Barnsley Interchange

Barnsley Interchange National Rail
Location
Place Barnsley
Local authority Barnsley
Coordinates 53°33′15″N 1°28′39″W / 53.554080°N 1.477590°WCoordinates: 53°33′15″N 1°28′39″W / 53.554080°N 1.477590°W
Grid reference SE347065
Operations
Station code BNY
Managed by Northern Rail
Number of platforms 2
DfT category C2
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2004/05 0.783 million
2005/06 Increase 0.868 million
2006/07 Decrease 0.822 million
2007/08 Increase 0.876 million
2008/09 Increase 1.320 million
2009/10 Increase 1.336 million
2010/11 Increase 1.394 million
2011/12 Increase 1.448 million
2012/13 Increase 1.464 million
2013/14 Decrease 1.350 million
Passenger Transport Executive
PTE Travel South Yorkshire
Zone Barnsley
History
Key dates Opened 1850
Original company Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Wakefield, Huddersfield & Goole Railway
Pre-grouping Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Post-grouping London, Midland and Scottish Railway
1 January 1850 Opened as Barnsley
2 June 1924 Renamed Barnsley Low Town
1 August 1924 Renamed Barnsley Exchange
13 June 1960 Renamed Barnsley
20 May 2007 Renamed Barnsley Interchange
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Barnsley Interchange from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Barnsley Interchange (formerly Barnsley Exchange Station) lies in the centre of the town of Barnsley, in South Yorkshire, England. The station was opened in 1850 and is 16 miles (26 km) north of Sheffield. It is on both the Hallam and Penistone Lines operated by Northern Rail. In 2013 it was used as a filming location in Channel 4's cult drama series Utopia.[1]

Earlier history

A 1912 Railway Clearing House Junction Diagram showing (left) railways in the vicinity of Barnsley. The present station is shown here as L&Y STA, on the line coloured blue.

The Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Wakefield, Huddersfield & Goole Railway was formed in 1846 with the aim of providing access to the South Yorkshire coalfield. It was to link the Manchester and Leeds Railway (M&LR) near Horbury, with the Sheffield and Rotherham Railway near Brightside, by way of Barnsley. Whilst the railway was still at the planning stage, it was split in two at Barnsley, the northern portion being leased to the M&LR and the southern to the South Yorkshire, Doncaster & Goole Railway (SYD&G). The northern section opened first, and Barnsley station was opened with the line on 1 January 1850. The route of the southern section was changed, and instead it connected to the SYD&G line near Mexborough. This section opened on 1 July 1851, and Barnsley then became a through station, although the two sections of line were operated by different railways. On 1 July 1854, the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MS&LR) opened a line from Penistone to Barnsley.[2][3][4]

Each of these railway companies went through various takeovers and amalgamations, until the early 20th century, when the station at Barnsley was co-owned by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (LYR, successor to the M&LR), and the Great Central Railway (GCR, successor to the MS&LR and SYD&G). At the 1923 grouping, the GCR became part of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), whilst the LYR formed part of the new London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), as did the Midland Railway (MR). The LYR and MR each contributed one station in Barnsley to the LMS, and since the ex-MR station was already distinguished as Barnsley Court House, the LMS renamed the former LYR station to Barnsley Low Town on 2 June 1924. Just two months later, on 1 August 1924, it was again renamed, this time to Barnsley Exchange.[4]

Barnsley Court House station closed on 19 April 1960, following the commissioning of a new chord line south of the town near Quarry Junction that linked the former SYR route down the Blackburn Valley with the ex-Midland Railway line from Sheffield Midland, allowing services on the latter route to serve the station (and continue northwards to Wakefield & Leeds). Subsequently on 13 June 1960, Barnsley Exchange was renamed Barnsley.[4]

Barnsley Interchange rail services

The railway platforms at Barnsley Interchange, photographed in 1998.

Rail services operate frequently through Barnsley's Interchange station. On the Hallam line during the day on Monday to Saturday, there are three trains per hour northbound to Wakefield Kirkgate and Leeds. Two services are operated as "fast" therefore not stopping at some stations (such as Normanton and Castleford) en route. During the evening and on Sundays there is generally an hourly service.[5]

On the Penistone line, there is an hourly service northbound to Huddersfield from Monday to Saturday and a two-hourly service on Sundays. Barnsley also marks the last continuous dual running track (except for parts) for trains heading towards Huddersfield, or the first continuous dual running track for trains heading towards Sheffield

Southbound there are four trains per hour. Three of these services terminate at Sheffield whilst one carries on to Nottingham.

Midland Mainline used to serve the station with trains to London St. Pancras International via Leicester. The service was not seen as necessary by the new operator East Midlands Trains and the service was withdrawn, with the last service running on Friday 5 September 2008.

Preceding station   National Rail   Following station
Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Meadowhall
Northern Rail
Leeds-Nottingham

Barnsley Interchange bus services

The new Barnsley Interchange opened at 08:00 on 20 May 2007. The new building forms the entire new complex of Barnsley Interchange, rail and bus users will exit the interchange via the new car park or for the town centre, the new entrance and exit on Eldon Street.

The bus station features the latest in technology such as the SYPTE scheme of "Your Next Bus", tracking buses with GPS to check what time they are due to arrive and depart. Several shops occupy retail units within the interchange, these include a Lloyd's Pharmacy, GT News, Cowpuccino Espresso Bar, Cooplands and a Subway.

Work has since been completed on the link road known as Schwäbisch Gmünd Way (formerly Interchange Way, renamed in honour of Barnsley's twin town in Germany) to enable buses to enter or leave the Interchange quickly without having to use the busy level crossing at Jumble Lane.

References

  1. "Where Was Utopia Series 2 filmed? Our Production Services Team Have The Answers...". Creative England. 14 July 2014.
  2. Marshall, John (1969). The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, volume 1. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. pp. 214–5,217–8. ISBN 0-7153-4352-1.
  3. Dow, George (1959). Great Central, Volume One: The Progenitors, 1813-1863. Shepperton: Ian Allan. pp. 150, 228. ISBN 0-7110-1468-X.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 28. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
  5. GB National Rail Timetable December 2013 - May 2014, Table 34

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Barnsley Interchange.