whitby’s dramatic coastline

Best Seats

• Sit on the right-hand side from Pickering → Whitby for the best valley views.
• Sit on the left-hand side from Whitby → Pickering.

Photography Tips

• Pickering Station for vintage atmosphere
• Goathland for film locations
• Grosmont sheds for steam engine close‑ups

Pickering: A Step Back in Time

Your journey begins at Pickering station, restored to its 1930s LNER glory. Period posters line the walls, luggage trolleys sit neatly by the platform, and the station tearoom smells faintly of warm scones and coal smoke. When the locomotive arrives, it does so with a hiss, a rumble, and a proud clatter — the kind of entrance only a steam engine can make.

As you pull out of Pickering, the train enters Newton Dale, a deep glacial valley unreachable by car. Ancient woodland clings to the slopes, streams flash silver between the trees, and the rhythmic thump of the engine echoes off the rock walls. It feels secret, untouched, almost hidden from the modern world.

Goathland: A Station with Star Quality

Further along the line sits Goathland Station, instantly recognisable to millions. It appeared as Hogsmeade in the early Harry Potter films and featured heavily in Heartbeat. Yet beyond the fame, it’s simply a beautiful station — gas lamps, vintage benches, and sweeping moorland rising behind it.

Whitby: Steam Meets the Sea

The final stretch follows the River Esk down to Whitby, where the Gothic ruins of the abbey loom above the harbour. Few journeys link inland national park and coastal town so seamlessly. You step off the train and smell the sea.

The Settle–Carlisle Railway: An Engineering Masterpiece

If the NYMR is about nostalgia, the Settle–Carlisle line is about scale — vast, wild, uncompromising scale

Cross the Roof of England on a legendary Victorian route

Opened in 1876, this 73‑mile route cuts straight through the high Pennines, crossing terrain so remote and hostile that many engineers said it couldn’t be done. The Midland Railway built it anyway.

What You’ll See

• Ribblehead Viaduct
• Yorkshire Three Peaks
• Remote moorland
• Historic stone stations

Best Seats

• Sit on the left-hand side heading north for the best Ribblehead views.
• Sit on the right-hand side heading south.

Photography Tips

• Ribblehead Viaduct from the ground (short walk from the station)
• Dent Station — the highest in England
• Garsdale’s iconic signal box

Ribblehead Viaduct: Yorkshire’s Stone Giant

The Ribblehead Viaduct is the crown jewel of the line. With 24 arches stretching 400 metres across Batty Moss, and standing 32 metres high, it is one of the most iconic railway structures in Britain.

Crossing it by train is unforgettable. The Three Peaks rise around you. The moorland rolls away in every direction. The wind often howls across the bog. It feels like travelling across the roof of England.

But the beauty hides a darker story. Thousands of navvies lived in temporary shanty towns during construction, battling brutal winters and dangerous working conditions. Over 100 men died building the viaduct and its approaches. The graveyard at Chapel‑le‑Dale stands as a quiet, sobering memorial.

Today, the line is part of the national rail network, served mostly by diesel sprinters — making this extraordinary journey accessible to anyone.

The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway (KWVR)

For a shorter, more intimate heritage experience, the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway is perfect. This five‑mile branch line climbs through a steep valley shaped by Victorian industry and literary history.

Industrial heritage, Brontë country, and film history

A short but atmospheric five‑mile branch line linking Keighley with Oxenhope.

• Oakworth Station (The Railway Children)
• Victorian mills and steep valley scenery
• Access to Haworth & Brontë Parsonage
• Atmospheric moorland views

A Railway of Mills, Moorland, and the Brontës

The KWVR runs past old textile mills, stone terraces, and brooding moorland — the landscapes that inspired the Brontë sisters. Haworth, with its cobbled main street and atmospheric parsonage, sits just above the line.

Oakworth Station: A Film Set Frozen in Time

Oakworth Station is the railway’s most famous stop, preserved exactly as it appeared in the 1970 film The Railway Children. Gas lamps glow softly, luggage sits neatly stacked, and the waiting room fire crackles on cold days. It feels like stepping into a storybook.

 Wensleydale Railway

A Gentle Journey Through the Yorkshire Dales

Overview  

I have added in the Wensleydale Railway because it offers a peaceful heritage journey through quiet villages, rolling farmland, and classic Dales scenery. It’s perfect for travellers who prefer calm countryside over dramatic moorland. I do have to point that is not usually a steam railway. Most of its stock is Diesel . My personal opinion is that it is a enjoyable journey but does not have the buzz of the other heritage railways.

Dogs travel on most of the scheduled trains. They welcome well-behaved dogs and on a lead are welcome aboard all our normal scheduled trains. Dogs are not allowed on dining and special event trains such as afternoon tea trains, Dog tickets cost £1 and are available to buy at our stations.

Assistance dogs travel for free. Please do remember though that the seats and tables are for passenger use only.

What You’ll See

• Leeming Bar’s restored station
• Bedale’s historic market town
• Constable Burton Hall (seasonal)
• Redmire — gateway to Bolton Castle

Best Seats

• Sit on the right-hand side heading west for the best views of farmland and stone walls.
• Sit on the left-hand side heading east.

Photography Tips

• Leeming Bar’s vintage station frontage
• Redmire’s rural surroundings
• Bolton Castle from the footpath