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The Construction Plan
Contract Contractor Contractors Agent Resident Engineer(s)
 No.1 

Settle Junction. to Dent Head

 John Ashwell 

The Midland Railway later took over the contract.

Midland Railway Co.

 J.Hope, W.H.Ashwell 
 
 

A.Terry, W.H.Ashwell

  R.E.Wilson, E.O.Ferguson
 No.2 

Dent Head to Smardale

  Benton & Woodiwiss  James Hay  John S.Story, Frank Lynde
 No.3 

Smardale to Crowdundle Viaduct

  Joseph Firbank  James Throstle  Jesse Drage
 No.4 

Crowdundle Viaduct to Petterill Junction.

  John Bayliss  J.Lambert, E.Williams  John Allis, Samuel Paine
 No.5 

Hawes Junction to Hawes

  Benton and Woodiwiss  James Hay  Edward Newcome
 The original estimate for construction was £2 200 000 and it had been anticipated that the project would take four years. In the event it took six and a half years, not unlike many large 20th century civil engineering projects. At the Midland Railway board meeting on February 22nd 1876, Mr. E.S. Ellis, the chairman, stated that the line had cost a total of £3 467 000 to complete. James Allport was the General Manager of the railway company when the line was completed. The line is 72 miles long, which works out as a cost of almost £50 000 per mile.