Brighouse railway station

Brighouse
Platform 1
General information
Location	Brighouse, Calderdale England
Coordinates	53°41′53″N1°46′44″W / 53.698°N 1.779°W / 53.698; -1.779
Grid reference	SE146224
Managed by	Northern Trains
Transit authority	West Yorkshire Metro
Platforms	2
Other information
Station code	BGH
Fare zone	4
Classification	DfT category F1
History
Original company	Manchester & Leeds Railway
Pre-grouping	Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland & Scottish Railway
Key dates
1840	Opened
4 January 1970	Closed
28 May 2000	Reopened
Passengers
2019/20	0.397 million

The station in 1961

Brighouse railway station was first opened on 5 October 1840, as a main line station operated by the Manchester & Leeds Railway (M&L). The station was initially known as Brighouse for Bradford, as no stations had yet been built in Bradford itself. Similarly, Elland station served Halifax, and Huddersfield was served by the station at Cooper Bridge.

A lithograph was produced by Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait showing the station in 1845. ^[1]

In 1847 Brighouse station came under the control of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway (L&Y), when the M&L was incorporated into that company. The station remained under L&Y operation until it was incorporated into the London, Midland & Scottish Railway in 1923. The station's importance had gradually declined because other lines connecting Manchester and Leeds were built via Halifax and Huddersfield, bypassing Brighouse.

Brighouse station passed into British Railways ownership upon nationalisation in 1948, ^[2] and was operated as part of the North Eastern Region. The decline in passenger numbers continued, and the station closed on 5 January 1970. ^[3] The line remained open throughout that time as a freight-only one, but it was also used as a diversionary route for passenger trains when other lines were closed.

Brighouse station reopened on 28 May 2000. ^{[4] [5] [6]} It also serves the town of Elland some 2 miles (3 km) away. Plans for a station in Elland to open at the same time as Brighouse were cancelled due to lack of funds. ^[7]

On opening the station was served by one train per hour running to Leeds via Halifax and Bradford, and one train per hour in the other direction to Huddersfield. Trains called every two hours on Sundays.

From 27 April 2008 a bus service MC4 provided a connection with most Leeds via Dewsbury trains to/from Elland. This was replaced in early 2010 by a revised service E8.

In December 2008, the service was supplemented by an hourly Leeds - Dewsbury - Hebden Bridge - Manchester Victoria - Southport stopping service (Monday - Saturday daytime only, no late evening or Sunday service). This provided a considerable service improvement providing both a twice-hourly frequency for journeys to/from Leeds and a reduction in journey time taking only 35 minutes to travel to Leeds via Dewsbury rather than 50 minutes via Halifax. Even without this important improvement in services, usage of the station has increased year on year since the reopening. Some services from Leeds terminate at Brighouse and start back from here.

In May 2010, Grand Central's Bradford Interchange to London service commenced. ^[8]

In May 2018, the Sunday service from Leeds to Huddersfield via Brighouse was doubled in frequency to one per hour in each direction.

Services

As of May 2018 Brighouse is regularly served by two trains per hour to Leeds, one train per hour to Huddersfield and one train per hour to Southport via Hebden Bridge and Manchester Victoria. ^[9]

The Leeds service includes a faster journey via Dewsbury and a slower journey via Halifax and Bradford Interchange.

On Sundays there is one train per hour to Leeds (via Halifax and Bradford) and one train per hour to Huddersfield, where passengers can change for services to Manchester and fast services to Leeds.

In addition to the regular service pattern, there are four direct return services per day to London King's Cross via Wakefield Kirkgate and Doncaster, including Sundays.

From the December 2019 timetable change, the Leeds via Halifax service now terminates at Bradford Interchange on weekdays and Saturdays (it still operates through on Sundays).

A limited amount of TransPennine Express Services call here instead of Huddersfield. ^[10]

Preceding station		National Rail		Following station
Sowerby Bridge		Northern Calder Valley line		Mirfield
Huddersfield				Halifax
Mirfield		Grand Central Calder Valley line
Manchester Piccadilly		TransPennine Express North TransPennine Route		Leeds
Manchester Victoria
Disused railways
Elland		L&YR		Cooper Bridge
				Bradley West Yorkshire

Station facilities

The station has two platforms.

• Platform 1: served by services towards Huddersfield, Leeds (via Dewsbury), Wakefield Kirkgate, Doncaster and London Kings Cross
• Platform 2: served by services towards Wigan Wallgate, Manchester Victoria, and Leeds (via Halifax and Bradford Interchange).

Northern Rail and West Yorkshire Metro secured joint funding from the Department for Transport's Access for All – Small Schemes initiative to provide a new Customer Information System at the station. ^[11]

New LCD style passenger information screens with real-time information have been fitted on both platforms linked into an improved public address system providing accurate, reliable audio/visual train running information to passengers.^{[ citation needed ]}

In addition; Northern has announced plans to replace the station's HelpPoint intercom system with a more updated reliable model. This will let passengers speak to a member of staff in Northern's control centre for information or to summon assistance in emergency situations. ^[12]

Station panorama

Panorama of Brighouse station in February 2009

Filming location

The station features in the award-winning BBC comedy The Thick of It , series 4 episode 4 (from minute 21). ^[13]

References

1. "Science and Society Picture Library - Brighouse Station" . Retrieved 27 March 2009.
2. "Why not... nationalise the railways?". BBC News. 11 July 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
3. Closures Railway World issue 354 November 1969 page 472
4. Return to Brighouse Modern Railways issue 621 June 2000 page 23
5. Huddersfield huddles closer to Halifax Rail issue 386 28 June 2000 page 14
6. Huddersfield-Halifax line opens to passengers The Railway Magazine issue 1191 July 2000 page 15
7. Harris, Nigel, ed. (15–28 May 2013). "Rail group pushes for Elland station". Rail . No. 722. p. 17.
8. Grand Central starts Bradford service The Railway Magazine issue 1311 July 2010 page 6
9. Table 41 National Rail timetable, May 2018
10. "TransPennine Express Timetable north route". timetables.tpexpress.co.uk. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
11. Northern Rail Media Centre - New CIS for 22 Stations Northern Rail website; Retrieved 29 January 2009
12. WYPTA Working Group Report November 2008 ^{[ permanent dead link ‍]} West Yorkshire Metro website; Retrieved 29 January 2009
13. "BBC Two - the Thick of It, Series 4, Episode 4".

External links

• Train times and station information for Brighouse railway station from National Rail

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Legend
Past, present and future
to Bradford to Bradford Queensbury Holmfield Bailiff Bridge Lightcliffe Clifton Road Ovenden to Kirklees North Bridge Brighouse Hipperholme Pellon Elland Power Station Halifax St Pauls Elland Halifax Town South Parade Greetland Shaw Syke Rochdale Road Halt Copley West Vale Stainland and Holywell Green Sowerby Bridge Luddendenfoot Watson's Crossing Halt Mytholmroyd Triangle to Burnley Ripponden and Barkisland Portsmouth Rishworth Cornholme Hebden Bridge Stansfield Hall Eastwood Todmorden Walsden to Rochdale