Todmorden railway station
Encyclopedia
Todmorden
railway station is in West Yorkshire
, England, originally in Lancashire
. It was built by the Manchester and Leeds Railway
and is on the Caldervale Line
23 miles (37 km) west of Leeds and 17 miles (27.4 km) north-east of Manchester Victoria
.
It was opened in March 1841 when the final portion of M&L main line between Manchester and Normanton
through Summit Tunnel
was completed. It became a junction in 1849 with the opening of a branch line westwards through the Cliviger
Gorge to Burnley
. This was later extended to join the East Lancashire Railway near Rose Grove
, giving a direct route to Blackburn
, Preston
and Blackpool
.
For many years the station was served by express trains between Liverpool
and York
and local trains toward Preston, Bradford and Leeds, but since the Beeching
cuts in the 1960s the basic service has been a local one between Leeds and Manchester Victoria. Trains to Burnley ended with the withdrawal of the Rose Grove local shuttle in 1965: although the line remains open, the short curve that would allow trains on this route to call here was removed in the early 1970s (the bay platform it once used can still be seen). Passengers wishing to travel via this route to Preston and beyond therefore have to catch a train to Hebden Bridge
and change there to continue their journey. Stansfield Hall
station used to serve the northern end of the town on this line, but it was closed in 1944.
The south to west curve may well be reopened in the next few years now that a new funding agreement between central government and a consortium of local councils in East Lancashire has been signed. This would permit services to run between Burnley (and possibly beyond) and Todmorden for the first time since the mid-sixties whilst also reinstating through rail services between Burnley and Manchester.The curve was partly lifted in 1972. The curve ran from approx 20m north of the viaduct round 500 metres and connected on to the copy pit line at the pink girder bridge. The remains of the curve can be seen from the pink girder bridge on Stansfield Road. Recently Network Rail have been clearing the trackbed of vegetation to see what is involved in relaying the track. Some more track has become visible since this has taken place. This assessment concluded that it could be feasible to reinstate the curve although the original route could not be used as the original curve is deemed to be too sharp. An alternative route has been put forward. If funds can be obtained by early next year to carry forward the project, the curve could be back in use by the end of 2013.
Until 12 December 2008, Monday to Saturday daytime there was a half-hourly service from Todmorden to Manchester Victoria (occasionally extending to Liverpool) westbound and Leeds via Halifax
eastbound.
There is an hourly service each way (via Halifax) in the evenings and on Sundays.
Also on platform 1 is the Platform 1 Gallery, an art gallery run by Todmorden art group, which has regular exhibitions, as well as selling hand made gifts, and other art work including hand crafted teddy bears. There is also a small library, and a herb garden.
There is a new Todmorden Station Partnership group http://www.todmordenstation.btik.com
who help look after the station, and stage events.
Todmorden
Todmorden is a market town and civil parish, located 17 miles from Manchester, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the Upper Calder Valley and has a total population of 14,941....
railway station is in West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England, originally in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. It was built by the Manchester and Leeds Railway
Manchester and Leeds Railway
The Manchester and Leeds Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom which opened in 1839, connecting Manchester with Leeds via the North Midland Railway which it joined at Normanton....
and is on the Caldervale Line
Caldervale Line
The Caldervale Line is a railway route in Northern England between the cities of Leeds and Manchester as well as the seaside resort of Blackpool...
23 miles (37 km) west of Leeds and 17 miles (27.4 km) north-east of Manchester Victoria
Manchester Victoria station
Manchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
.
It was opened in March 1841 when the final portion of M&L main line between Manchester and 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:...
through Summit Tunnel
Summit Tunnel
The Summit Tunnel in England is one of the oldest railway tunnels in the world: it was built between 1838 and 1841 by the Manchester and Leeds Railway beneath the Pennines...
was completed. It became a junction in 1849 with the opening of a branch line westwards through the Cliviger
Cliviger
Cliviger is a civil parish within the Borough of Burnley, in Lancashire, England. It is situated to the southeast of Burnley, and northwest of Todmorden and has a population of 2,350...
Gorge to Burnley
Burnley Manchester Road railway station
Burnley Manchester Road is a railway station serving the town of Burnley, Lancashire.-History:On 12 November 1849, the Manchester and Leeds Railway opened a single line branch – doubled in 1860 – from Todmorden to Burnley. The first station in the town, which was at Thorney-bank, was replaced by...
. This was later extended to join the East Lancashire Railway near Rose Grove
Rose Grove railway station
Rose Grove railway station serves the western area of Burnley in Lancashire, England, 11 miles east of Blackburn railway station.The Caldervale Line and the East Lancashire Line join at Gannow Junction near Rose Grove, but there are no direct services between here and Burnley Manchester Road...
, giving a direct route to Blackburn
Blackburn railway station
Blackburn railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Blackburn in Lancashire, England. It is east of Preston and is managed and served by Northern Rail.-Description:The station is served by two lines...
, Preston
Preston railway station
Preston railway station serves the city of Preston in Lancashire, England and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line.It is served by Northern Rail, Virgin Trains, and TransPennine Express services, plus First ScotRail overnight sleeper services between London and Scotland.-Station layout...
and Blackpool
Blackpool North railway station
Blackpool North railway station is the main railway station serving the seaside resort of Blackpool in Lancashire, England. It is the terminus of the main Blackpool branch line from Preston....
.
For many years the station was served by express trains between Liverpool
Liverpool Exchange railway station
Liverpool Exchange railway station was a railway station located in the town centre of Liverpool, England.- Station construction and opening :...
and York
York railway station
York railway station is a main-line railway station in the city of York, England. It lies on the East Coast Main Line north of London's King's Cross station towards Edinburgh's Waverley Station...
and local trains toward Preston, Bradford and Leeds, but since the Beeching
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
cuts in the 1960s the basic service has been a local one between Leeds and Manchester Victoria. Trains to Burnley ended with the withdrawal of the Rose Grove local shuttle in 1965: although the line remains open, the short curve that would allow trains on this route to call here was removed in the early 1970s (the bay platform it once used can still be seen). Passengers wishing to travel via this route to Preston and beyond therefore have to catch a train to Hebden Bridge
Hebden Bridge railway station
Hebden Bridge railway station serves the town of Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, England. The station is on the Caldervale Line, currently operated by Northern Rail from York and Leeds towards Manchester Victoria and Blackpool North...
and change there to continue their journey. Stansfield Hall
Stansfield Hall railway station
Stansfield Hall railway station was the second station in Todmorden in West Yorkshire, England. It was situated on the Copy Pit line from 1869 until closure in 1944.-External links:*...
station used to serve the northern end of the town on this line, but it was closed in 1944.
The south to west curve may well be reopened in the next few years now that a new funding agreement between central government and a consortium of local councils in East Lancashire has been signed. This would permit services to run between Burnley (and possibly beyond) and Todmorden for the first time since the mid-sixties whilst also reinstating through rail services between Burnley and Manchester.The curve was partly lifted in 1972. The curve ran from approx 20m north of the viaduct round 500 metres and connected on to the copy pit line at the pink girder bridge. The remains of the curve can be seen from the pink girder bridge on Stansfield Road. Recently Network Rail have been clearing the trackbed of vegetation to see what is involved in relaying the track. Some more track has become visible since this has taken place. This assessment concluded that it could be feasible to reinstate the curve although the original route could not be used as the original curve is deemed to be too sharp. An alternative route has been put forward. If funds can be obtained by early next year to carry forward the project, the curve could be back in use by the end of 2013.
Services
Halifax railway station
Halifax railway station serves the town of Halifax in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Caldervale Line and is west from .The station at Halifax is an example of a single island platform acting as two platforms. Platform 2 heads eastbound, towards Bradford while Platform 1 heads westbound...
eastbound.
Service Changes from December 2008
Northern Rail made changes to the Caldervale line services from December 2008. Three trains per hour now run between Leeds and Manchester Victoria - the stopping service that ran prior to the timetable change, calling at all stations via Halifax; via Dewsbury and Brighouse, stopping at Moston, Mills Hill and Castleton; and a limited stop service between Bradford and Manchester, calling at Halifax, Hebden Bridge, Todmorden and Rochdale only.There is an hourly service each way (via Halifax) in the evenings and on Sundays.
Facilities
There are a ticket office on platform 1 and waiting rooms on both platforms.Also on platform 1 is the Platform 1 Gallery, an art gallery run by Todmorden art group, which has regular exhibitions, as well as selling hand made gifts, and other art work including hand crafted teddy bears. There is also a small library, and a herb garden.
There is a new Todmorden Station Partnership group http://www.todmordenstation.btik.com
who help look after the station, and stage events.
Sources
- Bairstow, M. (1983), The Manchester & Leeds Railway (The Calder Valley Line), Wyvern Publishing, Skipton, ISBN 0-90794-106-0