Masham branch
| Masham Branch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Legend
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Masham branch was a 7 3⁄4-mile (12.5 km) long North Eastern Railway built single track branch railway line that ran between a junction on the Harrogate to Northallerton line at Melmerby to Masham, North Yorkshire, via one intermediate station, Tanfield Halt.[1]
History
Opening
After a number of abortive attempts to link the market town of Masham, Wensleydale, the branch line was authorised in 1871 and construction started in 1873. The branch line opened on 9 June 1875 and services started the following day.
Traffic
The line was poorly used from the start. Passing to the London and North Eastern Railway in the 1923 grouping, the line continued to suffer from light traffic apart from a period during the Second World War when the local area was used for munition storage.
Closure
The line closed to passengers on 1 January 1931, and completely on 11 November 1963.