Wakefield Line

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Wakefield Line
KBFa
Leeds
HST
Outwood
BHF
Wakefield Westgate
HST
Sandall & Agbrigg
HST
Fitzwilliam
STRrg ABZrf
STR HST
South Elmsall
STR HST
Adwick
STR HST
Bentley
STR BHF
Doncaster
STR STRlf
East Coast Main Line
HST
Thurnscoe
HST
Goldthorpe
HST
Bolton-on-Dearne
HST
Swinton
BHF
Rotherham Central
INT
Meadowhall
INTe
Sheffield


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 Line. The local stopping service is operated by Northern Rail; it is supplemented by frequent InterCity services between Leeds, Wakefield and either Doncaster or Sheffield. Long distance services using this line as part of longer journeys are run by GNER, East Midlands Trains and CrossCountry. Parts of the line over which the Wakefield Line trains run are also used by the Huddersfield and Pontefract Lines.

West Yorkshire Metrocards are available for all trains as far as South Elmsall on the Doncaster line; and to Moorthorpe on the Sheffield part of the Line.

Contents

[edit] The Route

At the time of the 1923 Grouping the line was owned by different railway companies:

  • Leeds Central station - Wakefield: Great Northern Railway (GNR). Wakefield station was jointly owned by the GNR and Great Central Railways (GCR). This section is part of the main Leeds - London line.
  • Wakefield - Doncaster: West Riding and Grimsby Joint Railway (WRGJt) (joint GNR/GCR ownership).
  • Moorthorpe Junction (near South Elmsall - Swinton: Swinton & Knottingley Joint Railway (MidR/NER).
  • Swinton - Sheffield Midland Railway (MidR)

[edit] Leeds Central - Wakefield Westgate

Station Status Other
Beeston Closed as of 2005
Ardsley Tunnel
Ardsley Closed as of 2005
Outwood Open as of 2005, formerly known as Lofthouse and Outwood See below
Wrenthorpe Junction: line to Dewsbury Partially closed 1963, complete closure 1965, some artefacts remain.
Wakefield Westgate Openas of 2005, redevelopment planned

At Outwood there were junctions with two joint undertakings:

[edit] Wakefield - Doncaster

Some stations on this line may have plans to be reopened.

[edit] Sandal - Sheffield

Part of this section is also worked as the Dearne Valley Line:

  • Moorthorpe
  • "Frickley railway station" branch to Frickley Colliery
  • Thurnscoe was Hickleton & Thurnscoe
  • here at Hickleton Junction the line called the Dearne Valley Railway (worked by the L&Y) had a junction with the route
  • Goldthorpe
  • Bolton-on-Dearne
  • here was a junction with the GCR Penistone - Doncaster line.
  • Swinton

From here, towards Sheffield, the Midland and Great Central had parallel lines following the course of the River Don.

  • The lines of the competing companies were so close that in 1965 BR built a new junction complex at Aldwarke; the Wakefield line now follows the former GCR line to reach the reopened Rotherham Central. Intermediate stations were to be found at:
  • Parkgate & Aldwarke railway station (Closed 1951)
  • Rotherham Road railway station (Closed)
  • From Rotherham Central, taking a new curve, the line joins the Sheffield and Rotherham Railway.
  • Meadowhall
  • Brightside
  • From Grimesthorpe Junction the line leaves the S&R and takes the line built in 1870 in order to reach the, then, new Sheffield station of the Midland Railway.
  • Attercliffe Road
  • Sheffield

[edit] See also

Railway stations in West Yorkshire

MetroTrain lines:  Airedale Caldervale Dearne Valley Hallam Line Harrogate Huddersfield Leeds-Bradford Penistone Pontefract Wakefield Wharfedale York & Selby

Major stations:   Bradford Forster Square - Bradford Interchange - Halifax - Huddersfield - Leeds - Shipley - Wakefield Westgate

Other stations:  Baildon - Batley - Ben Rhydding - Berry Brow - Bingley - Bramley - Brockholes - Brighouse - Burley Park - Burley-in-Wharfedale - Castleford - Cottingley - Crossflatts - Cross Gates - Darton* - Deighton - Denby Dale - Dewsbury - East Garforth - Featherstone - Fitzwilliam - Frizinghall - Garforth - Glasshoughton - Guiseley - Headingley - Hebden Bridge - Honley - Horsforth - Ilkley - Keighley - Knottingley - Lockwood - Marsden - Menston - Micklefield - Mirfield - Moorthorpe - Morley - Mytholmroyd - New Pudsey - Normanton - Outwood - Pontefract Baghill - Pontefract Monkhill - Pontefract Tanshelf - Ravensthorpe - Saltaire - Sandal and Agbrigg - Shepley - Slaithwaite - South Elmsall - Sowerby Bridge - Steeton and Silsden - Stocksmoor - Streethouse - Todmorden - Wakefield Kirkgate - Walsden - Woodlesford

 * Darton station is in South Yorkshire, however West Yorkshire Metro passes are valid to/from this station.

Transport in West Yorkshire - Metro