THE railway in Wensleydale has always been a remarkable survivor, overcoming the loss of its passenger, military and industrial services.

The latest misfortune to hit the 22-mile line from Northallerton to Redmire has led to a Herculean effort being put in by its volunteers and management – some of whom have worked 80-hour weeks – just to keep a skeleton service running.

Despite being cleared of any blame for the collision between a train and a car at a level crossing on the line three weeks ago, the railway’s dedicated team has been hit hard, not just by the shock of the crash, but by losing ticket revenue at its busiest time of year.

Level crossings in the relatively flat area the line runs are unavoidable, partly due to cost. They are something that road users must legally abide by and should accept if they wish to see the popular attraction, which brings visitors and money into the area, continue to thrive.

Five years ago the railway had less than half the 50,000 visitors it attracts today and future years could see that figure swell with ambitious plans to extend the line as far as Garsdale and build a station near the mainline station in Northallerton. The line benefits the economies of Hambleton and the Dales and as such its services need protecting from incidents, particularly those for which it is not responsible for.

Police have stepped up their vigilance of level crossings, but can not be expected to regularly monitor every one on the line.

Those working for the heritage line say only two weeks ago a car was seen overtaking a queue of traffic waiting at a crossing before dashing across the track. It’s our responsibility to make such poor driving socially unacceptable.