A HERITAGE railway group has submitted plans to a national park authority to convert a disused train carriage into a cafe and tourist centre.

The Wensleydale Railway PLC hopes to develop a visitor centre and cafe at the former Aysgarth Station, Wensleydale, in a carriage next to a goods shed, and provide parking for a number of coaches and 42 cars for 100 days a year.

The group also has plans to provide short visitor rides on a diesel train on a new section of rail track, operating around 24 trips a day which would last for around five minutes each.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority planning committee will discuss the plans on Tuesday, (April 14), which have been recommended for approval.

The site is between Aysgarth and Carperby, with the national park visitor centre and Aysgarth Falls to the south, and is still set out as a railway station with platforms and outbuildings, although the track has been removed.

Railway manager Nigel Park said: “The Wensleydale Railway PLC operate a maximum of 12 to 14 visitor open days per year, in order to generate income for the railway, and ongoing site maintenance.

“The wider objective of the company is to reinstate the railway from Redmire through to Garsdale, in stages.

“The Wensleydale Railway envisages a number of 'islands' along the railway route, all generating an income and interest to support the railway in advance of the restoration of rail services linking them together.

“In the longer term, we intend to rebuild the line west of Redmire to Castle Bolton, Aysgarth, Hawes and eventually to Garsdale on the famous Settle to Carlisle Railway.”

In 1998 planning permission was refused for the conversion of a railway cottage for retail use, laying of track and provision of railway carriages because it was it could harm the national park.

The proposal was for a larger scale development including a large retail space – but planning officers said the current plans must be considered because the authority has pledged to support the reinstatement of the Redmire to Aysgarth line.

A spokesman for Carperby Parish Council said it would not object to the plan.

He added: “The road from Carperby to the station does not have permission for coaches as it is very narrow in part, and as part of conditions for planning we would suggest that a restriction is included.”