Kirk Smeaton railway station
Encyclopedia
Kirk Smeaton railway station opened on 22 July 1885. It is located on the east side of Willowbridge Road in Kirk Smeaton
, North Yorkshire
, England
. The Company that ran the station on opening was the Hull Barnsley and West Riding Junction Railway and Dock Company. The station closed to passengers on 1 January 1932 and closed completely on 6 April 1959. The operating company on closing was British Railways (North Eastern Region).
Notes: After closure some excursions ran from the station to Hull Fair
and Leeds football ground. These included 14 October 1933 during Hull Civic Week and 28 February 1953 to Leeds
.
; it included a deep water dock (Alexandra Dock) to the east of Hull. The railway never reached Barnsley
itself, terminating at Cudworth (junction with the Midland Railway) some four miles short having been vigorously opposed by the NER.
It was one of the last new main lines to be built, construction cost double the estimates, due in part to difficulties in cutting and tunnelling through unexpectedly hard chalk in the Yorkshire Wolds
near Little Weighton
.
Although it was constructed primarily for goods traffic to and from the new dock and the South Yorkshire coalfields, fine villa-style passenger stations were provided but though passenger traffic was sparse.
In 1905 the company name was shortened to the Hull and Barnsley Railway which was absorbed into the NER on 1 January 1923.
The line was gradually run down from the early 1930s with all passenger services ceasing in 1955. Today only the high level goods line around Hull and a short section serving Drax power station remain in use.
Kirk Smeaton
Kirk Smeaton is the most southerly village of the large county of North Yorkshire, England. It is also a civil parish in the Selby district.-Geography:...
, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, 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...
. The Company that ran the station on opening was the Hull Barnsley and West Riding Junction Railway and Dock Company. The station closed to passengers on 1 January 1932 and closed completely on 6 April 1959. The operating company on closing was British Railways (North Eastern Region).
Notes: After closure some excursions ran from the station to Hull Fair
Hull Fair
Hull Fair is one of Europe's largest travelling funfairs, which comes to Hull, England for one week, from noon on Friday to midnight the following Saturday, encompassing the second Tuesday of October each year. The fair is open every day between these days except Sunday...
and Leeds football ground. These included 14 October 1933 during Hull Civic Week and 28 February 1953 to Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
.
A brief history of The Hull and Barnsley Railway
The Hull Barnsley and West Riding Junction Railway and Dock Company was formed with the backing of Hull Corporation to break the monopoly on dock and rail traffic from HullKingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
; it included a deep water dock (Alexandra Dock) to the east of Hull. The railway never reached Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
itself, terminating at Cudworth (junction with the Midland Railway) some four miles short having been vigorously opposed by the NER.
It was one of the last new main lines to be built, construction cost double the estimates, due in part to difficulties in cutting and tunnelling through unexpectedly hard chalk in the Yorkshire Wolds
Yorkshire Wolds
The Yorkshire Wolds are low hills in the counties of East Riding of Yorkshire and North Yorkshire in northeastern England. The name also applies to the district in which the hills lie....
near Little Weighton
Little Weighton
Little Weighton is a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately south west of Beverley town centre.Little Weighton forms part of the civil parish of Rowley....
.
Although it was constructed primarily for goods traffic to and from the new dock and the South Yorkshire coalfields, fine villa-style passenger stations were provided but though passenger traffic was sparse.
In 1905 the company name was shortened to the Hull and Barnsley Railway which was absorbed into the NER on 1 January 1923.
The line was gradually run down from the early 1930s with all passenger services ceasing in 1955. Today only the high level goods line around Hull and a short section serving Drax power station remain in use.