A petition was subsequently presented to Parliament, signed by tens of thousands of people (as well as the pawprint of a local dog named Ruswarp, now immortalised with a bronze statue on the platform at Garsdale Station, midway along the line). The weight of support was such that, in 1989, the Settle-Carlisle was granted a reprieve by the government. Facilities were upgraded; stations were spruced up and restored to their former glory; passenger numbers increased. The line has barely looked back since.