Dearne Valley Line
Encyclopedia
The Dearne Valley Line is the name given to a railway line in the north of England
running from York
to Sheffield
via Pontefract Baghill
and Moorthorpe
.
(Y&NM), a company which belonged to the railway empire of George Hudson
. York to Sherburn Junction was completed in 1839 to form a link with the Leeds and Selby Railway
, which was later taken over by the Y&NM. This section includes Ulleskelf
, Church Fenton
and Sherburn-in-Elmet
stations, as well as the former station sites at Copmanthorpe (closed 1959) and Bolton Percy (closed 1965).
Y&NM extended the line to Altofts Junction in 1840 to meet the new North Midland Railway
as part of a new route from York to London via Normanton
, Swinton
, Chesterfield
and Derby. Stations on this section were Milford (closed 1904), Monk Fryston (closed 1959) and Burton Salmon (also closed in 1959), where the present route diverges. The next section, from Burton Salmon to Ferrybridge
, was completed in 1850 to form a link between York and Knottingley
; Ferrybridge station closed in 1965.
From Ferrybridge, the route takes up the course of the Swinton and Knottingley Joint Railway
, constructed in 1879. The first station encountered is Pontefract Baghill
, which remains open today, before the line reaches a closed station at Ackworth
(last served in 1951) then the station at Moorthorpe
. The small hamlet of Frickley
saw its station close in 1953, but two new stations at Thurnscoe
and Goldthorpe
were constructed in the 1980s. These are primarily served by Wakefield line
trains; the two Dearne Valley Line trains a day pass through without stopping. Finally, the S&KJR's Bolton-on-Dearne
station has remained open throughout.
Beyond Bolton-on-Dearne the line joins the North Midland's route to the south, opened in 1840 and serving Swinton, a new station here replacing that closed in 1967 and Kilnhurst West (also closed in 1967).
At Aldwarke Junction the route diverges from the North Midland via a junction constructed by British Rail and opened in 1965. Here it joins the former Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
line, part of a link between two branch lines opened many years earlier by the South Yorkshire Railway. This section once had stations at Parkgate and Aldwarke (closed 1951) and at Rotherham Road
(closed 1953), before reaching the former Rotherham Central
re-opened, slightly nearer the College Road bridge, in 1987 by British Rail. Leaving Rotherham Central we take the "Holmes Chord", a single line to Holmes Junction where we take to the rails of the Sheffield & Rotherham company, which opened its line in 1838 and which once served Holmes (closed in 1955), Meadowhall
(a new station opened in 1991), Wincobank (closed 1956), Brightside (closed 1994) and Attercliffe Road (closed 1994), before arriving at Sheffield
. The section between Holmes Junction, adjacent to the station and Grimesthorpe Junction is the oldest section of the route.
as well as by a number of CrossCountry
trains. Freight trains also regularly use the route.
The Northern Rail services, which currently make just two round trips daily, call at Sheffield, Meadowhall, Rotherham Central, Swinton, Moorthorpe, Pontefract Baghill, Sherburn-in-Elmet, Church Fenton, Ulleskelf (except on Sundays) and York. This service was more frequent in the 1970s and 80s (e.g. the 1988 timetable had seven trains per day in each direction Mon-Sat, including a summer only through service to and from , and four each way on Sundays), but since a major round of cutbacks in 1991 (due to a shortage of rolling stock) the service frequency has gradually declined.
The northern part of the route as far as Colton Junction is used by all Edinburgh to London Kings Cross expresses, as well as the numerous Leeds–York workings which continue as far as Church Fenton. Sherburn-in-Elmet is served by some York–Selby/Hull trains which diverge from the route at Sherburn South Junction, but beyond this point the only passenger trains are the infrequent Sheffield–York local services, until Moorthorpe is reached.
The effect of this is that there are only two departures in each direction from Pontefract Baghill per day, although there are two other stations in Pontefract ( and Tanshelf
). The line is however a busy freight artery (particularly with bulk loads of imported coal for the power stations at Ferrybridge, Eggbrough and Drax and also further afield in the East Midlands) and also a useful diversionary route, which ensures its continuing survival.
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England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
running from York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
to Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
via Pontefract Baghill
Pontefract Baghill railway station
Pontefract Baghill railway station is the least busy of the three railway stations in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England. The other stations, Monkhill and Tanshelf, both lie on the Pontefract Line, while Baghill lies on the Dearne Valley Line south of York towards Sheffield...
and Moorthorpe
Moorthorpe railway station
Moorthorpe railway station serves Moorthorpe, near Pontefract, in the City of Wakefield district of West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Dearne Valley Line and the Wakefield Line both operated by Northern Rail....
.
History
The northernmost section of the route was opened in stages by the fledgling York and North Midland RailwayYork and North Midland Railway
The York and North Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom which opened in 1839, connecting York, with the Leeds and Selby Railway and in 1840 with the North Midland Railway at Normanton near Leeds.-Origins:...
(Y&NM), a company which belonged to the railway empire of George Hudson
George Hudson
George Hudson , English railway financier, known as "The Railway King", was born, the fifth son of a farmer, in Howsham, in the parish of Scrayingham in the East Riding of Yorkshire, north of Stamford Bridge, east of York. He is buried in Scrayingham...
. York to Sherburn Junction was completed in 1839 to form a link with the Leeds and Selby Railway
Leeds and Selby Railway
The Leeds and Selby Railway was an early British railway company and first mainline railway in Yorkshire. It was opened in 1834.The company was absorbed by the York and North Midland Railway and the line remained in use through the subsequent NER, LNER, BR and post-privatisation periods.As of 2010...
, which was later taken over by the Y&NM. This section includes Ulleskelf
Ulleskelf railway station
Ulleskelf railway station serves Ulleskelf in North Yorkshire, England. The station is south of York.The station opened in 1839 on the York and North Midland Railway near where it crossed the River Wharfe...
, Church Fenton
Church Fenton railway station
Church Fenton railway station serves Church Fenton in North Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the former York and North Midland Railway main line from York to Normanton, just under from York.- History :...
and Sherburn-in-Elmet
Sherburn-in-Elmet railway station
Sherburn-in-Elmet railway station serves the village of Sherburn-in-Elmet near Selby in North Yorkshire, England. The station is located approximately from the village and is south of York....
stations, as well as the former station sites at Copmanthorpe (closed 1959) and Bolton Percy (closed 1965).
Y&NM extended the line to Altofts Junction in 1840 to meet the new North Midland Railway
North Midland Railway
The North Midland Railway was a British railway company, which opened its line from Derby to Rotherham and Leeds in 1840.At Derby it connected with the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway and the Midland Counties Railway at what became known as the Tri Junct Station...
as part of a new route from York to London via Normanton
Normanton railway station
Normanton railway station serves the town of Normanton in West Yorkshire, England. It lies south-east of Leeds railway station on the Hallam Line, which is operated by Northern Rail.-History:...
, Swinton
Swinton (South Yorkshire) railway station
Swinton railway station is a railway station in Swinton, South Yorkshire, England. It has three platforms and a small bus station, and lies at the junction of the former North Midland Railway main line between Rotherham Masborough and Leeds via Cudworth and the former South Yorkshire Railway line...
, Chesterfield
Chesterfield railway station
Entrance to the station is on Crow Lane and includes a car park, taxi rank and bus stop. There is also a small car park on the other side of Crow Lane which does not have a parking charge. The main entrance leads to the station concourse, which is very spacious and was built in the late 1990s. It...
and Derby. Stations on this section were Milford (closed 1904), Monk Fryston (closed 1959) and Burton Salmon (also closed in 1959), where the present route diverges. The next section, from Burton Salmon to Ferrybridge
Ferrybridge railway station
Ferrybridge railway station was a railway station located in Ferrybridge, West Yorkshire, England on the London and North Eastern Line. The station was opened in 1882 by the North Eastern Railway, three years after the completion of the Swinton & Knottingley Joint line via Moorthorpe on 1 May 1879...
, was completed in 1850 to form a link between York and Knottingley
Knottingley railway station
Knottingley railway station serves the town of Knottingley in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Pontefract Line, operated by Northern Rail, and is south east of Leeds railway station....
; Ferrybridge station closed in 1965.
From Ferrybridge, the route takes up the course of the Swinton and Knottingley Joint Railway
Swinton and Knottingley Joint Railway
The Swinton and Knottingley Joint Railway was a British railway company formed to connect the Midland and Great Central lines at Swinton, north of Rotherham, with the North Eastern Railway at Ferrybridge, near Knottingley, a distance of sixteen miles, opening up a more direct route between York and...
, constructed in 1879. The first station encountered is Pontefract Baghill
Pontefract Baghill railway station
Pontefract Baghill railway station is the least busy of the three railway stations in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England. The other stations, Monkhill and Tanshelf, both lie on the Pontefract Line, while Baghill lies on the Dearne Valley Line south of York towards Sheffield...
, which remains open today, before the line reaches a closed station at Ackworth
Ackworth railway station
Ackworth railway station was a railway station serving Ackworth in the English county of West Yorkshire.-History:The station was opened by the Swinton and Knottingley Joint Railway, which became a joint railway between the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and the London and North Eastern...
(last served in 1951) then the station at Moorthorpe
Moorthorpe railway station
Moorthorpe railway station serves Moorthorpe, near Pontefract, in the City of Wakefield district of West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Dearne Valley Line and the Wakefield Line both operated by Northern Rail....
. The small hamlet of Frickley
Frickley railway station
Frickley railway station was situated on the Swinton and Knottingley Joint railway, between Bolton-on-Dearne and Moorthorpe. It served the village of Clayton, South Yorkshire, England.The station was situated about a mile north of the present day Thurnscoe....
saw its station close in 1953, but two new stations at Thurnscoe
Thurnscoe railway station
Thurnscoe railway station serves Thurnscoe in South Yorkshire, England. It is located on the Wakefield Line north of Sheffield railway station. Only stopping services call at the station...
and Goldthorpe
Goldthorpe railway station
Goldthorpe railway station serves the village of Goldthorpe, in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Wakefield Line north of Sheffield railway station...
were constructed in the 1980s. These are primarily served by Wakefield line
Wakefield Line
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...
trains; the two Dearne Valley Line trains a day pass through without stopping. Finally, the S&KJR's Bolton-on-Dearne
Bolton-on-Dearne railway station
Bolton-on-Dearne railway station serves the village of Bolton on Dearne in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Wakefield Line north of Sheffield railway station.- History :...
station has remained open throughout.
Beyond Bolton-on-Dearne the line joins the North Midland's route to the south, opened in 1840 and serving Swinton, a new station here replacing that closed in 1967 and Kilnhurst West (also closed in 1967).
At Aldwarke Junction the route diverges from the North Midland via a junction constructed by British Rail and opened in 1965. Here it joins the former Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway was formed by amalgamation in 1847. The MS&LR changed its name to the Great Central Railway in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension.-Origin:...
line, part of a link between two branch lines opened many years earlier by the South Yorkshire Railway. This section once had stations at Parkgate and Aldwarke (closed 1951) and at Rotherham Road
Rotherham Road railway station
Rotherham Road railway station, named Park Gate until 1 November 1895, was a railway station situated in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England...
(closed 1953), before reaching the former Rotherham Central
Rotherham Central railway station
Rotherham Central railway station is in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. The station was originally named "Rotherham", becoming "Rotherham and Masborough" in January 1889 and finally "Rotherham Central" on 25 September 1950...
re-opened, slightly nearer the College Road bridge, in 1987 by British Rail. Leaving Rotherham Central we take the "Holmes Chord", a single line to Holmes Junction where we take to the rails of the Sheffield & Rotherham company, which opened its line in 1838 and which once served Holmes (closed in 1955), Meadowhall
Meadowhall Interchange
Meadowhall Interchange to the north of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England is a railway station on the Midland Main Line, a Sheffield Supertram stop, and bus station. It is close to junction 34 on the M1, and serves Meadowhall Shopping Centre...
(a new station opened in 1991), Wincobank (closed 1956), Brightside (closed 1994) and Attercliffe Road (closed 1994), before arriving at Sheffield
Sheffield Midland station
Sheffield station, formerly Pond Street and later Sheffield Midland, is a railway station in Sheffield, England and is the busiest station in South Yorkshire...
. The section between Holmes Junction, adjacent to the station and Grimesthorpe Junction is the oldest section of the route.
Current services
Services which operate over the entire length of the route are provided by Northern RailNorthern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
as well as by a number of CrossCountry
CrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
trains. Freight trains also regularly use the route.
The Northern Rail services, which currently make just two round trips daily, call at Sheffield, Meadowhall, Rotherham Central, Swinton, Moorthorpe, Pontefract Baghill, Sherburn-in-Elmet, Church Fenton, Ulleskelf (except on Sundays) and York. This service was more frequent in the 1970s and 80s (e.g. the 1988 timetable had seven trains per day in each direction Mon-Sat, including a summer only through service to and from , and four each way on Sundays), but since a major round of cutbacks in 1991 (due to a shortage of rolling stock) the service frequency has gradually declined.
The northern part of the route as far as Colton Junction is used by all Edinburgh to London Kings Cross expresses, as well as the numerous Leeds–York workings which continue as far as Church Fenton. Sherburn-in-Elmet is served by some York–Selby/Hull trains which diverge from the route at Sherburn South Junction, but beyond this point the only passenger trains are the infrequent Sheffield–York local services, until Moorthorpe is reached.
The effect of this is that there are only two departures in each direction from Pontefract Baghill per day, although there are two other stations in Pontefract ( and Tanshelf
Pontefract Tanshelf railway station
Pontefract Tanshelf railway station is the most central station in the town of Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England, and serves Pontefract Races, the racecourse located just down the street from the station. It lies on the Pontefract Line operated by Northern Rail and is east of Wakefield Kirkgate...
). The line is however a busy freight artery (particularly with bulk loads of imported coal for the power stations at Ferrybridge, Eggbrough and Drax and also further afield in the East Midlands) and also a useful diversionary route, which ensures its continuing survival.
- Rail Atlas: Great Britain & Ireland, by S. K. Baker
- The Railways of Great Britain: A Historical Atlas, by Colonel Michael H. Cobb