Dearne Valley Railway

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The Dearne Valley Railway was a railway line which ran through the valley of the River Dearne in South Yorkshire. It was incorporated by an Act of Parliament on 6th August 1897 to build a line between Brierley Junction, on the main line of the Hull and Barnsley Railway, to junctions with the Great Northern Railway and the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Railway south east of Doncaster.

Although the line was considered an independent company it was worked by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. It opened in sections over 7 years from 1902 and carried, at first only goods traffic. Passenger trains came to the line on 3rd June 1912 running between Wakefield Kirkgate and Edlington with intermediate halts serving Ryhill, Grimethorpe, Great Houghton, Goldthorpe and Thurnscoe, Harlington and Denaby. Passenger services ceased on 10th September 1951.

Goods traffic continued but several changes were made to the track layout. The lines between (near) Grimethorpe Colliery and Brierley Junction and from Grimethorpe Colliery and Edlington were closed on the opening of a new connection from the Midland Railway's main line near Houghton in 1966. The Dearne Valley connection to Yorkshire Main Colliery at Edlington was removed in May 1972, the colliery being served by a connection to St. Catherine's Junction on the South Yorkshire Joint Railway, the junctions here being rebuilt in connection with the Doncaster area re-signalling in early May 1977.