Bradley West Yorkshire railway station
Encyclopedia
Bradley railway station served the district of Bradley
, West Yorkshire
, England
until closure in 1952.
, as the first section completed of the new Huddersfield and Manchester Railway.
Previously, Huddersfield had been by-passed by the existing east-west route, the Manchester and Leeds Railway
which had opened in 1839. That line instead had closely followed the even gradients of the River Calder
, which left Huddersfield to be served with a station at Cooper Bridge
about four miles distant. The new line ran though the town itself, with Bradley station to the east of it, where the line divided to meet the existing Manchester and Leeds route in a triangular junction, allowing trains to continue on eastwards via Mirfield
towards Dewsbury, Wakefield and Leeds, or westwards via Brighouse
up the Calder valley.
The Manchester and Leeds Railway (from 1847 the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
) had been closely involved with the Huddersfield and Manchester Railway; but in 1848 it was the London and North Western Railway
which took over the line, and completed its connection from Manchester to Huddersfield via Stalybridge
and the Standedge tunnel, as well as its new line through to Leeds through the centre of Dewsbury. The LNWR continued to have to work together with the L&Y however, as the LNWR depended on running powers over L&Y rails from Manchester Victoria to Stalybridge; and between Bradley and Dewsbury, over the former Manchester and Leeds section of track. The L&Y in turn used the LNWR track through Bradley to run trains onwards via Huddersfield onto a new line it constructed via Penistone
, where it met the MS&LR line south via Barnsley to Sheffield.
Additional nearby destinations opened up when the L&Y opened its Pickle Bridge Line
in 1881 to Bradford via Clifton Road
; and when LNWR opened a new line in 1900 to Leeds up the Spen valley
, to reduce congestion on the shared L&Y section of track. These routes survived the 1923 amalgamation, when all became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
; but under British Rail
both were subsequently closed in the 1950s, and Bradley station itself closed in 1952. However the track through it remains an important link in the Huddersfield Line
, and since the year 2000 also the Caldervale Line
.
This real station should not be confused with the fictional station featured in the TV series How We Used To Live
which served the equally fictional town of Bradley (though also located in West Yorkshire) and was depicted as part of the LMS
.
Bradley, West Yorkshire
Bradley is a district of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, 3 miles north-east of the town centre. It is generally just off the A62 Leeds Road and west of the River Colne and the Huddersfield Broad Canal...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
until closure in 1952.
History
Bradley station was opened in 1847 along with Huddersfield railway stationHuddersfield railway station
Huddersfield railway station serves the town of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England.The station is managed by First TransPennine Express who provide trains between the North East, North and East Yorkshire, and Leeds to the east and Manchester Piccadilly and North West.It is also served by local...
, as the first section completed of the new Huddersfield and Manchester Railway.
Previously, Huddersfield had been by-passed by the existing east-west route, the Manchester and Leeds Railway
Manchester and Leeds Railway
The Manchester and Leeds Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom which opened in 1839, connecting Manchester with Leeds via the North Midland Railway which it joined at Normanton....
which had opened in 1839. That line instead had closely followed the even gradients of the River Calder
River Calder, West Yorkshire
The River Calder is a river in West Yorkshire, in Northern England.The Calder rises on the green eastern slopes of the Pennines flows through alternating green countryside, former woollen-mill villages, and large and small towns before joining the River Aire near Castleford.The river's valley is...
, which left Huddersfield to be served with a station at Cooper Bridge
Cooper Bridge railway station
Cooper Bridge was a railway station built by the Manchester and Leeds Railway to serve the town of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England.-History:...
about four miles distant. The new line ran though the town itself, with Bradley station to the east of it, where the line divided to meet the existing Manchester and Leeds route in a triangular junction, allowing trains to continue on eastwards via Mirfield
Mirfield railway station
Mirfield railway station serves the town of Mirfield in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Huddersfield Line operated by Northern Rail and is north east from ....
towards Dewsbury, Wakefield and Leeds, or westwards via Brighouse
Brighouse railway station
Brighouse railway station serves the town of Brighouse in West Yorkshire, England. The station lies on the Caldervale Line and the Huddersfield Line running west from Leeds. The station reopened in 2000 and is served by local Northern Rail trains.- History :...
up the Calder valley.
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
) had been closely involved with the Huddersfield and Manchester Railway; but in 1848 it was the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
which took over the line, and completed its connection from Manchester to Huddersfield via Stalybridge
Stalybridge railway station
Stalybridge railway station serves Stalybridge, Greater Manchester. It lies on the Huddersfield Line 12 km east of Manchester Piccadilly and 13 km east of Manchester Victoria. The station is managed by First TransPennine Express....
and the Standedge tunnel, as well as its new line through to Leeds through the centre of Dewsbury. The LNWR continued to have to work together with the L&Y however, as the LNWR depended on running powers over L&Y rails from Manchester Victoria to Stalybridge; and between Bradley and Dewsbury, over the former Manchester and Leeds section of track. The L&Y in turn used the LNWR track through Bradley to run trains onwards via Huddersfield onto a new line it constructed via Penistone
Penistone railway station
Penistone railway station is a railway station in Penistone, in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. Train services are provided by Northern Rail...
, where it met the MS&LR line south via Barnsley to Sheffield.
Additional nearby destinations opened up when the L&Y opened its Pickle Bridge Line
Pickle Bridge Line
The Pickle Bridge Line is a disused railway route in Northern England that ran between the cities of Huddersfield and Bradford.-History:The line was authorised in 1865 and amended 1873...
in 1881 to Bradford via Clifton Road
Clifton Road
Clifton Road is the main street in the wealthy Clifton neighbourhood of Saddar Town in Karachi, Pakistan. Its name dates from the British Colonial rule...
; and when LNWR opened a new line in 1900 to Leeds up the Spen valley
Spen Valley
Spen Valley may refer to:* The River Spen, in West Yorkshire, England* Spen Valley See also*The rise of the Spen Valley for a history of the area...
, to reduce congestion on the shared L&Y section of track. These routes survived the 1923 amalgamation, when all became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
; but under British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
both were subsequently closed in the 1950s, and Bradley station itself closed in 1952. However the track through it remains an important link in the Huddersfield Line
Huddersfield Line
The Huddersfield Line is the name given to one of the busiest rail services on the West Yorkshire MetroTrain network in northern England. Local services are operated by Northern Rail with longer distance services operated by TransPennine Express...
, and since the year 2000 also the Caldervale Line
Caldervale Line
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...
.
This real station should not be confused with the fictional station featured in the TV series How We Used To Live
How We Used To Live
How We Used to Live is a British educational historical television drama written by Freda Kelsall and sometimes narrated by Redvers Kyle and John Crosse, both employed as continuity announcers at Yorkshire Television at the time of production. Production began in 1968 at the YTV studios in Leeds...
which served the equally fictional town of Bradley (though also located in West Yorkshire) and was depicted as part of the LMS
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
.