Wakefield Line
Encyclopedia
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 East Coast
, East Midlands Trains
and CrossCountry
. Parts of the line over which the Wakefield Line trains run are also used by the Huddersfield
and Pontefract Line
s.
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.
At the time of the 1923 Grouping
the line was owned by different railway companies:
At Outwood there were junctions with two joint undertakings:
From here, towards Sheffield, the Midland and Great Central had parallel lines following the course of the River Don.
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
with 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...
and Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
. The section of the line between Leeds and Doncaster forms part of the East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
. The local stopping service is operated by Northern Rail
Northern 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...
; 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 East Coast
East Coast (train operating company)
East Coast is a British train operating company running high-speed passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between London, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland...
, East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
and CrossCountry
CrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
. Parts of the line over which the Wakefield Line trains run are also used by the Huddersfield
Huddersfield Line
The Huddersfield Line is the name given to one of the busiest rail services on the West Yorkshire MetroTrain network in northern England. Local services are operated by Northern Rail with longer distance services operated by TransPennine Express...
and Pontefract Line
Pontefract Line
The Pontefract Line is the name given to one of the rail services in the West Yorkshire Metro area of northern England. The service is operated by Northern Rail, and links Wakefield and Leeds with Goole via Pontefract...
s.
West Yorkshire Metrocards are available for all trains as far as South Elmsall
South Elmsall railway station
South Elmsall railway station serves the village of South Elmsall near Pontefract in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Wakefield Line operated by Northern Rail.-Services:...
on the Doncaster line; and to 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....
on the Sheffield part of the Line.
The route
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
the line was owned by different railway companies:
- Leeds Central stationLeeds Central stationLeeds Central railway station was a railway station in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was opened in 1854 as a joint station between the London and North Western Railway, the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, the Great Northern Railway and the North Eastern Railway. It replaced the cramped LNW...
- Wakefield: Great Northern RailwayGreat Northern Railway (Great Britain)The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
(GNR). Wakefield station was jointly owned by the GNR and Great Central RailwayGreat Central RailwayThe Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
s (GCR). This section is part of the main Leeds City - London line. - Wakefield - Doncaster: West Riding and Grimsby Joint Railway (WRGJt) (joint GNR/GCR ownership).
- Moorthorpe Junction (near South ElmsallSouth ElmsallSouth Elmsall pronounced "south em-sull" is a small town and civil parish to the east of Hemsworth in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It is on the B6422 and B6474 ....
- Swinton: Swinton & Knottingley Joint Railway (MidR/NER). - Swinton - Sheffield Midland RailwayMidland RailwayThe Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
(MidR)
Leeds City - Wakefield Westgate
| Station | Status | Other |
| Beeston | Closed as of 2005 | |
| Ardsley Tunnel | ||
| Ardsley Ardsley railway station Ardsley railway station was situated on the Great Northern Railway between Tingley and Lofthouse and Outwood on the main line and west of Stanley on the LNER & LMS Methley Joint Railway... |
Closed as of 2005 | |
| Outwood Outwood, West Yorkshire Outwood is a district to the north of Wakefield, a city in West Yorkshire, England. The district is centred on the A61 Leeds Road south of Lofthouse. It was originally a small pit village, but there has been so much new housing in the last twenty years that the old village is now only a minority of... |
Open as of 2005, formerly known as Lofthouse and Outwood | See below |
| Wrenthorpe Junction: line to Dewsbury Dewsbury Dewsbury is a minster town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds... |
Partially closed 1963, complete closure 1965, some artefacts remain. | |
| Wakefield Westgate | Open as of 2005, redevelopment planned |
At Outwood there were junctions with two joint undertakings:
- East & West Yorkshire Union: a short line connecting the GN/MidR main lines via RothwellRothwell, West YorkshireRothwell is a market town on the River Dolphin in the south east of the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, situated between Oulton to the east, Belle Isle to the west, Woodlesford to the north east and Robin Hood to the south west. Swillington, Methley and Kippax are located...
- MethleyMethleyMethley is a dispersed village in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, south east of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is located near Rothwell, Oulton, Woodlesford, Mickletown and Allerton Bywater. It nestles in the triangle formed by Leeds, Castleford and Wakefield, and is between the...
Joint Railway: [joint owners: GNR/Lancashire and Yorkshire RailwayLancashire and Yorkshire RailwayThe Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
(L&YR)/North Eastern RailwayNorth Eastern Railway (UK)The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
(NER)]. The line connected to various lines in the CastlefordCastlefordCastleford is the largest of the "five towns" district in the metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, England. It is near Pontefract, and has a population of 37,525 according to the 2001 Census, but has seen a rise in recent years and is now around 45-50,000. To the north...
area
Wakefield - Doncaster
Some stations on this line may have plans to be reopened.- Sandal and Agbrigg railway stationSandal and Agbrigg railway stationSandal and Agbrigg railway station serves the Wakefield suburbs of Sandal and Agbrigg in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Wakefield Line and is operated by Northern Rail.-History:...
Closed to passengers 5 November 1957; reopened 1988. - Hare Park & CroftonHare Park & Crofton railway stationHare Park & Crofton railway station, sometimes just known as Crofton railway station, was a station located on the West Riding and Grimsby Railway, this section now known as the Wakefield Line. It served the village of Crofton in West Yorkshire, England and is located around to the south of...
(Closed) between here and Nostell were two junctions connecting with L&YR and GCR lines - Nostell Open, but renamed FitzwilliamFitzwilliam railway stationFitzwilliam railway station is in the village of Fitzwilliam near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England.The station is on the Wakefield Line operated by Northern Rail...
. - HemsworthHemsworthHemsworth is a small town and civil parish on the edge of West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the City of Wakefield, and has a population of 13,311....
Closed as of 2005. - here is a junction with the Hull and Barnsley RailwayHull and Barnsley RailwayThe Hull Barnsley & West Riding Junction Railway and Dock Company was opened on 20 July 1885. It had a total projected length of 66 miles but never reached Barnsley, stopping a few miles short at Stairfoot. The name was changed to The Hull and Barnsley Railway in 1905...
(HBR) - here there is a junction where the Wakefield Line service to Sheffield branches south.
- South ElmsallSouth ElmsallSouth Elmsall pronounced "south em-sull" is a small town and civil parish to the east of Hemsworth in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It is on the B6422 and B6474 ....
- HampoleHampoleHampole is a small village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster , on the border with West Yorkshire. The eastern boundary of the parish is marked by the Great North Road, and the parish lies in what was once the Barnsdale Forest. It has a population of 187.Hampole itself is a...
Closed as of 2005 (further junctions with the HBR) - CarcroftCarcroftCarcroft is a rural village part of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The village is roughly six miles north north west of Doncaster.-Geography:...
Closed as of 2005 - Adwick
- BentleyBentley, South YorkshireBentley is a village in South Yorkshire, England two miles north of the town of Doncaster.The village was once owned by Edmund Hastings of Plumtree, Nottinghamshire, who had inherited it from his wife Copley's Sprotborough family...
- DoncasterDoncaster railway stationDoncaster railway station serves the town of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the East Coast Main Line north of London Kings Cross, and is about five minutes walk from Doncaster town centre. The station is managed by East Coast...
Sandal - Sheffield
Part of this section is also worked as the Dearne Valley Line:- MoorthorpeMoorthorpe railway stationMoorthorpe 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....
- "Frickley railway station" branch to Frickley Colliery
- ThurnscoeThurnscoe railway stationThurnscoe 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...
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
- GoldthorpeGoldthorpe railway stationGoldthorpe railway station serves the village of Goldthorpe, in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Wakefield Line north of Sheffield railway station...
- Bolton-on-DearneBolton-on-Dearne railway stationBolton-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 :...
- here was a junction with the GCR Penistone - Doncaster line.
- SwintonSwinton (South Yorkshire) railway stationSwinton 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...
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 CentralRotherham Central railway stationRotherham 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...
. Intermediate stations were to be found at: - Parkgate & Aldwarke railway stationParkgate & Aldwarke railway stationParkgate and Aldwarke railway station was a railway station situated in Parkgate a district of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England on the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway company's line between Rotherham Road and Kilnhurst Central...
(Closed 1951) - Rotherham Road railway stationRotherham Road railway stationRotherham Road railway station, named Park Gate until 1 November 1895, was a railway station situated in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England...
(Closed) - From Rotherham Central, taking a new curve, the line joins the Sheffield and Rotherham Railway.
- MeadowhallMeadowhallMeadowhall is an indoor shopping centre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It lies three miles north east of Sheffield city centre and four miles from Rotherham town centre....
- Brightside (closed 1995; replaced by Meadowhall)
- 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
- SheffieldSheffieldSheffield 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...
See also
- Metro (West Yorkshire)