Huddersfield Line
Encyclopedia
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. The line connects Leeds and Huddersfield
with Manchester
(Victoria & Piccadilly), Manchester Airport and Liverpool
.
The route travels SSW from Leeds through Dewsbury
. After a short westward stretch through Mirfield
(where it runs on the ex-L&YR section), it continues SW through Huddersfield, using the River Colne
valley to its headwaters. The long Standedge Tunnel
just after Marsden
crosses under the watershed and the majority of the run down to Manchester is in the Tame valley. After Manchester, the line reaches the Liverpool and Manchester Railway
line over Chat Moss
to Liverpool.
The Government announced on 29 November 2011 that this route will be electrified in the near future.
most of the route followed by the line was over London and North Western Railway
(LNWR) metals, the exception being a short stretch around Mirfield which was the property of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
(L&YR). The first section of the line, between Huddersfield and Stalybridge
, was opened by the Manchester, Stockport and Leeds Railway on 1 August 1849. The line became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
after 1923.
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...
. Local services are operated by Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
with longer distance services operated by TransPennine Express. The line connects Leeds and Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
with Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
(Victoria & Piccadilly), Manchester Airport and Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
.
The route travels SSW from Leeds through Dewsbury
Dewsbury
Dewsbury is a minster town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds...
. After a short westward stretch through Mirfield
Mirfield
Mirfield is a small town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is located on the A644 road between Brighouse and Dewsbury...
(where it runs on the ex-L&YR section), it continues SW through Huddersfield, using the River Colne
River Colne, West Yorkshire
The River Colne is a river in West Yorkshire formed by a confluence at the foot of the Pennines close to the village of Marsden.-Course:Numerous brooks formed by rainwater high in the Pennines of West Yorkshire, flow down the hillsides through the small valleys to feed two Yorkshire Water...
valley to its headwaters. The long Standedge Tunnel
Standedge Tunnels
The Standedge Tunnels are four parallel tunnels that run beneath the Pennines at the traditional Standedge crossing point between Marsden and Diggle, on the edges of the conurbations of West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester respectively, in northern England.There are three railway tunnels and a...
just after Marsden
Marsden, West Yorkshire
Marsden is a large village within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, west of Huddersfield and located at the confluence of the River Colne and the Wessenden Brook...
crosses under the watershed and the majority of the run down to Manchester is in the Tame valley. After Manchester, the line reaches the Liverpool and Manchester Railway
Liverpool and Manchester Railway
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the world's first inter-city passenger railway in which all the trains were timetabled and were hauled for most of the distance solely by steam locomotives. The line opened on 15 September 1830 and ran between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in North...
line over Chat Moss
Chat Moss
Chat Moss is a large area of peat bog that makes up 30 percent of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It is north of the River Irwell, to the west of Manchester, and occupies an area of about...
to Liverpool.
The Government announced on 29 November 2011 that this route will be electrified in the near future.
History
At the time of the 1923 GroupingRailways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
most of the route followed by the line was over 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...
(LNWR) metals, the exception being a short stretch around Mirfield which was the property of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
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...
(L&YR). The first section of the line, between Huddersfield and Stalybridge
Stalybridge
Stalybridge is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of 22,568. Historically a part of Cheshire, it is east of Manchester city centre and northwest of Glossop. With the construction of a cotton mill in 1776, Stalybridge became one of...
, was opened by the Manchester, Stockport and Leeds Railway on 1 August 1849. The line 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...
after 1923.
Route details
Metro (West Yorkshire) pre-paid tickets and concessionary fares are available between Leeds and Marsden. TfGM fares are available for the Greenfield-Manchester section. Many of the intermediate places no longer have rail facilities. All stations that are still open are in bold.:Leeds-Huddersfield
- LeedsLeeds City railway stationLeeds railway station is the mainline railway station serving the city centre of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England...
- Copley Hill
- CottingleyCottingley railway stationCottingley railway station serves the Cottingley area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It lies south west of Leeds on the Huddersfield Line. The station was opened in May 1988 with financial assistance from West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive and is managed by Northern Rail, who...
(Leeds) - Farnley and WortleyWortley, West YorkshireWortley is a district of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It begins one mile to the west of the city centre.In the 1086 Domesday Book it is mentioned as Wirtlei, also Wirtleie and Wrleia. Later it was known as Wirkelay until about 1700...
- ChurwellChurwellChurwell is a small village in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England, between Leeds city centre and Morley. It is southwest of Leeds city centre and away from the Leeds United Elland Road Football Ground....
- MorleyMorley railway stationMorley railway station serves the town of Morley, West Yorkshire, England.The station is on Huddersfield Line, is operated by Northern Rail, and is south west of Leeds...
- BatleyBatley railway stationBatley railway station serves the town of Batley in West Yorkshire, England. The station opened in 1848.The station is to the south west of Leeds...
- StaincliffeStaincliffeStaincliffe is a cross-over district of both Batley, West Yorkshire, England and Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England; the name is believed to derive from staine, meaning stone and cliffe, cliff...
& Batley CarrBatley CarrBatley Carr, West Yorkshire, England is primarily a council estate in Batley, on the way to Dewsbury, along the A652, Bradford Road. The population is about 3,740. Crime is around the national average.... - DewsburyDewsbury railway stationDewsbury railway station serves the town of Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, England. The station is south west of Leeds on the Huddersfield Line.The station is managed by TransPennine Express trains and it is the stop between Leeds and Huddersfield.-History:...
: previously Dewsbury (Wellington Road) - RavensthorpeRavensthorpe railway stationRavensthorpe railway station serves the Ravensthorpe district of Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Huddersfield Line operated by Northern Rail and is north east of Huddersfield, just beyond Dewsbury junction of the former Manchester and Leeds Railway line towards Wakefield...
was named Ravensthorpe and ThornhillThornhill, West YorkshireThornhill, is a village in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Thornhill was absorbed into Dewsbury County Borough in 1910. It is located on a hill on the south side of the River Calder, and has extensive views of Dewsbury, Ossett and Wakefield...
- here is Dewsbury Junction with the L&YR. Trains from Wakefield (Westgate and Kirkgate railway stations) join the Huddersfield Line here, giving connections from the PontefractPontefract LineThe Pontefract Line is the name given to one of the rail services in the West Yorkshire Metro area of northern England. The service is operated by Northern Rail, and links Wakefield and Leeds with Goole via Pontefract...
, HallamHallam LineThe Hallam Line is the name given to rail services operated by Northern Rail, in the West Yorkshire Metro/ Travel South Yorkshire area of northern England which connect Leeds and Sheffield via Barnsley. It is the slower of the two routes between Leeds and Sheffield, with faster services provided...
and Wakefield LineWakefield LineThe Wakefield line is the name given to one of the rail services in the West Yorkshire Metro/South Yorkshire P.T.E. area of northern England. The service connects Leeds and Wakefield with Sheffield and Doncaster. The section of the line between Leeds and Doncaster forms part of the East Coast Main...
s.
- here is Dewsbury Junction with the L&YR. Trains from Wakefield (Westgate and Kirkgate railway stations) join the Huddersfield Line here, giving connections from the Pontefract
- MirfieldMirfield railway stationMirfield 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 ....
L&YR junctions here to Low MoorLow Moor railway stationLow Moor railway station was a station situated between Bradford Interchange and Halifax on the Caldervale Line, located close to Low Moor, an area to the south of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It also served the Spen Valley Line to Cleckheaton....
(closed) and HalifaxHalifax, West YorkshireHalifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
(the Caldervale LineCaldervale LineThe 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 service from the Huddersfield Line operates to BrighouseBrighouse railway stationBrighouse 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 :... - Heaton Lodge/Heckmondwike Junctions return the route to the ex-LNWR line
- BradleyBradley, West YorkshireBradley 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...
- DeightonDeighton railway stationDeighton railway station serves the Deighton area of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.Deighton station is the first station northeast of Huddersfield railway station on the Huddersfield Line towards Leeds....
- HuddersfieldHuddersfield railway stationHuddersfield 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...
: served by the Caldervale and Penistone LinePenistone LineThe Penistone Line is operated by Northern Rail in the West Yorkshire Metro/ Travel South Yorkshire area of northern England. It connects Huddersfield and Sheffield via Penistone and Barnsley, serving many rural communities...
lines. The station here was LNWR/L&YR joint owned.
Huddersfield-Manchester
- here is Springwood Tunnel and Springwood Junction for the trains on the Penistone Line
- LongwoodLongwood, HuddersfieldLongwood is a village and suburb of the town of Huddersfield in the English county of West Yorkshire. It is situated some west of Huddersfield town centre, in the valley of the Longwood Brook, a tributary of the River Colne....
and MilnsbridgeMilnsbridgeMilnsbridge is a district of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England 2.5 miles west of the town centre, situated in the Colne Valley. The name is said to have derived from the water-powered mill and the bridge that stood alongside it in the 13th century.The Huddersfield Narrow Canal runs... - GolcarGolcarGolcar is a village located on a hillside crest above the Colne Valley in West Yorkshire, England, west of Huddersfield, and just north of the River Colne and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal...
- SlaithwaiteSlaithwaite railway stationSlaithwaite railway station serves the village of Slaithwaite near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. The station is west of Huddersfield railway station on the Huddersfield Line between Huddersfield and Manchester Victoria....
- MarsdenMarsden railway stationMarsden railway station serves the village of Marsden near Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England. The station is on the Huddersfield Line, operated by Northern Rail and is about west of Huddersfield station...
- here is Standedge TunnelStandedge TunnelsThe Standedge Tunnels are four parallel tunnels that run beneath the Pennines at the traditional Standedge crossing point between Marsden and Diggle, on the edges of the conurbations of West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester respectively, in northern England.There are three railway tunnels and a...
: three parallel tunnels, two single-line, one double 5340 yd (4806 m) in length - DiggleDiggle, Greater ManchesterDiggle is a village within the Saddleworth parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. The village is situated on the moorlands of the Pennine hills....
- Diggle Junction with lines to OldhamOldhamOldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
and StalybridgeStalybridgeStalybridge is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of 22,568. Historically a part of Cheshire, it is east of Manchester city centre and northwest of Glossop. With the construction of a cotton mill in 1776, Stalybridge became one of...
via FriezlandFriezlandFriezland is a hamlet in Saddleworth, in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. It is situated four miles east of the town of Oldham.... - SaddleworthSaddleworthSaddleworth is a civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham in Greater Manchester, England. It comprises several villages and hamlets amongst the west side of the Pennine hills: Uppermill, Greenfield, Dobcross, Delph, Diggle and others...
- GreenfieldGreenfield railway stationGreenfield railway station serves the village of Greenfield, in the Saddleworth parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England...
- MossleyMossley railway stationMossley railway station serves the town of Mossley, Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the Huddersfield Line north-east of Manchester Victoria and is managed by Northern Rail....
- StalybridgeStalybridge railway stationStalybridge 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....
- Ashton-under-LyneAshton-under-Lyne railway stationAshton-under-Lyne railway station serves Ashton-under-Lyne, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the Huddersfield Line 10 km east of Manchester Victoria and is operated by Northern Rail.- History :...
- Manchester Victoria
Manchester to Liverpool
- Manchester Piccadilly
- Manchester AirportManchester Airport railway stationManchester Airport railway station is the railway station that serves Manchester Airport and is built into the airport's terminal buildings. The station was opened together with the second airport terminal in 1993.- Description:...
- Manchester Airport
- IrlamIrlam railway stationIrlam railway station serves the town of Irlam in the City of Salford metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in the north west of England. The station is 14 km west of Manchester Oxford Road on the Manchester to Liverpool Line...
(peak only) - Manchester Oxford Road
- BirchwoodBirchwood railway stationBirchwood railway station is a railway station serving the Birchwood district to the north east of Warrington, Cheshire, in the north west of England. The station is 21 km west of Manchester Piccadilly on the Manchester-Liverpool Line....
- Warrington CentralWarrington Central railway stationWarrington Central railway station is one of two main railway stations serving the town of Warrington in the north-west of England. It is located on the southern route of the Liverpool to Manchester Line , and is situated around halfway between the two cities...
- Hunts CrossHunts Cross railway stationHunts Cross railway station is a Grade II listed railway station in Hunts Cross, Liverpool, England. It is situated on the southern branch of the City Line's Liverpool to Manchester route, and is the southern terminus of Merseyrail's Northern Line.-History:...
(peak only) - Liverpool Lime StreetLiverpool Lime Street railway stationLiverpool Lime Street is a railway station serving the city centre of Liverpool, England. The station lies on a branch of the West Coast Main Line from London Euston, and on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network...