Meltham branch line

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Meltham branch line
Legend
 Penistone Lineto Huddersfield
 Lockwood
Penistone Lineto Sheffield
 Woodfield
 Butternab Tunnel
 Netherton Tunnel
 Netherton
 Healey House
 Healey House Tunnel
 Meltham Mills
 Meltham

The Meltham branch line is a disused railway line that ran for 3 1⁄2 miles (5.6 km) from Lockwood to Meltham, in West Yorkshire, England. The line was single track for its entire length. The last regular passenger service was on 21 May 1949. It closed completely on 3 April 1965.

History

The line was authorised by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Act of 7 June 1861.[1] Construction began in April 1864 and the line opened to freight on 10 August 1868 with the first train carrying coal and lime. Passenger services began on 5 July 1869. The line was used to transport tractors from the David Brown tractor factory at Meltham.

The route

The route began just south of Lockwood station near Lockwood viaduct at a junction with the Penistone Line and continued as follows:

  • Woodfield (Opened and closed June 1874)
  • here is Butternab Tunnel (256 yards)
  • here is Netherton Tunnel (333 yards)
  • Netherton
  • Healey House
  • here is Healey House Tunnel (30 yards)
  • Meltham Mills (Closed 1934)
  • Meltham

Present day

A new housing estate and a Morrisons supermarket have been built on the site of the Meltham station but much of the line remains. In 2004 a plan was proposed to convert much of the track bed to a cycle track to be known as the Meltham Greenway.[2] The first section of this opened in May 2008[3] between Station Road in Meltham and Huddersfield road (B6108).[4]

References

  1. ↑
    • Bairstow, Martin (1993). The Huddersfield & Sheffield Junction Railway. Martin Bairstow. ISBN 1-871944-08-2. 
  2. ↑ "Expert spotlight on plans for new cycleway". The Huddersfield Daily Examiner. 20 September 2004. Retrieved 1 January 2007. 
  3. ↑ "Meltham Town Council - MELTHAM GREENWAY UPDATE". March 2009. Retrieved 2 May 2009. 
  4. ↑ "Kirklees Planning Applications - Meltham Railway Path adjacent To The Cobbles, and Land Between The Cobbles / Huddersfield Road, Meltham, Holmfirth.". 30 April 2009. Retrieved 2 May 2009. 

External links

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