Swinton and Knottingley Joint Railway
Encyclopedia
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....
and Great Central
Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
lines at Swinton
Swinton (South Yorkshire) railway station
Swinton railway station is a railway station in Swinton, South Yorkshire, England. It has three platforms and a small bus station, and lies at the junction of the former North Midland Railway main line between Rotherham Masborough and Leeds via Cudworth and the former South Yorkshire Railway line...
, north of Rotherham
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
, with 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...
at Ferrybridge
Ferrybridge railway station
Ferrybridge railway station was a railway station located in Ferrybridge, West Yorkshire, England on the London and North Eastern Line. The station was opened in 1882 by the North Eastern Railway, three years after the completion of the Swinton & Knottingley Joint line via Moorthorpe on 1 May 1879...
, near Knottingley
Knottingley
Knottingley is a town within the metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England on the River Aire and the A1 road. It has a population of 13,503....
, a distance of sixteen miles, opening up a more direct route between York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
and the Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
area. It was jointly owned by the North Eastern Railway and the Midland Railway, and later was jointly worked by their successors 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...
and the London Midland and Scottish Railway.
The line was opened on 1 May 1879, with intermediate stations at Ferrybridge
Ferrybridge railway station
Ferrybridge railway station was a railway station located in Ferrybridge, West Yorkshire, England on the London and North Eastern Line. The station was opened in 1882 by the North Eastern Railway, three years after the completion of the Swinton & Knottingley Joint line via Moorthorpe on 1 May 1879...
(1882), Pontefract Baghill
Pontefract Baghill railway station
Pontefract Baghill railway station is the least busy of the three railway stations in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England. The other stations, Monkhill and Tanshelf, both lie on the Pontefract Line, while Baghill lies on the Dearne Valley Line south of York towards Sheffield...
, Ackworth
Ackworth railway station
Ackworth railway station was a railway station serving Ackworth in the English county of West Yorkshire.-History:The station was opened by the Swinton and Knottingley Joint Railway, which became a joint railway between the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and the London and North Eastern...
(1 July 1879), Moorthorpe
Moorthorpe railway station
Moorthorpe railway station serves Moorthorpe, near Pontefract, in the City of Wakefield district of West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Dearne Valley Line and the Wakefield Line both operated by Northern Rail....
, Frickley
Frickley railway station
Frickley railway station was situated on the Swinton and Knottingley Joint railway, between Bolton-on-Dearne and Moorthorpe. It served the village of Clayton, South Yorkshire, England.The station was situated about a mile north of the present day Thurnscoe....
and Bolton-on-Dearne
Bolton-on-Dearne railway station
Bolton-on-Dearne railway station serves the village of Bolton on Dearne in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Wakefield Line north of Sheffield railway station.- History :...
(1 July 1879).
The route today forms the central section of the Dearne Valley Line
Dearne Valley Line
The Dearne Valley Line is the name given to a railway line in the north of England running from York to Sheffield via Pontefract Baghill and Moorthorpe.-History:...
from York to Sheffield, 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...
. The section from Swinton to Moorthorpe also serves as the main route from Sheffield to Leeds, known as the Wakefield line
Wakefield Line
The 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...
, since the closure of the North Midland
North Midland Railway
The North Midland Railway was a British railway company, which opened its line from Derby to Rotherham and Leeds in 1840.At Derby it connected with the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway and the Midland Counties Railway at what became known as the Tri Junct Station...
route due to subsidence in 1985.