Crosby Garrett railway station

Crosby Garrett was a railway station which served the village of Crosby Garrett in Cumbria, England. It was situated on the Settle-Carlisle Line 38+1/4 mi south of Carlisle. The station was built by the Midland Railway and opened in 1876. It was closed by the British Transport Commission as an economy measure in 1952.

History


The station platforms were set into the cutting needing substantial protective retaining walls, as can be seen in the adjacent photographs. The station master's house still exists as a private dwelling near the overbridge, whilst the overgrown platforms have also survived and can be seen from passing trains. The nearby Crosby Garrett Tunnel is 181 yd in length. The Crosby Garrett viaduct near the edge of the village has six arches, and is 55 ft high and 110 yd long.

On 15 January 1999 at circa 19:50, the 17:12 Northern Spirit passenger train from Huddersfield to Carlisle collided with a landslip at Crosby Garrett tunnel and derailed, blocking the adjacent line. The driver, aware that another train was approaching on this line, followed laid down procedures and was able to warn the oncoming English, Welsh and Scottish Railway (EW&SR) coal train by using a warning light and placing a track detonator. The freight train driver slowed his train but was not able to prevent it running into the derailed passenger train, which was consequently pushed back about 90 m into the tunnel. The train crew required hospital treatment but none of the 22 passengers were injured. The passengers were taken to the nearby village and were assisted by the villagers, resulting in a donation being made to the community by Northern Spirit.