Play to bring drama of scenic railway line to life
Avanti West Coast/PAA play has been commissioned to mark 150 years since the first passengers travelled along a railway line.
The Settle to Carlisle line will be celebrated in Lives Along the Line, which will also be recorded to make a film.
The play's creator Joan Barnard said she hoped it would "do justice" to the route's history.
Settle Carlisle Railway Development Company commissioned the production and chair Pete Myers said it was "a great way of celebrating and remembering".
"While Lives Along the Line celebrates our history, it is also about our future as the film of the play becomes a resource for generations to come," he said.
Myers added the film would be made available to schools along the line.
'Full of drama'
The Settle to Carlisle route is known as one of the most scenic railways in England, crossing the Pennine Hills, the Yorkshire Dales and Cumbria's Eden Valley.
About 6,000 workers contributed to its complex construction, which includes 14 tunnels and more than 20 viaducts along its 72 miles (116km) of track.
In 1983, British Rail announced plans to close the line to passengers amid concerns about the cost of repairing the Ribblehead Viaduct. However, the plan was scrapped after a successful public campaign.
"It is clear from my research that the story of the Settle Carlisle Railway is full of drama, from its construction, through its long service in the days of steam, to the ultimately successful battle to save it from closure," playwright Barnard said.
"We hope that Lives Along the Line will do justice to these achievements, and particularly to the many who made them possible."
The play will be performed by Ravenstonedale-based community-focused theatre group, The Vagabonds.
It will premiere at Appleby Public Hall on 4 July. A second performance will take place at Victoria Hall in Settle, on 5 July.
