The UK train ride hailed as 'Europe's most beautiful' is selling £1.50 tickets

The Settle to Carlisle line travels across 21 iconic viaducts on its journey (Picture: Getty Images) Whizzing along an iconic 72-mile route through Northern England, the Settle-Carlisle Railway is a bucket list experience for rail travellers. You can gaze upon moorlands, valleys, charming rural stations and famous landmarks – all from the comfort of your seat. The route, which runs from Settle, North Yorkshire, to Carlisle in Cumbria, has been praised by the travel gurus at Lonely Planet, and ranks above beautiful rail journeys across France, Germany and Austria, to name a few. In fact, it even went home with the 2025 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award, putting it in the top 10% of listings across the globe. Now, it’s celebrating a major milestone, with a record number of passengers expected to travel along the historic line as it approaches its 150th year of service. To mark the anniversary, the line’s operator Northern will be offering thousands of £1.50 tickets to customers travelling on the route in the coming months. The line serves a number of small rural stations in North Yorkshire (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto) Last year, some 995,000 passengers made the journey. But the train’s Commercial and customer director Alex Hornby says he’s confident the scenery will seduce more than one million to do so in 2026. The line features 20 viaducts, 14 tunnels and sweeping vistas along its 72 mile track – the most famous being The Ribblehead Viaduct. Opened in 1875, the iconic Grade II-listed structure extends 440 yards (440m) and reaches heights of 104 feet (32m). The Yorkshire Dales National Park has called it ‘a stunning piece of Victorian engineering’. Serving towns such as Settle in North Yorkshire and Appleby-in-Westmorland in Cumbria, the Settle-Carlisle line almost closed in the 1980s. @milkemoose The Settle-Carlisle line – riding through the Yorkshire Dales is always picturesque ✨🐑 #settle #carlisle #yorkshire #yorkshiredales #northpennines #ribbleheadviaduct #trainjourney #fyp ♬ original sound – ⱼₐcₒb🇵🇱 However, a campaign started by rail groups, enthusiasts, local authorities and residents along the route pulled it back from the brink. Since then, despite numerous closures – mainly to allow for essential engineering work – hundreds of thousands of passengers have continued to use the line each year. The Settle Carlisle Railway Development Company will be running a chartered steam train between Carlisle and York on May 25. The Yorkshire Dales National Park receives around 5 million visitors per year (Picture: Getty Images) Loved by both residents and tourists, the route is typically favoured by walkers and hikers who want to explore the Yorkshire Dales and Cumbrian fells on foot. Described by TikTok creator @MillHouseCottages as ‘pure solitude’, the route allows passengers to ‘wander through history and hills’. @grannysandy68 shared a video of her experience travelling along the route, sharing: ‘Stunning scenery through the Yorkshire dales and North Penines. The ideal family day out or solo trip, and perfect for hikers to access the Three Peaks and many more walking routes’. @adventures.in.yorkshire 🚂✨ Ribblehead Viaduct – one of Yorkshire’s most iconic landmarks! 📍 You’ll find it on the Settle–Carlisle railway line, right in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. 🚗 Parking: There’s a small car park and layby at the Ribblehead visitor centre/pub (Station Inn) – from there it’s just a short walk to the viaduct. 📖 Built between 1870–1874 by over 2,000 navvies, this incredible structure has 24 arches and stretches 400 metres across the valley of Batty Moss. It’s a true feat of Victorian engineering that’s still used today! 🌄 Perfect for a walk, photos, or just taking in the Dales scenery. #YorkshireDales #RibbleheadViaduct #UKTravel #Yorkshire ♬ Lanterns – Stuart Earl Another visitor noted: ‘Even on a foggy day, it’s still beautiful’. The Yorkshire Dales draws over five million visitors annually, with tourists from across the world drawn to the trails, history, scenic views, and picturesque grey-stone villages nestled into the valleys. How to get on the Settle-Carlisle train line The route is part of the national rail network and despite the idyllic views, the Settle-Carlisle line is not exclusively part of heritage railways. This means people may take the train on this line as part of their commute.  Northern Railway operates a service between both stations, with some tickets priced as low as £10. Journey times between Settle and Carlisle are usually around 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the number of stops. Trains usually have around an hour’s gap between departures. Travellers can also get the train to Carlisle from Leeds, with the journey lasting 2 hours and 50 minutes.