Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway
The Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway is a 3¼-mile standard-gauge heritage railway in the Lake District National Park, running between Haverthwaite and Lakeside at the southern tip of Windermere. The line is the surviving section of the former Furness Railway branch from Ulverston to Lakeside, opened in 1869 to provide rail-and-steamer connections to the Windermere lake steamers.
The line was closed by British Rail in 1965, but the trackbed and stations remained in good condition. A preservation society reopened the present 3¼-mile section in 1973, the section to Ulverston and the Network Rail main line was, regrettably, severed by motorway construction.
At Lakeside the line connects directly with the Windermere Lake Cruises steamer service, allowing through tickets that combine rail and lake travel. The Newby Bridge intermediate station is one of the most picturesque on any heritage line in Britain.
History
The line was originally the Furness Railway's branch from Ulverston to Lakeside (Windermere), opened in 1869 with the explicit purpose of bringing tourists from the Furness Railway main line up to the Windermere steamer pier. After closure in 1965 the present 3¼-mile section between Haverthwaite and Lakeside was acquired by a preservation society, with the first reopened services running in 1973.
Original line history
The Ulverston & Lakeside Railway was an independent line that opened in 1869, almost immediately absorbed by the Furness Railway. The line ran from a junction at Plumpton (south of Ulverston) up to Lakeside, with steamer connections onward to Bowness and Ambleside. The line was always a tourist line above all else, though it carried some local goods. Closure followed in 1965.
Stations and infrastructure
Haverthwaite is the headquarters, with locomotive shed and works. Newby Bridge is a small request-stop intermediate station, beautifully positioned. Lakeside is the northern terminus, with direct interchange to the Windermere Lake Cruises steamer pier.
Route and stations
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Special events and operations
The railway operates daily during summer season with combined-ticket lake-and-rail packages. Specific events include diesel galas, Halloween Specials, and Santa Specials.
Visitor information
Combined "Freedom of the Lake" tickets with Windermere Lake Cruises are popular. Haverthwaite is signposted from the A590 between Newby Bridge and Greenodd.