Penistone railway station

Penistone Add→{{rail-interchange}}
General information
Location	Barnsley
Managed by	Northern
Platforms	2
Other information
Station code	PNS
Fare zone	Barnsley
History
Original company	Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway
Pre-grouping	Great Central Railway
Post-grouping	London and North Eastern Railway
Key dates
1845	opened
1874	moved to current location
1970	Woodhead line platforms closed

Penistone railway station is a railway station which serves the town of Penistone, in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. Train services are provided by Northern. The current station (at the junction of the Woodhead Line and Penistone Line) opened in 1874, replacing a station solely on the Woodhead Line dating from the line's opening by the Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway in 1845.

The railway station currently only serves the Penistone Line. The line connects Huddersfield with Sheffield, via Barnsley, with an hourly train in each direction. There is a voluntary organisation which supports and promotes community involvement along the line called the Penistone Line Partnership.

Penistone station is the site of the one of the two remaining passing loops on the Barnsley to Huddersfield line, allowing trains coming from Sheffield and Huddersfield to pass each other. However, the sections either side of it are each single track – that northwards to Clayton West junction and Shepley having been singled in 1969, whilst that to Barnsley has been so since reopening in 1983. The loop was formerly controlled from the distinctive elevated ex-GCR Huddersfield Junction signal box south of the station until 1998, when control was transferred to the new Barnsley PSB and the box closed (it has since been demolished).

History

Woodhead Line

An electric train at the now closed Woodhead Line platforms in 1954

Penistone station in the 1970s

Until 5 January 1970, Penistone station also served passenger trains on the electrified Woodhead Line from Sheffield Victoria to Manchester Piccadilly. Electric trains started in 1954, previously the service was steam operated.

The line was entirely closed west of Penistone towards Hadfield on 17 July 1981 making Penistone station no longer a junction, but the location of the former Woodhead Line platforms is still visible. The electricity supply to the Woodhead Line was controlled from a large building adjacent to Penistone station, which is still standing (though now converted for commercial use).

Trains from Huddersfield continued to use the old main line down the Don Valley to Sheffield until May 1983, when they were diverted via Barnsley over the former SYR route. This had been disused for some years but was refurbished to passenger standards in less than three months once South Yorkshire PTE agreed to continue funding the Penistone end of the route.

Doncaster Line

Prior to 1959 Penistone was also the terminus of local trains from Doncaster via Barnsley and the Dearne Valley. These trains were timed to connect with Sheffield-Manchester trains at Penistone. This route was opened in 1854.

Accidents at Penistone

There were several railway accidents in or near Penistone in the late 19th century / early 20th century.

Services

On Monday to Saturday, trains operate every hour in each direction towards Huddersfield and Sheffield via Barnsley. On Sundays, these run every two hours each way.

There are proposals by Alliance Rail to run a 4 trains-per-day service between Huddersfield and London Kings Cross, via Worksop, Sheffield and Penistone, giving Penistone a direct train to London 4 times a day.

Preceding station		National Rail		Following station
Silkstone Common		Northern Rail Penistone Line		Denby Dale
	Disused railways
Denby Dale		L&Y Penistone Line		Terminus
Hazelhead Bridge		GCR Woodhead Line		Silkstone Common
		GCR Great Central Main Line		Wortley

References

• Body, G. (1988), PSL Field Guides - Railways of the Eastern Region Volume 2, Patrick Stephens Ltd, Wellingborough, ISBN 1-85260-072-1

External links

• Train times and station information for Penistone railway station from National Rail