Calder Valley line | |||
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![]() A Northern Class 158 Express Sprinter at Hebden Bridge in 2017 | |||
Overview | |||
Owner | Network Rail | ||
Locale | West Yorkshire Greater Manchester Lancashire North West England Yorkshire and the Humber | ||
Termini | |||
Service | |||
Operator(s) | Northern Grand Central | ||
Technical | |||
Number of tracks | 2 | ||
Character | Heavy Rail | ||
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | ||
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The Calder Valley line (also previously known as the Caldervale line) is a railway route in Northern England between the cities of Leeds and Manchester as well as the seaside resort of Blackpool. It is the slower of the two main rail routes between Leeds and Manchester (the other being the Huddersfield line), and the northernmost of the three main trans-Pennine routes.
Passenger train services are operated by Northern and run on the following pattern:
This line, along with the Huddersfield line and York and Selby lines, was in the past combined in national timetables to show a coast-to-coast service but since May 2018 has been split again into separate routes for operational reasons and to improve service reliability. Through running to Chester (with a limited peak provision to Ellesmere Port via Helsby) began in May 2019.
Services within West Yorkshire are sponsored by West Yorkshire Metro, whose tickets (including Metrocards) can be used up to Hebden Bridge between Leeds and Blackpool, and Walsden between Leeds and Manchester.
Before the 1923 Grouping the first section of the line (Leeds–Bradford) was owned by the Great Northern Railway (GNR); and the entire remainder by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR), apart from the final section of the branch leading into Huddersfield, which was owned by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR).
For the section between Halifax and Burnley the line uses the valley of the River Calder, which in fact comprises two separate valleys with rivers of the same name, that of West Yorkshire and the Lancashire River Calder thus giving the services their name; it also follows the Rochdale Canal from Todmorden into Manchester. Since the route crosses the Pennines, there are many tunnels to negotiate en route.
The British Railways Board's Corporate Plan for 1983–1988 marked the routes between Milner Royd Junction (east of Sowerby Bridge) and Bowling Junction (south of Bradford Interchange); and Milner Royd Junction and Heaton Lodge Junction (west of Mirfield) to be 'singled' on a list "The Proposed Elimination of Non-Essential Multiple Tracks". [1] A combination of factors meant this was never implemented: the better gradients for freight than the Huddersfield trans-Pennine route; and the mid-1980s uncertainty over the Settle-Carlisle route meant that this became the preferred route for goods between Leeds and Preston/Carlisle.
Today, Hebden Bridge and Leeds are the only stations where every service calls, the route description follows.
For the initial section of the route between Leeds and Bradford, see Leeds–Bradford lines.
Many stations on this route have been closed. Stations currently open are in bold. Original places served, and notes on the route:
On 24 October 1901, as the 6.10 pm down goods train from Low Moor to Leeds to was passing through Bowling Tunnel, the rear section broke loose. It came to a stop in the tunnel and was run into from behind by the 9.05 pm goods train from Low Moor to Laisterdyke. Wreckage partly blocking the up line was then hit by the 9:00 pm passenger train from Leeds to Manchester. Nobody was killed but there was extensive damage to rolling stock. [2]
This route was re-opened to passengers in 2000 when Brighouse station was re-opened, and two short lengths of line were relaid (after being out of use for 15 years) to enable trains to reach Huddersfield.
Many stations on this route have been closed (or are not served by the Calder Valley line trains): original stations served:
On 28 February 1902 a Wakefield to Rose Grove goods train broke into two due to a broken coupling, resulting in the rear half eventually crashing at high speed into the front half in Millwood Tunnel. No one was killed but wreckage filled the tunnel right up to the roof. [4]
Summit Tunnel was the scene of a major fire in 1984, caused when a freight train hauling petrol tankers derailed.
Trains continue up the Calder valley to Burnley and Blackburn; it also runs parallel with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal from Burnley. The section from Todmorden to Burnley (often called the Copy Pit line) was opened by the Manchester and Leeds Railway (later L&YR) on 12 November 1849. The East Lancashire Railway (later L&YR) built the Burnley to Preston line, Burnley to Accrington 18 September 1848, Accrington to Blackburn 19 June 1848, and the Blackburn to Preston section on 1 June 1846.
The Rose Grove–Todmorden (Hall Royd) local service over this route ended in 1965, the only passenger services thereafter being a daily Leeds–Blackpool train. In mid-1982 the last tanker train travelled over the line, with the expectation of closure shortly after. A turning point came when the National and Provincial Building Society moved staff from Burnley to Bradford. The Society arranged for a Preston–Bradford Interchange train to be run to move staff from their home base to Bradford offices. In October 1984 British Rail developed this into five trains each way between Leeds and Preston with one extended to Blackpool. [5]
The Todmorden curve is a 440-yard (400 m) section of track at Hall Royd Junction in Todmorden which was lifted in 1972. Originally Hall Royd Junction was triangular, and the lifted curve allowed services from Burnley to reach Manchester via Todmorden (regular services over it had ceased in November 1965). Reinstating the curve was a priority for Lancashire County Council and was ranked as the most important project in its 2010 Rail Improvement Schemes draft report. [6] The government stated in March 2010 that reinstating the link would cost around £7 million and any new rail services would require initial subsidy. [7] Burnley MP Kitty Ussher wrote to the North West Development Agency to seek assurance that it could find the money. [7] In October 2010 Network Rail agreed to pay for the final assessment of the plans. [8] This assessment, completed in May 2011, concluded that it could be feasible to reinstate the curve, although the original route could not be used as the original curve was deemed to be too sharp. An alternative route was instead put forward, and it was stated that, if funds could be obtained by early 2012 to carry forward the project, the curve could be back in use by the end of 2013. [9]
On 31 October 2011, the deputy Prime Minister announced that the scheme would be given the go-ahead. [10]
Construction work began in summer 2013, and the curve was planned to be available for the May 2014 timetable change. [11] The track was completed and tested in May 2014, and services began on 17 May 2015. [12] [13]
Many stations on this route have been closed (or are not served by the Calder Valley line trains): original stations served and other notes on the route:
This line is described in more detail in East Lancashire line.
This route is described in more detail in Blackpool branch lines.
Holme Tunnel, which lies between Hebden Bridge and Burnley Manchester Road, was closed for 20 weeks from November 2013 until March 2014. [14] This was to allow for major engineering work to fix the distorted shape of the tunnel, caused by movement of the ground through which it passes. The project was budgeted to cost £16.3 million. [15] During the works, buses replaced train services. Trains can now pass through at 45 mph. [16]
![]() | This section needs to be updated.(August 2020) |
Improvements to the line were proposed as part of Network Rail's 2010 Northern Hub plans, which would allow for more frequent services on the line. [17] Some services via Bradford would also be extended to Chester, Crewe, Liverpool and Manchester Airport. [17] The Chester services started in December 2017 under the proposed "Northern Connect" brand, which has since been scrapped. Those services are operated by new 100 mph Class 195 diesel trains by December 2019. [18] In 2018, the Manchester Airport trains briefly ran over the Ordsall Curve. However, those services have also been scrapped. Track and signalling upgrades between Hebden Bridge and Leeds (following on from work already carried out between Littleborough and Manchester) will allow for quicker journey times by the autumn of 2018. The work will see four existing signal boxes between Hebden Bridge and Mill Lane Junction in Bradford closed and signalling control transferred to the Rail Operating Centre at York. [19] The ROC will also take over the operation of the parts of the line through Brighouse and Mirfield currently controlled from Huddersfield and Healey Mills panel boxes.
Low Moor station, between Bradford Interchange and Halifax, reopened on 2 April 2017 after the original opening planned for 2005 was delayed by the discovery of disused mine workings under the station site. [20] [21] A business case is being developed to re-open Elland station between Halifax and Brighouse. [22]
Calderdale Council have called for the route to be electrified as an alternative route to the line through Huddersfield should that be closed for engineering works. Tim Swift, the leader of Calderdale Council in 2015 stated "It makes no logical sense in terms of a long term network to electrify the Trans-Pennine Route and not the Calder Valley Line". [23] In March 2015 The Northern Sparks report was produced by a committee of Members of Parliament from all parties focusing on economic benefits of electrification in the North. The Calder Valley line in its entirety was number one priority. [24] This was reiterated in 2018. [25]
The Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands (IRP) is a government document that was published on 18 November 2021. This document says that the line from Leeds to Bradford Interchange will be electrified. [26]
As part of the TFGM's Delivery Plan, there are plans to electrify the line between Manchester Victoria to Rochdale via Mills Hill. [27] This is part of the 2040 Strategy, and they aim to complete business cases for the early start of it with potential completion in 2026, subject to funding. [28]
Hebden Bridge is a market town in the Calderdale district of West Yorkshire, England. It is in the Upper Calder Valley, 8 miles (13 km) west of Halifax and 14 miles (21 km) north-east of Rochdale, at the confluence of the River Calder and the Hebden Water. The town is the largest settlement in the civil parish of Hebden Royd.
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways. It was the third-largest railway system based in northern England.
The Manchester and Leeds Railway was a British railway company that built a line from Manchester to Normanton where it made a junction with the North Midland Railway, over which it relied on running powers to access Leeds. The line followed the valley of the River Calder for much of the way, making for easier gradients but by-passing many important manufacturing towns. Crossing the watershed between Lancashire and Yorkshire required a long tunnel. The line opened throughout in 1841.
Blackburn railway station serves the town of Blackburn in Lancashire, England. It is 12 miles (19 km) east of Preston and is managed and served by Northern Trains.
Accrington railway station serves the town of Accrington in Lancashire, England. It is a station on the East Lancashire line 6+1⁄4 miles (10.1 km) east of Blackburn railway station operated by Northern.
Burnley Manchester Road is the main railway station in Burnley, Lancashire, England. It is situated on the Calder Valley Line 24+1⁄2 miles (39.4 km) east of Preston, near to the route's junction with the East Lancashire Line.
Hebden Bridge railway station serves the town of Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, England. The station is on the Calder Valley Line, operated by Northern since April 2016, from York and Leeds towards Manchester Victoria and Preston. The station is 8.5 miles (14 km) west of Halifax and 26 miles (42 km) west of Leeds.
Bradford Interchange is a transport interchange in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, which consists of a railway station and bus station adjacent. The Interchange, which was designed in 1962, was hailed as a showpiece of European design and was opened on 14 January 1973. It is served by the majority of bus services in the city centre, while the railway station, which is one of two in the city centre, is served by Northern and is also the terminus for Grand Central services from London King's Cross.
Halifax railway station serves the town of Halifax in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Calder Valley line and is 17 miles (27 km) west from Leeds.
New Pudsey railway station serves the towns of Farsley and Pudsey in West Yorkshire, England, on the Calder Valley line. It serves the adjacent suburb of Thornbury.
Mirfield railway station serves the town of Mirfield in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Huddersfield Line and is managed by both Northern and Grand Central train operating companies, and is served by TransPennine Express as well. The station is 4 miles (6 km) north east from Huddersfield.
Sowerby Bridge railway station serves the town of Sowerby Bridge in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Caldervale Line 4.5 miles (7 km) west of Halifax and 21 miles (34 km) west of Leeds.
Mytholmroyd railway station serves the communities of Mytholmroyd, Luddendenfoot, Midgley, Cragg Vale, and surrounding areas in West Yorkshire, England. It has disabled access via ramps instead of steps on both platforms, unusually as the station is built on a viaduct. It lies on the Calder Valley Line operated by Northern and is situated 7.5 miles (12 km) west of Halifax and 25 miles (40 km) west of Leeds.
Todmorden railway station serves the town of Todmorden in West Yorkshire, England, originally on the Yorkshire and Lancashire border. It was built by the Manchester and Leeds Railway and is on the Calder Valley line 23 miles (37 km) west of Leeds and 17 miles (27 km) north-east of Manchester Victoria.
Walsden railway station serves the village of Walsden, Todmorden in West Yorkshire, England, on the edge of the Pennines.
Littleborough railway station serves the town of Littleborough in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England.
Rochdale railway station is a multi-modal transport hub in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. It consists of a Northern-operated heavy rail station on the Caldervale Line, and an adjoining light rail stop on Metrolink's Oldham and Rochdale Line. The original heavy-rail element of the station was opened by the Manchester and Leeds Railway in 1839 0.5 miles (0.80 km) to the south of Rochdale town centre. The Metrolink element opened in February 2013. Further changes to the station are planned as part of the Northern Hub rail-enhancement scheme.
Hebden Royd is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 9,092, rising to 9,558 at the 2011 census. It includes market town of Hebden Bridge and the villages of Mytholmroyd and Cragg Vale. The parish was an urban district before 1974, created in 1937 by the merger of Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd urban districts.
The East Lancashire line is a railway line in the Lancashire region of England, which runs between Preston and Colne, through Blackburn, Accrington, Burnley and Nelson. The line formerly ran onto Skipton but this closed in 1970.
Cornholme railway station served the village of Cornholme in West Yorkshire, England on the Copy Pit line. The station was opened by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in July 1878 and closed by the LMS on 26 September 1938. The line remains in use for passenger trains between York/Leeds and Blackpool, which run non-stop between Hebden Bridge and Burnley, and also for trains between Manchester and Blackburn, via Todmorden, utilising the reinstated Todmorden Curve.
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