[3][4] The section between Leeming Bar and Bedale that was authorised by the act was not built, due to the collapse of George Hudson's railway interests.

[5] This left the railway to terminate just west of the Great North Road in Leeming Bar, with passengers for Bedale being conveyed on the last section by horse and cart.

[6] The Bedale and Leyburn Railway, financed by local landowners, was an 11+1⁄2-mile (18.5 km) extension between Leeming Bar and Leyburn that was authorised on 4 August 1853; the section between Leeming Bar and Bedale station opened on 1 February 1855 and the remainder on 28 November 1855 for goods and minerals and 19 May 1856 for passengers.

[7][4][8][9] The York, Newcastle and Berwick had become a founder member of the North Eastern Railway (NER) on 31 July 1854,[10] and the Bedale and Leyburn was absorbed into this larger company in 1859.

In the months before the section opened, a landslip at Mossdale required extra work to excavate from the line.

[40] By 1939, three trains ran the full length of the line in both directions, with two extra services either terminating, or starting from Leyburn and Hawes.

[43] Download coordinates as: The Wensleydale Railway Association (WRA) was formed in 1990 with the main aim of restoring passenger services.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) had an interest in using the line between Northallerton and Redmire to transport armoured vehicles to/from Catterick Garrison.

[46] In 2000, WRA formed a separate operating company, the Wensleydale Railway plc (WRC), and issued a share offer to raise funds.

A passing loop was opened at the site of the former Constable Burton station, which enabled the railway to introduce a 2-train service when required.

[51] It is hoped to recommence services at a future date once work to upgrade level crossing equipment is complete.

[53] The company's longer-term aim is to reopen the 18 miles (29 km) of line west from Redmire via Castle Bolton, Aysgarth, Askrigg, Bainbridge, Hawes and Mossdale to join up with the Settle-Carlisle Railway Route at Garsdale.

[56] In order to achieve this, the missing bridge that used to span Apedale Beck to the west of Redmire station will need to be replaced.

There was a plan to do so utilising a redundant bridge from the Catterick branch line that was removed during the A1 to A1(M) upgrade in 2015 and stored in Redmire Station car park.

In January 2019, Campaign for Better Transport released a report identifying the line which was listed as Priority 2 for reopening.

A fundraising appeal is currently taking place to fund the replacement of the life-expired track with a view to re-opening by September 2025.

[59] In late 2019/early 2020, a separate organisation, the Upper Wensleydale Railway, was formed to campaign to reinstate the line between Hawes and Garsdale.

The Wensleydale Railway Association (Trust) Ltd is a membership organisation and a registered charity[64] that supports the development of the railway through fund raising, volunteer working, providing training and supporting work on heritage structures such as Scruton station and Bedale signal box.