Location
It is the longest and most famous viaduct on the Settle-Carlisle Railway. Ribblehead railway station is located less than half a mile to the south of the viaduct. Just to the north of it is the Blea Moor Tunnel, the longest tunnel on the Settle-Carlisle Line. It is located near the foot of the mountain of Whernside. The viaduct is curved, and so may be seen by passengers on the train.
The Settle-Carlisle line is one of three north-south main lines; along with the West Coast Main Line through Penrith and the East Coast Main Line via Newcastle. British Rail attempted to close the line in the 1980s, citing the reason that the viaduct was unsafe and would be expensive to repair. A partial solution was to single the line across the viaduct in 1985, preventing two trains from crossing simultaneously. The closure proposals generated tremendous protest and were eventually retracted. The viaduct, along with the rest of the line, was repaired and maintained and there are no longer any plans to close it.
Two taller viaducts are the Smardale viaduct near Crosby Garrett (131 feet (40 m) high) and Arten Gill (117 feet (36 m)).
Read more about this topic: Ribblehead Viaduct