Heckmondwike Spen railway station: Difference between revisions
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Whilst the line closed to passengers in October 1953, the route stayed open for freight until 1960 and thereafter a small section through Heckmondwike stayed open to service an oil terminal in Liversedge. This was made possible by a spur built by British Rail in 1966 connecting the line just south of Heckmondwike with the Low Moor to Thornhill line, which allowed all other sections of the former Leeds New Line to be closed by July 1965.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Batty |first1=Stephen R |title=Rail Centres: Leeds/Bradford |date=1989 |publisher=Ian Allan |location=Shepperton |isbn=0-7110-1821-9 |pages=70, 140–141}}</ref> |
Whilst the line closed to passengers in October 1953, the route stayed open for freight until 1960 and thereafter a small section through Heckmondwike stayed open to service an oil terminal in Liversedge. This was made possible by a spur built by British Rail in 1966 connecting the line just south of Heckmondwike with the Low Moor to Thornhill line, which allowed all other sections of the former Leeds New Line to be closed by July 1965.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Batty |first1=Stephen R |title=Rail Centres: Leeds/Bradford |date=1989 |publisher=Ian Allan |location=Shepperton |isbn=0-7110-1821-9 |pages=70, 140–141}}</ref> |
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A {{convert|2.5|km|order=flip|adj=on}} section of track heading north westwards from Heckmondwike station towards Cleckheaton has been converted into the Spen Valley Ringway, a small side path to the Spen Valley Greenway, which runs from Low Moor to Thornhill on the former Lancashire & Yorkshire railway between the two stations.<ref>{{cite news |title=Old lines never die…they just get recycled |url=https://www.railmagazine.com/infrastructure/trackside/old-lines-never-diethey-just-get-recycled |accessdate=26 August 2018 |work=www.railmagazine.com |date=28 October 2015}}</ref> Both paths are part of the National Cycle Route 66.<ref>{{cite news |title=Heckmondwike's lost railways... |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/bradford/content/articles/2008/10/20/lost_railways_heckmondwike_feature.shtml |accessdate=26 August 2018 |work=BBC |date=24 October 2008}}</ref> The impetus for opening the path came about because Yorkshire Water were installing a £90 million sewer beneath the Greenway Path through Heckmondwike, so foot and cycle traffic was diverted onto the Ringway path whilst this construction was completed.<ref>{{cite web |title=Heckmondwike bridges |url=http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/bridges/heckmondwike.html |website=www.forgottenrelics.co.uk |accessdate=26 August 2018}}</ref> The Ringway path is tarmacked and was opened in 2003, but Heckmondwike station was demolished in 2006 and the land it occupied has been converted into a housing estate.<ref>{{cite web |title=Disused Stations: |url=http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/h/heckmondwike/ |website=www.disused-stations.org.uk |accessdate=26 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Spen Ringway |url=https://www.spenvalleycivicsociety.org.uk/things-to-do/spen-ringway |website=www.spenvalleycivicsociety.org.uk |accessdate=26 August 2018}}</ref> |
A {{convert|2.5|km|order=flip|adj=on}} section of track heading north westwards from Heckmondwike station towards Cleckheaton has been converted into the Spen Valley Ringway, a small side path to the Spen Valley Greenway, which runs from Low Moor to Thornhill on the former Lancashire & Yorkshire railway between the two stations.<ref>{{cite news |title=Old lines never die…they just get recycled |url=https://www.railmagazine.com/infrastructure/trackside/old-lines-never-diethey-just-get-recycled |accessdate=26 August 2018 |work=www.railmagazine.com |date=28 October 2015}}</ref> Both paths are part of the National Cycle Route 66.<ref>{{cite news |title=Heckmondwike's lost railways... |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/bradford/content/articles/2008/10/20/lost_railways_heckmondwike_feature.shtml |accessdate=26 August 2018 |work=BBC |date=24 October 2008}}</ref> The impetus for opening the path came about because Yorkshire Water were installing a £90 million sewer beneath the Greenway Path through Heckmondwike, so foot and cycle traffic was diverted onto the Ringway path whilst this construction was completed.<ref>{{cite web |title=Heckmondwike bridges |url=http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/bridges/heckmondwike.html |website=www.forgottenrelics.co.uk |accessdate=26 August 2018}}</ref> The Ringway path is tarmacked and was opened in 2003, but Heckmondwike station was demolished in 2006 and the land it occupied has been converted into a housing estate.<ref>{{cite web |title=Disused Stations: |url=http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/h/heckmondwike/ |website=www.disused-stations.org.uk |accessdate=26 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Spen Ringway |url=https://www.spenvalleycivicsociety.org.uk/things-to-do/spen-ringway |website=www.spenvalleycivicsociety.org.uk |accessdate=26 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=School journey is made safer |url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/8008834.School_journey_is_made_safer/ |accessdate=26 August 2018 |work=Bradford Telegraph and Argus |date=9 October 2003}}</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 19:15, 26 August 2018
Heckmondwike Spen | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Coordinates | 53°42′29″N 1°40′20″W / 53.7080°N 1.6721°W |
| Platforms | 2 |
| History | |
| Pre-grouping | London North Western Railway |
| Post-grouping | London Midland & Scottish Railway |
| Key dates | |
| 1 October 1900 | Station opened as Heckmondwike |
| 2 June 1924 | Renamed to Heckmondwike Spen |
| 5 October 1953 | Station closed |
Heckmondwike Spen was a railway station in Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, England. The station was one if two in the town of Heckmondwike the other being Heckmondwike. Both have been closed and the lines they served have closed too although the formations that they occupied have both been converted into greenways.
History
Heckmondwike Spen was located on the Leeds New Line which ran from Leeds to Huddersfield. The station opened to traffic in October 1900 after the London North Western Railway (LNWR) opened the line up to traffic as an alternative route via their pre-existing line through Morley Tunnel. This had become very busy with traffic, so the Leeds New Line was opened to help alleviate the pressure on the line through Dewsbury to Huddersfield.[1][2]
Heckmondwike Spen had two platforms and was set in a cutting, which meant the line passed under nine bridges whilst running through the town.[3] The station was opened as Heckmondwike, but was later renamed to Heckmondwike Spen to avoid confusion with Heckmondwike Central station which was on the Lancashire and Yorkshire line between Low Moor and Huddersfield.[4] Initially, the station had three platforms, two on the main running lines and a bay facing towards the Leeds direction. The bay platform was closed in 1920 at the same time that the station signalbox was removed.[5]
Most buildings on the line were constructed of wood which led to some fires. In 1915, the goods warehouse at Heckmondwike was burnt to the ground, but it was not replaced.[6] At the grouping of 1923, the line, along with most other LNWR lines, became part of the London Midland & Scottish Railway. The LMS renamed appended the name Spen to the station to avoid confusion with the station named Heckmondwike on the parallel line between Bradford and Huddersfield.[5]
Whilst the line closed to passengers in October 1953, the route stayed open for freight until 1960 and thereafter a small section through Heckmondwike stayed open to service an oil terminal in Liversedge. This was made possible by a spur built by British Rail in 1966 connecting the line just south of Heckmondwike with the Low Moor to Thornhill line, which allowed all other sections of the former Leeds New Line to be closed by July 1965.[7]
A 1.6-mile (2.5 km) section of track heading north westwards from Heckmondwike station towards Cleckheaton has been converted into the Spen Valley Ringway, a small side path to the Spen Valley Greenway, which runs from Low Moor to Thornhill on the former Lancashire & Yorkshire railway between the two stations.[8] Both paths are part of the National Cycle Route 66.[9] The impetus for opening the path came about because Yorkshire Water were installing a £90 million sewer beneath the Greenway Path through Heckmondwike, so foot and cycle traffic was diverted onto the Ringway path whilst this construction was completed.[10] The Ringway path is tarmacked and was opened in 2003, but Heckmondwike station was demolished in 2006 and the land it occupied has been converted into a housing estate.[11][12][13]
References
- ^ Bairstow, Martin (1990). The Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester Railway; the Standedge Line (2 ed.). Halifax: Bairstow. p. 54. ISBN 1-871944-02-3.
- ^ Burgess, Neil (2014). The Lost Railways of Yorkshire's West Riding: the Central Section Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield. Catrine: Stenlake. p. 25. ISBN 9781840336573.
- ^ Waring, Roy (1989). The Leeds New Line. Oxford: Oakwood Press. p. 35. ISBN 0-85361-369-9.
- ^ Butt, R V J (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens. p. 117. ISBN 1-85260-508-1.
- ^ a b Bairstow, Martin (1990). The Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester Railway; the Standedge Line (2 ed.). Halifax: Bairstow. p. 55. ISBN 1-871944-02-3.
- ^ Suggitt, Gordon (2007). Lost Railways of South & West Yorkshire. Newbury: Countryside Books. p. 69. ISBN 978-1-84674-043-5.
- ^ Batty, Stephen R (1989). Rail Centres: Leeds/Bradford. Shepperton: Ian Allan. pp. 70, 140–141. ISBN 0-7110-1821-9.
- ^ "Old lines never die…they just get recycled". www.railmagazine.com. 28 October 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ "Heckmondwike's lost railways..." BBC. 24 October 2008. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ "Heckmondwike bridges". www.forgottenrelics.co.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ "Disused Stations:". www.disused-stations.org.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ "Spen Ringway". www.spenvalleycivicsociety.org.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ "School journey is made safer". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 9 October 2003. Retrieved 26 August 2018.