Otley and Ilkley Joint Railway
Encyclopedia
The Otley and Ilkley Joint Railway was a railway line running between the towns of Otley
and Ilkley
in West Yorkshire
. The line was a managed and run jointly by the Midland Railway
(MR) and the North Eastern Railway
(NER) and was 6.5 miles (10.46 km) long. Opened to passenger traffic on 1 August 1865 and freight traffic some months later, the line ran for almost 100 years before partial closure in July 1965 when the line to Otley closed. Today passenger services still run over the rest of the line as part of the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive
(WYPTE) Wharfedale Line
.
and the early railway schemes passed the valley by. An act of parliament had been obtained by the Lancashire & Yorkshire North Eastern Railway (incorporated as the Wharfdale Railway Company) in 1846 to build a line from Skipton
through Ilkley and Otley to Arthington but the scheme failed as the company could not raise the necessary capital and was wound up in 1852.
A second proposal was made in 1856 for a company called the Wharfedale Railway to construct a line on the same route as that authorised in 1846 but the promotors of this scheme could get no support from the major companies i.e. the MR and the NER who operated the lines into which the Wharfedale Railway would connect.
Finally in 1860, following approaches from local representatives the NER and the MR met and agreed to build a joint line between Otley and Ilkley. The Midland Railway would make a connection with the new line by building a branch from the Leeds to Bradford line
at Apperley Bridge to a junction at Burley in Wharfedale
and the NER would build a branch from its Leeds to Harrogate line
at Arthington
to make an end on connection with the new line at Otley. The necessary parliamentary powers were granted in 1861 with the passing of two acts; the Midland Railway (Otley and Ilkley Extension) Act 1861 and the North Eastern Railway (Extension to Otley and Ilkley) Act 1861. To obtain its Act the MR had to agree to demands from the residents of Bradford
who felt aggrieved that with the construction of the line there would be two direct routes between Ilkley and Leeds (Ilkley—Guiseley—Leeds & Ilkley—Arthington—Leeds) and none between Bradford
and Ilkley. The act therefore stated that "equal facilities and advantages as regards trains and the conveyance and accommodation of passengers on the Railway shall be afforded to or form Bradford as those to or from Leeds".
Construction began in 1863 with The MR taking responsibility for building the line between Otley and Ilkey. The NER branch from Arthington was finished first and the first train from Otley to Leeds, via Arthington, ran on 1 February 1865. The MR line from Apperley Junction and the joint line itself were completed a few months later and the first passenger train from Ilkey to Otley on 1 August 1865, freight services starting a year later, in October 1866.
The need to provide no disadvantage to travellers to and from Bradford gave the Midland some problems as the journeys involved reversing trains at Apperley Junction. To alleviate this the Midland sought powers to build a further line from Guiseley Junction (near Shipley) to Esholt Junction (near Guiseley). The line opened in December 1876 and the NER quickly negotiated running powers over the new section of line, this allowed the NER to run trains from Harrogate
to Bradford without going via Leeds.
A final through connection to the joint line was made when the Midland Railway opened its Skipton—Ilkley line
in 1888.
Throughout its life most of the passenger traffic on the line was of a local nature and passengers seeking to travel further afield than Leeds, Bradford or Harrogate would need to change trains.
North Eastern passenger services ran from Ilkey to Leeds via Otley, a slightly longer route than the Midland services which ran via Apperley Junction — 18.75 miles (30.18 km) via Otley compared to 16.5 miles (26.55 km) via Apperley Junction. By the time of grouping
there were six trains each way on weekdays between Ilkley and Leeds and also eight trains running between Harrogate and Bradford. Midland services comprised eight trains each way between Leeds and Ilkley and 11 trains between Ilkley and Bradford with 15 departures from Bradford to Ilkley, together with a limited number of trains between Otley and either Leeds or Bradford via Guiseley.
An exception to the local trains only was a through coach service that was available between Ilkley and London St Pancras
between 1900 and the outbreak of World War I but the service was discontinued at the outbreak of war and was never reinstated.
After 1923 the line continued to be run on a joint basis by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
(LMS) and the London and North Eastern Railway
(LNER) as the successors to the Midland and North Eastern companies. Weekday train services remained much the same and by 1935 there were eight services each way on the LNER route. LMS services consisted of 14 trains each way between Ilkley and Bradford (seven being through trains to/from Skipton) and nine between Ilkey and Leeds.
World War II had a dramatic effect on the line and even after the end of the war services were poor compared to pre-war levels. In April 1946 LNER direct services between Ilkley and Leeds had fallen to just one with a further six journeys possible by changing trains at Arthington. The Harrogate—Bradford service was reduced to two trains each way. LMS services were not much better with seven trains Ilkley—Bradford and six Ilkley—Leeds.
With nationalisation
in 1948 came an end to the joint committee and the entire line became part of the London Midland Region of British Railways
although this was short lived and in 1955 the whole line became part of the North Eastern Region
instead. Neither event had much effect on train services and the 1957 timetable showed an improvement of services via Guiseley but only four trains each way through Otley (all Ilkley—Leeds services) and the withdrawal of the Bradford—Harrogate service altogether.
A major change came in 1959 when passenger services over the line were moved from steam hauled trains to Diesel multiple unit
operation. The number of daily trains increased from 41 to 72 with hourly services between Ilkley—Bradford and Ilkley—Leeds via Guiseley, the Otley service however remained at four services each way.
all the lines in Wharfedale would close along with the lines via Guiseley. However due to pressures from the Ilkley Railway Supporters Association (formed specially to fight the closure proposals) the Guiseley lines and the Burley—Ilkley section were reprieved. The line from Burley to Arthington was to close along with the line north of Ilkely to Skipton. The last passenger services on the Burley—Arthington line ran on 20 March 1965 and goods services ceased on 5 July 1965. Ilkley became a terminus again with the withdrawal of the final freight services between Skipton and Ilkley in January 1966 and the closed lines were demolished later that year.
The remaining lines were again threatened with closure in 1968 when a second closure proposal was made. The discussion went on until 1972 when it was announced that the Ilkley to Leeds service would survive but that the line between Guiseley and Shipley would close and once again trains between Ilkley and Bradford would have to reverse at Apperley Junction. The decision was however never implemented as Bradford Corporation agreed to subsidise the line. Since 1974 the line has been managed by WYPTE and is now marketed as the Wharfedale line.
via Yeadon, this would have been shorterned the journey between Ilkley and Leeds by three miles compared to the route via Otley. The NER did not wish to participate and instead the new company turned to the Midland Railway instead. Finding some favour the Guiseley, Yeadon and Rawdon railway obtained parliamentary approval for a 1 miles (1.6 km) line from the Midland line south of Guiseley to Yeadon. Despite plans and parliamentary approval to extend the line to Headingley, the company could not raise the necessary capital and the Guiseley—Yeadon section was sold to the Midland who opened the line to freight traffic only in 1894. Despite a station being built at Yeadon there was never a regular passenger service only excursions and the line continued as a freight only line until it closed in 1964.
Otley
-Transport:The main roads through the town are the A660 to the south east, which connects Otley to Bramhope, Adel and Leeds city centre, and the A65 to the west, which goes to Ilkley and Skipton. The A6038 heads to Guiseley, Shipley and Bradford, connecting with the A65...
and Ilkley
Ilkley
Ilkley is a spa town and civil parish in West Yorkshire, in the north of England. Ilkley civil parish includes the adjacent village of Ben Rhydding and is a ward within the metropolitan borough of Bradford. Approximately north of Bradford, the town lies mainly on the south bank of the River Wharfe...
in 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....
. The line was a managed and run jointly by the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
(MR) and the North Eastern Railway
North Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
(NER) and was 6.5 miles (10.46 km) long. Opened to passenger traffic on 1 August 1865 and freight traffic some months later, the line ran for almost 100 years before partial closure in July 1965 when the line to Otley closed. Today passenger services still run over the rest of the line as part of the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive
West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive
The West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive is the Passenger Transport Executive for the county of West Yorkshire, England. It is the executive arm of the West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority and was originally formed on 1 April 1974 as the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport...
(WYPTE) Wharfedale Line
Wharfedale Line
The Wharfedale Line is the name given to one of the rail services in the West Yorkshire Metro area of northern England. The service connects Ilkley with Leeds and Bradford, and is operated by Northern Rail. West Yorkshire Metrocards are available for use on the line, covering Zones 3 - 5...
.
History
The towns of Otley and Ilkley both lie in WharfedaleWharfedale
Wharfedale is one of the Yorkshire Dales in England. It is the valley of the River Wharfe. Towns and villages in Wharfedale include Buckden, Kettlewell, Conistone, Grassington, Hebden, Ilkley, Burley-in-Wharfedale, Otley, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Arthington, Collingham, and Wetherby...
and the early railway schemes passed the valley by. An act of parliament had been obtained by the Lancashire & Yorkshire North Eastern Railway (incorporated as the Wharfdale Railway Company) in 1846 to build a line from Skipton
Skipton
Skipton is a market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located along the course of both the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the River Aire, on the south side of the Yorkshire Dales, northwest of Bradford and west of York...
through Ilkley and Otley to Arthington but the scheme failed as the company could not raise the necessary capital and was wound up in 1852.
A second proposal was made in 1856 for a company called the Wharfedale Railway to construct a line on the same route as that authorised in 1846 but the promotors of this scheme could get no support from the major companies i.e. the MR and the NER who operated the lines into which the Wharfedale Railway would connect.
Finally in 1860, following approaches from local representatives the NER and the MR met and agreed to build a joint line between Otley and Ilkley. The Midland Railway would make a connection with the new line by building a branch from the Leeds to Bradford line
Leeds and Bradford Railway
The Leeds and Bradford Railway was formed in 1843 to bring the railway to Bradford: the line opened on 1 July 1846. The company was always closely allied with the Midland Railway, and within ten years the L&BR had been absorbed into the Midland, and disappeared.-History:The line and the two...
at Apperley Bridge to a junction at Burley in Wharfedale
Burley in Wharfedale
Burley-in-Wharfedale, is a village in the county of West Yorkshire, England. Along with Menston, Burley is part of Wharfedale Ward in the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford . It lies on the A65, approximately fourteen miles north-west of the centre of Leeds and nine miles north of...
and the NER would build a branch from its Leeds to Harrogate line
Leeds-Northallerton Railway
The Leeds-Northallerton railway is a partly disused railway line between West and North Yorkshire, in northern England.-History:The line was opened by the Leeds Northern Railway, in the 1850s.The Leeds and Thirsk Railway via Starbeck opened on 9 July 1848....
at Arthington
Arthington
Arthington is a small village in Wharfedale, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. It is a civil parish which, according to the 2001 census, had a population of 561 and is in the LS21 postcode district with Otley as its post town...
to make an end on connection with the new line at Otley. The necessary parliamentary powers were granted in 1861 with the passing of two acts; the Midland Railway (Otley and Ilkley Extension) Act 1861 and the North Eastern Railway (Extension to Otley and Ilkley) Act 1861. To obtain its Act the MR had to agree to demands from the residents of Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
who felt aggrieved that with the construction of the line there would be two direct routes between Ilkley and Leeds (Ilkley—Guiseley—Leeds & Ilkley—Arthington—Leeds) and none between Bradford
Bradford Forster Square railway station
Bradford Forster Square station is a railway station in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The majority of services to/from the station use Class 333 electrified trains operated by Northern Rail, on the Airedale Line to Skipton, the Wharfedale Line to Ilkley and the Leeds-Bradford Line to Leeds.The...
and Ilkley. The act therefore stated that "equal facilities and advantages as regards trains and the conveyance and accommodation of passengers on the Railway shall be afforded to or form Bradford as those to or from Leeds".
Construction began in 1863 with The MR taking responsibility for building the line between Otley and Ilkey. The NER branch from Arthington was finished first and the first train from Otley to Leeds, via Arthington, ran on 1 February 1865. The MR line from Apperley Junction and the joint line itself were completed a few months later and the first passenger train from Ilkey to Otley on 1 August 1865, freight services starting a year later, in October 1866.
The need to provide no disadvantage to travellers to and from Bradford gave the Midland some problems as the journeys involved reversing trains at Apperley Junction. To alleviate this the Midland sought powers to build a further line from Guiseley Junction (near Shipley) to Esholt Junction (near Guiseley). The line opened in December 1876 and the NER quickly negotiated running powers over the new section of line, this allowed the NER to run trains from Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
to Bradford without going via Leeds.
A final through connection to the joint line was made when the Midland Railway opened its Skipton—Ilkley line
Skipton to Ilkley Line
The Skipton to Ilkley Line is the route that the Midland Railway took to link the towns of Skipton and Ilkley via the villages of Embsay and Addingham and also the beautiful spot of Bolton Abbey or Bolton Priory....
in 1888.
Operation and traffic
The two companies set up a joint committee, the Otley & Ilkley Joint Line Committee, to manage the line. In the early days this led to some confusing arrangement e.g. east bound freight traffic for Leeds was sent on alternate weeks via Arthington and Apperley Junction to give fair distribution of income between the MR and the NER. Likewise signalling was to maintained in five year periods alternating between the two companies, an arrangement swiftly done away with and instead an agreement made that the Midland would signal west of Burley Junction, and the North Eastern the line east of Burley Junction.Throughout its life most of the passenger traffic on the line was of a local nature and passengers seeking to travel further afield than Leeds, Bradford or Harrogate would need to change trains.
North Eastern passenger services ran from Ilkey to Leeds via Otley, a slightly longer route than the Midland services which ran via Apperley Junction — 18.75 miles (30.18 km) via Otley compared to 16.5 miles (26.55 km) via Apperley Junction. By the time of grouping
Railways 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...
there were six trains each way on weekdays between Ilkley and Leeds and also eight trains running between Harrogate and Bradford. Midland services comprised eight trains each way between Leeds and Ilkley and 11 trains between Ilkley and Bradford with 15 departures from Bradford to Ilkley, together with a limited number of trains between Otley and either Leeds or Bradford via Guiseley.
An exception to the local trains only was a through coach service that was available between Ilkley and London St Pancras
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
between 1900 and the outbreak of World War I but the service was discontinued at the outbreak of war and was never reinstated.
After 1923 the line continued to be run on a joint basis by 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...
(LMS) and the London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
(LNER) as the successors to the Midland and North Eastern companies. Weekday train services remained much the same and by 1935 there were eight services each way on the LNER route. LMS services consisted of 14 trains each way between Ilkley and Bradford (seven being through trains to/from Skipton) and nine between Ilkey and Leeds.
World War II had a dramatic effect on the line and even after the end of the war services were poor compared to pre-war levels. In April 1946 LNER direct services between Ilkley and Leeds had fallen to just one with a further six journeys possible by changing trains at Arthington. The Harrogate—Bradford service was reduced to two trains each way. LMS services were not much better with seven trains Ilkley—Bradford and six Ilkley—Leeds.
With nationalisation
Transport Act 1947
The Transport Act 1947 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Under it the railways, long-distance road haulage and various other types of transport were acquired by the state and handed over to a new British Transport Commission for operation...
in 1948 came an end to the joint committee and the entire line became part of the London Midland Region of British Railways
London Midland Region of British Railways
The London Midland Region was one of the six regions created on the formation of the nationalised British Railways and consisted of ex-London, Midland and Scottish Railway lines in England and Wales. The region was managed first from buildings adjacent to Euston Station and later from Stanier...
although this was short lived and in 1955 the whole line became part of the North Eastern Region
North Eastern Region of British Railways
The North Eastern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. It was merged with the Eastern Region in 1967. It was the near direct post-nationalisation descendant of the North Eastern Railway, that had merged with the LNER just over 20 years early....
instead. Neither event had much effect on train services and the 1957 timetable showed an improvement of services via Guiseley but only four trains each way through Otley (all Ilkley—Leeds services) and the withdrawal of the Bradford—Harrogate service altogether.
A major change came in 1959 when passenger services over the line were moved from steam hauled trains to Diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
operation. The number of daily trains increased from 41 to 72 with hourly services between Ilkley—Bradford and Ilkley—Leeds via Guiseley, the Otley service however remained at four services each way.
Decline and rescue
The increase in services had been welcomed but only four years later the entire line was threatened. Under the Beeching proposalsBeeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
all the lines in Wharfedale would close along with the lines via Guiseley. However due to pressures from the Ilkley Railway Supporters Association (formed specially to fight the closure proposals) the Guiseley lines and the Burley—Ilkley section were reprieved. The line from Burley to Arthington was to close along with the line north of Ilkely to Skipton. The last passenger services on the Burley—Arthington line ran on 20 March 1965 and goods services ceased on 5 July 1965. Ilkley became a terminus again with the withdrawal of the final freight services between Skipton and Ilkley in January 1966 and the closed lines were demolished later that year.
The remaining lines were again threatened with closure in 1968 when a second closure proposal was made. The discussion went on until 1972 when it was announced that the Ilkley to Leeds service would survive but that the line between Guiseley and Shipley would close and once again trains between Ilkley and Bradford would have to reverse at Apperley Junction. The decision was however never implemented as Bradford Corporation agreed to subsidise the line. Since 1974 the line has been managed by WYPTE and is now marketed as the Wharfedale line.
Yeadon branch
Although not part of the Otley and Ilkley Joint line the branch to Yeadon arose from approaches made to the NER in 1881 to construct a line from Guiseley to HeadingleyHeadingley railway station
Headingley railway station is off Kirkstall Lane in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England on the Harrogate Line north west of Leeds...
via Yeadon, this would have been shorterned the journey between Ilkley and Leeds by three miles compared to the route via Otley. The NER did not wish to participate and instead the new company turned to the Midland Railway instead. Finding some favour the Guiseley, Yeadon and Rawdon railway obtained parliamentary approval for a 1 miles (1.6 km) line from the Midland line south of Guiseley to Yeadon. Despite plans and parliamentary approval to extend the line to Headingley, the company could not raise the necessary capital and the Guiseley—Yeadon section was sold to the Midland who opened the line to freight traffic only in 1894. Despite a station being built at Yeadon there was never a regular passenger service only excursions and the line continued as a freight only line until it closed in 1964.