Caldervale Line
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This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (January 2007) |
The Caldervale Line is a railway route in Northern England between the cities of Leeds and Manchester as well as the seaside resort of Blackpool.
The "Caldervale Line" name was given to the route by the West Yorkshire Metro transport authority, as the route is primarily within the West Yorkshire area. The route also extends into Greater Manchester and Lancashire.
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[edit] Services
Passenger train services are operated by Northern Rail, destinations include the following:
- Leeds/Bradford - Halifax
- Leeds/Bradford - Halifax - Huddersfield
- Leeds/Bradford - Halifax - Rochdale - Manchester Victoria
- Leeds/Bradford - Halifax - Burnley - Blackburn - Preston - Blackpool
- York - Leeds - Halifax - Blackpool
- Scarborough - York - Leeds - Blackpool
This line, along with the Huddersfield Line and York & Selby Lines is normally merged in national timetables to create a coast to coast service.
Services within West Yorkshire are sponsored by West Yorkshire Metro, and West Yorkshire Metro tickets including Metrocards can be used up to Hebden Bridge between Leeds and Blackpool, and Walsden between Leeds and Manchester.
[edit] Future plans from December 2008
Northern Rail have proposed changes to the Caldervale line services from December 2008. Three trains per hour will run between Leeds and Manchester Victoria - one will be the current stopping service, one will go via Dewsbury and Brighouse, and include stops at Moston, Mills Hill and Castleton, and one will be a limited stop service - between Bradford and Manchester the service will only call at Halifax, Hebden Bridge, Todmorden and Rochdale. This limited stop service will bring the journey time down between these two cities to less than one hour.
In addition, some peak services between York and Blackpool North will call at Sowerby Bridge. [1]
[edit] The route
Before the 1923 Grouping the first section of the line (Leeds - Bradford) was owned by the Great Northern Railway (GNR) ; a section of the route leading into Huddersfield by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR); and the entire remainder by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR), which had become linked with the LNWR.
For the section between Halifax and Burnley the line uses the valley of the River Calder, thus giving the services their name; it also follows the Rochdale Canal from Todmorden into Manchester. Since the route crosses the Pennines, there are many tunnels to negotiate en route.
The route description follows: for the initial section of the route: see article Leeds and Bradford Lines.
[edit] Bradford - Halifax
Many stations on this route have been closed all stops opened are in bold: original places served, and notes on the route:
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- Bowling was named Bowling Junction for its link with the GNR at this point
- here is Bowling Tunnel 1648 yd (1483 m)
- Low Moor also a junction with GNR. Station maybe reopening in the future.
- here was a triangular junction for the L&YR line to Dewsbury
- here are two tunnels: New Furnace Tunnel and Wyke Tunnel
- Wyke & Norwood Green, West Yorkshire
- here is junction for a line to Huddersfield: now closed, there was one station for Bailiff Bridge
- Lightcliffe
- here is Lightcliffe Tunnel
- Hipperholme
- here is Beacon Hill Tunnel 1105 yd (995 m)
- Halifax
- All the services on the Caldervale line serve Halifax.
[edit] Halifax - Huddersfield
This route was re-opened to passengers in 2000 when Brighouse station was re-opened, and a short length of line re-laid to enable trains to reach Huddersfield.
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- Dryclough Junction (where the Huddersfield route leaves the main line)
- Brighouse
- Deighton (on the Huddersfield line, Caldervale Line trains do not stop there)
- Huddersfield
[edit] Halifax - Manchester Victoria
Many stations on this route have been closed (or are not served by the Caldervale Line trains): original stations served:
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- here was the triangular junction for the line via Mirfield to Dewsbury; the former Brighouse station was on this line
- here is Bank House Tunnel
- here was Copley station
- the line now turns west into the Calder valley
- Sowerby Bridge
- at Sowerby Bridge heading west the line used to branch off to Ripponden. It was originally intended to continue to Littleborough but ended at Rishworth. Closed to passengers 8 July 1929.
- here was Luddendenfoot railway station now closed
- Mytholmroyd
- Hebden Bridge
- here is Weasal Hall Tunnel
- here was Eastwood station
- here are: Castle Hill Tunnel; Horsfall Tunnel; and Millwood Tunnel
- Hall Royd Junction: here the trains on the Blackpool service turn northwestward, following the Calder valley (see below)
- Todmorden here the line takes a southward direction, in the same valley as the Rochdale Canal
- Walsden: here the line crosses into the Rochdale District of Greater Manchester
- after Winterbutlee Tunnel follows Summit Tunnel, at 2885 yd (2597 m) the longest on the L&YR lines
- Littleborough
- Smithy Bridge
- Rochdale: junction for two lines: to Bacup (closed to passengers 16 June 1947) and to Oldham
- Castleton: junction for a line to Bury
- Middleton Junction junction for two lines: Middleton branch; and Oldham (both closed)
- Moston
- Mills Hill
- Newton Heath
- Miles Platting
- Manchester Victoria
Summit Tunnel was the scene of a major fire in 1984, caused when a freight train hauling petrol tankers derailed.
[edit] Blackpool route
Trains continue up the Calder valley to Burnley and Blackburn; it also runs parallel with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal from Burnley. The section from Todmorden to Burnley was opened by the Manchester and Leeds Railway (later L&YR) on 12 November 1849. The East Lancashire Railway (later L&YR) built the Burnley to Preston line, Burnley to Accrington 18 September 1848, Accrington to Blackburn 19 June 1848, and the Blackburn to Preston section on 1 June 1846. Many stations on this route have been closed (or are not served by the Caldervale Line trains): original stations served and other notes on the route:
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- Hall Royd Junction: see above; there are now no stations on the route before Burnley; stations once served, and notes on the route:
- here was the junction with the original line from Todmorden (to Burnley), forming a triangle.
- Stansfield Hall station opened 1869 closed 1944
- here is Kitsonwood Tunnel (290 yards)
- Nott Wood viaduct
- Cornholme station closed to all traffic 26 September 1938
- Portsmouth closed 7 July 1958
- Copy Pit summit (749 ft)
- Holme Tunnel (265 yards)
- Holme: closed 28 July 1930
- Townley Tunnel (398 yards)
- Towneley: serving the nearby Towneley Hall, closed 4 August 1952
- Burnley Manchester Road station: (there are also Burnley Barracks and Burnley Central see below)
- Gannow Junction where the line joins from Colne, Nelson, Brierfield, Burnley Central and Burnley Barracks
- Rose Grove has an island platform with 2 disused bay platforms.
- here was the Rose Grove Junction for the alternative route to Blackburn via Padiham {closed to passengers 2 December 1957)
- Hapton
- Huncoat
- Accrington
- here was the triangular junction for the line to Bury (line closed)
- Church & Oswaldtwistle
- Rishton
- here was the other end of the line from Burnley at Great Harwood Junction
- Blackburn: junction of the line to Bolton
- Mill Hill
- Cherry Tree
- here was the L&YR/LNWR joint line (the Lancashire Union Joint Railway to Chorley and the West Coast Route) opened 1 November 1869 (now closed)
- Pleasington
- Bamber Bridge
- here were further junctions: one the through route to Southport
- Preston: the joint LNWR/L&YR station on the West Coast Route
- Lea Road
- Salwick
- Kirkham & Wesham
- here were junctions: for the direct route to Blackpool; and the coast route via Lytham St Annes on Sea
- Singleton
- Poulton-le-Fylde
- here was the junction for Fleetwood
- Bispham
- Blackpool North was named Talbot Road
[edit] See also
- Transpennine Express - A service that connects the West to the East
[edit] External links
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| Railway stations in West Yorkshire | |
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MetroTrain lines: ▐ Airedale • ▐ Caldervale • ║ Dearne Valley • ▐ Hallam Line • ▐ Harrogate • ▐ Huddersfield • ▐ Leeds-Bradford • ▐ Penistone • ▐ Pontefract • ▐ Wakefield • ▐ Wharfedale • ▐ York & Selby |
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Major stations: Bradford Forster Square - Bradford Interchange - Halifax - Huddersfield - Leeds - Shipley - Wakefield Westgate |
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Other stations: Baildon - Batley - Ben Rhydding - Berry Brow - Bingley - Bramley - Brockholes - Brighouse - Burley Park - Burley-in-Wharfedale - Castleford - Cottingley - Crossflatts - Cross Gates - Darton* - Deighton - Denby Dale - Dewsbury - East Garforth - Featherstone - Fitzwilliam - Frizinghall - Garforth - Glasshoughton - Guiseley - Headingley - Hebden Bridge - Honley - Horsforth - Ilkley - Keighley - Knottingley - Lockwood - Marsden - Menston - Micklefield - Mirfield - Moorthorpe - Morley - Mytholmroyd - New Pudsey - Normanton - Outwood - Pontefract Baghill - Pontefract Monkhill - Pontefract Tanshelf - Ravensthorpe - Saltaire - Sandal and Agbrigg - Shepley - Slaithwaite - South Elmsall - Sowerby Bridge - Steeton and Silsden - Stocksmoor - Streethouse - Todmorden - Wakefield Kirkgate - Walsden - Woodlesford |
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* Darton station is in South Yorkshire, however West Yorkshire Metro passes are valid to/from this station. |
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