89-705: The Queensbury lines was the name given to a number of railway lines in West Yorkshire , England, that linked Bradford , Halifax and Keighley via Queensbury . All the lines were either solely owned by the Great Northern Railway (GNR) or jointly by the GNR and the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR). The terrain was extremely challenging for railway construction, and the lines were very expensive to build. The lines were For some time
178-552: A West Yorkshire derby even if the rivalry is not as great as other rivalries between teams in the area. The main rugby union club in the county is Yorkshire Carnegie . Elland Road is the largest stadium in the area, hosting Leeds United . The Headingley Stadium , a stadium complex also in Leeds , consists of a cricket and a rugby ground. The cricket ground is home of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club and
267-506: A brief heyday the routes settled down to concentrate on purely local traffic, and even this diminished when trams started running from both Bradford and Halifax to Queensbury in 1901. Buses caused a further reduction in traffic in the late 1920s and Sunday trains were withdrawn in December 1938, but by 1946 the service was still surprisingly lavish with one through coach working to King's Cross, running from Halifax to Bradford in 22 minutes. It
356-598: A coal depot on 5 June 1967. Halifax to North Bridge coal yard closed in 1974. The Hewenden and Cullingworth Viaducts survive. Close to £1 million had been spent on building the Queensbury lines, and it is doubtful if the expenditure was ever really justified. Advantages of the Bradford–Halifax section were to a considerable extent nullified by the 1882 GNR–L&YR agreement, while the Bradford–Keighley route
445-637: A geographic frame of reference. Since 1 April 2014, West Yorkshire has been a combined authority area, with the local authorities pooling some functions over transport and regeneration as the West Yorkshire Combined Authority . The first Mayor of West Yorkshire , Tracy Brabin , was elected on 6 May 2021, following a devolution deal announced by the government in the March 2020 budget . The conurbation of Bradford, Dewsbury, Halifax, Huddersfield, Leeds and Wakefield makes up
534-562: A new junction station. The agreement was in exchange for the Midland getting running powers to Halifax. The northernmost part of the Worth Valley branch was relaid and doubled; the agreement marked the start of a more amicable relationship between the GNR and the Midland. Powers for the new Keighley station and for the widening of the last part of the Worth Valley line were granted by an Act of 1882. Although agreement had been reached about
623-465: A number of structures and the basic integrity of the route remain and are maintained. The viaducts at Thornton and Hewenden are now listed structures and sections of the Queensbury to Keighley line are already back in use for walking and cycling. A campaign to rescue Queensbury tunnel and extend the new network to Halifax through the tunnel has gathered support such that the tunnel's precise fate now remains to be seen. A route bypassing Clayton tunnel to link
712-493: A rail link between Huddersfield , Halifax and Keighley, but these were unsuccessful. In 1872 another attempt was made, but the Midland Railway was implacable in refusing to assist. The GNR also rebuffed the promoters at first, and they decided to go it alone; however on 23 December 1872 agreement was reached. The GNR would not support a line from Halifax to Huddersfield, (which was now finally dead), but undertook to adopt
801-652: A recognised financial centre, with many banks , building societies and insurance companies having offices in the city. Wakefield has also attracted many service-based industries, in particular call centres . Two of the big four supermarkets are from West Yorkshire. Morrisons is based in Bradford, while Asda is based in Leeds. West Yorkshire grew up around several industries. Wakefield, Castleford, Pontefract and South and East Leeds were traditional coal mining areas. Bradford , Halifax and Huddersfield grew through
890-472: A roundabout route. The latter would cost twice as much: it would be two miles (3.2 km) in length with a maximum gradient of 1 in 30. Work started on the new station in 1889 and a road to the town was included in the plans. The station opened on 1 January 1890 and the road came into use soon afterwards. The railway connection schemes were quietly forgotten. Queensbury station operated as an interchange point, making useful local connections. At certain times of
979-399: A shared station, goods facilities at Keighley were kept entirely separate: the GNR built a spur line off the Worth Valley route just outside Keighley station; the spur crossed under and entered its own goods yard. The town of Queensbury was the most important on the route. However the high altitude of the town made it impossible for the railway to get close to it; the distance from the town to
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#17327796143451068-548: A triangular junction there. It would then extend that line from Thornton on to Keighley. There was to be a separate terminus at Keighley near the Midland station , but this was later changed. Between Queensbury and Holmfield the 1,033-yard-long (945 m) and 59-foot-deep (18 m) Strines cutting caused even greater difficulties with water-bearing strata than had the tunnel, and held up opening of this section to passengers until 1 December 1879. Between Holmfield and Queensbury
1157-569: Is also a popular nightlife destination domestically, which is not surprising given its accessibility and central location. All cities are well connected via rail and road, Leeds railway station is an important hub seeing 29.7 million passengers 2015–16, making it the fourth busiest station in the UK after London stations, Birmingham New Street and Glasgow Central . It is the busiest in Northern England. Signposted walks follow rivers and
1246-560: Is also big in West Yorkshire. The teams who are, or have been, in the Super League are Bradford Bulls , Castleford Tigers , Halifax Panthers , Huddersfield Giants , Leeds Rhinos , and Wakefield Trinity . Other rugby league clubs in West Yorkshire include Batley Bulldogs , Dewsbury Rams , Featherstone Rovers , Hunslet Hawks and Keighley Cougars . Any combination of these teams playing against each other would be called
1335-843: Is also popular, as is the Bradford Alhambra , St Georges Hall and the Media and Science Museum in Bradford. Leeds is the most popular shopping destination in West Yorkshire, probably Yorkshire and rivals Manchester having claim to Briggate, the Headrow, Trinity Leeds , Victoria Gate, the Victoria and Northern Quarters, the biggest indoor market in Europe and the White Rose Centre , as well as many 'first outside of London' labels such as Harvey Nichols and Victoria's Secret . Leeds
1424-449: Is an elevated ridge with smoothly rolling scenery, dissected by dry valleys. Here, there is a large number of country houses and estates with parkland, estate woodlands, plantations and game coverts. The rivers Aire and Calder drain the area, flowing from west to east. Wakefield's Parish Church was raised to cathedral status in 1888 and after the elevation of Wakefield to diocese, Wakefield Council immediately sought city status and this
1513-745: Is in the South Pennines , and contains a small part of the Peak District National Park . It is characterised by steep valleys and is the source of the River Calder , which flows past Wakefield before meeting the Aire , which flows through Leeds, near Castleford . The landscape becomes flatter in the east, and the county boundary is on the edge of the Vale of York . Remnants of strong coal, wool and iron ore industries remain in
1602-569: Is still (2019) standing. The initial passenger service was five trains each weekday from Bradford Exchange to Thornton and two from Laisterdyke , giving Leeds connections (and avoiding the use of the L&;YR station). The opening of St Dunstan's station in January 1879 meant that Leeds connections were available there, and the Laisterdyke trains were soon taken off, while the Bradford service
1691-469: The 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 -mile (3.6 km) line was almost entirely within Queensbury Tunnel or the massive Strines Cutting. Considerable trouble was encountered with water-bearing strata during construction. Goods trains started running on 14 October 1878, the same day that Thornton station opened to passengers. In 1878 the GNR was in serious financial difficulty on capital account, and invited
1780-452: The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway . Both companies ran goods trains but the GNR alone provided the passenger service. Queensbury was not reached from Ovenden until late 1879, the line opening for goods traffic on 1 December and to passenger services two weeks later when temporary platforms at Holmfield were brought into use. Two temporary platforms at Queensbury had been in use for several months for Bradford-Thornton trains and completion of
1869-648: The Leeds Supertram was proposed but was later cancelled after the withdrawal of government funding. Public transport is run under the authority of West Yorkshire Metro . In October 2021, £830 million of funding was announced for the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to develop mass transit for the region. Additionally, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority won its bids for the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme and Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) scheme,
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#17327796143451958-651: The Pendle district of Lancashire. The civil parish of Saddleworth in Oldham was the only part of West Riding of Yorkshire to be moved into the county of Greater Manchester. The villages in the parish border the towns of Huddersfield and Holmfirth . There is a strong identity debate with Saddleworth residents who still maintain close connections with Yorkshire including the Saddleworth White Rose Society. The West Yorkshire Act 1980 (c. xiv)
2047-470: The Vale of York and Humberhead Levels in the east. Geologically, it lies almost entirely on rocks of carboniferous age which form the inner Southern Pennine fringes in the west and the Yorkshire coalfield further eastwards. In the extreme east of the metropolitan county there are younger deposits of Magnesian Limestone . Areas in the west such as Bradford and Calderdale are dominated by the scenery of
2136-646: The West Yorkshire Built-up Area , which is the fourth-largest in the United Kingdom and the largest within the historic county boundaries of Yorkshire . In Parliament, 13 out of 22 of West Yorkshire's MPs are Labour and 9 are Conservative. At local level, the councils are generally divided, apart from the Wakefield district, which has long been one of the safest Labour councils in the country. Some services are provided across
2225-583: The West Yorkshire Police (governed by the West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner ) continue to operate on this basis. Although the county council was abolished, West Yorkshire continues to form a metropolitan and ceremonial county with a Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire and a High Sheriff . West Yorkshire contains green belt interspersed throughout the county, surrounding the West Yorkshire Urban Area. It
2314-511: The Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and Derbyshire to the south, Greater Manchester to the south-west, and Lancashire to the west. The city of Leeds is the largest settlement. The county, established in 1974, has an area of 2,029 km (783 sq mi) and a population of 2.3 million, making it
2403-536: The BBC television series Happy Valley were filmed in Huddersfield; in addition to exteriors, some of the studio filming was done at North Light Film Studios at Brookes Mill, Huddersfield. As well, interiors for the BBC's Jamaica Inn , for the BBC's Remember Me and for ITV series Black Work , were also filmed at the studios. More recently, many of the exteriors of the BBC series Jericho were filmed at
2492-507: The City Road branch survived until August 1972. The short section between Halifax and North Bridge closed on 1 April 1974 and the long viaduct linking the two was controversially demolished in 1980. The line between St Dunstan's and Queensbury has been all but obliterated by infilling and permitted development but that can hardly be said of the routes between Halifax and Queensbury and (particularly) between Queensbury and Keighley, on which
2581-462: The L&YR only ran goods trains on the route. The line opened for goods as far as Pellon on 1 August 1890 and to all traffic throughout on 5 September 1890. The timetable was generally arranged so that the High Level train arrived at Holmfield to change there for Bradford. In 1910 there were 11 departures from St Paul's Mondays to Fridays, 12 on Saturdays and five on Sundays. A steam railmotor
2670-408: The L&YR station and also towards Laisterdyke and Leeds . (There were to be no platforms on this west-to-east side of the triangle.) In addition there was to be a short branch to Brick Lane, on the west side of Bradford, where a goods station was to be established, named City Road . An important object of the Bradford and Thornton Railway was to provide railway facilities for Queensbury, home of
2759-530: The Midland Railway to join in the Keighley line works, but the Midland refused. Passenger trains began to run from Bradford to Halifax on 1 December 1879. Initially they ran nonstop after Queensbury but a temporary station was provided at Holmfield within a fortnight. North Bridge station opened on 25 March 1880, and Ovenden station in June 1881. The Halifax to Holmfield section remained in joint ownership with
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2848-567: The Ovenden Valley. It was to be titled the Halifax and Ovenden Junction Railway, and it was incorporated on 30 June 1864, with capital of £90,000. The GNR and L&YR each subscribed £30,000 towards the capital, and were to work the line jointly. Construction of the line was much delayed; there was an Act of 12 August 1867, permitting a doubling of the authorised capital, some deviations of the route, and an extension of time. Nevertheless,
2937-585: The Thornton to Keighley line on which work was about to begin. It approached the Midland Railway with a proposal to make a joint station at Keighley, to be used by the Midland Railway main line trains, the Worth Valley line trains, and the GNR. The Midland Railway were amenable to this, and by an agreement of 1 June 1881, the Midland granted the GNR the necessary running powers, and agreed to make
3026-610: The Yorkshire coalfield further east have produced a rolling landscape with hills, escarpments and broad valleys in the outer fringes of the Pennines. In this landscape there is widespread evidence of both current and former industrial activity. There are numerous derelict or converted mine buildings and recently landscaped former spoil heaps. The scenery is a mixture of built up areas, industrial land with some dereliction, and farmed open country. Ribbon developments along transport routes including canal, road and rail are prominent features of
3115-471: The area although some remnants of the pre industrial landscape and semi-natural vegetation still survive. However, many areas are affected by urban fringe pressures creating fragmented and downgraded landscapes and ever present are urban influences from major cities, smaller industrial towns and former mining villages. In the Magnesian Limestone belt to the east of the Leeds and Wakefield areas
3204-513: The city of Bradford is well known for its large concentration of British Pakistanis , the highest by percentage in the country. Leeds and Kirklees also have large British Pakistani populations. Kirklees also hosts a large population of British Indians . West Yorkshire is home to a large Eastern European population, particularly British Poles . Ethnic minorities totalled to over 21% of West Yorkshire's population in 2011. Leeds has since attracted investment from financial institutions, to become
3293-443: The construction workers; although supposedly temporary, the buildings were not condemned until 1957. The tunnel work was completed on 31 July 1878. Work on the £282,000 Thornton to Keighley section was proving exceptionally difficult and progress was slow. The most serious problems were encountered on the stretch between Denholme and Wilsden where repeated landslips frustrated progress with construction. The intention had been for
3382-459: The cost of maintaining Queensbury and Lees Moor Tunnels and divided the route into three separate branch lines which were then operated with reduced signalling. The remaining operation was progressively cut back over the next 18 years. Holmfield and the High Level closed in 1960, Cullingworth in 1963, Thornton and Ingrow in 1965. The last remnants were from St Dunstan's to Horton Park and City Road which survived until 1972. City Road had been reduced to
3471-490: The county by West Yorkshire Joint Services and the West Yorkshire Police and West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service are also county-wide. The county borders, going anticlockwise from the west: Lancashire , Greater Manchester , Derbyshire , South Yorkshire and North Yorkshire . The terrain of the county mostly consists of the Pennines and its foothills which dominate the west of the county and gradually descend into
3560-500: The county, having attracted people over the centuries, and this can be seen in the buildings and architecture. Several railways and the M1 , M621 , M606 , A1(M) and M62 motorways traverse the county. West Yorkshire County Council was abolished in 1986 and its five districts effectively became unitary authorities . The metropolitan county, covering an area of 2,029 square kilometres (783 sq mi), continues to exist in law and as
3649-552: The day trains stood on all three sides of the triangle allowing connections to be made in all directions. In 1910 there were 22 weekday departures from Bradford Exchange to Halifax or Keighley. In most cases the destination not served by a direct train could be reached by changing at Queensbury. There were 21 trains from Halifax for the Queensbury line and 16 starting from Keighley. On Sundays nine trains left Bradford Exchange for Halifax or Keighley. The journey from Bradford to Halifax by this route took between 35 and 40 minutes depending on
Queensbury lines - Misplaced Pages Continue
3738-488: The depressed state of the money market meant that the scheme lay dormant until a further Act was obtained on 1 August 1870, sanctioning a second extension of time, and vesting the undertaking jointly in the GNR and L&YR. The concern was then renamed the Halifax and Ovenden Joint Railway. Soon afterwards, construction began from a junction with the L&YR at the north end of Halifax station , for 2 miles 48 chains (4.18 km) to Holmfield . The steepest gradient
3827-503: The development of woollen mills. Leeds' traditional industry was the manufacturing of cloth while heavier engineering industries facilitated growth in South Leeds. The Heavy Woollen District covered towns such as Dewsbury , Batley , Morley , Ossett , Cleckheaton and Heckmondwike . The woollen and cloth industries declined throughout the twentieth century. The Rhubarb Triangle is wholly in West Yorkshire and still produces
3916-511: The eastern slopes of the South Pennines , dropping from upland in the west down to the east, and dissected by many steep-sided valleys while a small part of the northern Peak District extends into the south west of Kirklees. Large-scale industry, housing, public and commercial buildings of differing heights, transport routes and open countryside conjoin. The dense network of roads, canals and railways and urban development, confined by valleys creates dramatic interplay of views between settlements and
4005-632: The escarpment of the Pennines, which is scaled in meandering stages and tunnels by the recreational Leeds-Liverpool Canal and Rochdale Canal , navigable by barge, canoe or kayak. Other tourism features include abbeys, castles, countryside walks, landscapes, picturesque villages, architecture, stately homes, tea rooms , real ale breweries, farmer's markets, restaurants and hiking in villages including Hebden Bridge , Ilkley with its scenic riversides, cherry blossoms and suspension bridge and equally in Wharfedale, Otley . West Yorkshire lies in arguably
4094-600: The fourth-largest ceremonial county by population. Large parts of West Yorkshire are urban; many settlements are part of the West Yorkshire built-up area , which has a population of 1.78 million. The largest settlements are Leeds (516,298), Bradford (366,187), Huddersfield (162,949), and Wakefield (109,766). The west of the county is more rural. The county is governed by five metropolitan boroughs : City of Bradford , Calderdale , Kirklees , City of Leeds and City of Wakefield , which collaborate through West Yorkshire Combined Authority . The western part of West Yorkshire
4183-405: The grounds that such a line would be unaffordable, due to the difficult terrain. The GNR agreed to sponsor the reduced scheme and subscribe half the capital; the GNR was partly motivated by the belief that the rival Midland Railway would step in, getting access to Halifax, if the GNR held back. Accordingly, the Bradford and Thornton Railway Act was passed on 24 July 1871, sponsored by the GNR, and
4272-460: The headquarters of Wakefield City Council. The county initially had a two-tier structure of local government with a strategic-level county council and five districts providing most services. In 1986, throughout England the metropolitan county councils were abolished. The functions of the county council were devolved to the boroughs; joint-boards covering fire, police and public transport; and to other special joint arrangements. Organisations such as
4361-462: The important Black Dyke Mills , run by John Foster . The town is at an altitude of 1,150 feet (351 m) above sea level. The weaving industry had flourished in this inhospitable location because of coal supplies in the immediate area; these were originally plentiful but there were now fears that the deposits were nearing the end of their life. Work started in the Bradford to Thornton line on 21 March 1874. The earthworks were heavy, and construction
4450-423: The line to pass through a series of cuttings, but the persistence of these earth slips forced the GNR to substitute two short tunnels. Goods trains began running from Thornton to Denholme on a single track alignment from 1 September 1882, or 3 September. Passenger operation to Denholme started on 1 January 1884. The line was opened to Keighley goods depot on 1 April 1884, but the joint passenger station at Keighley
4539-481: The long-awaited Halifax route gave the station a great deal of importance on account of its junction status. Initially, a daily service of six trains each way was provided between Bradford and Halifax. Contractors started boring the 1 mi 741 yd (2,287 m) Queensbury Tunnel on 21 May 1874; this was to be the longest tunnel on the GNR until the opening of Ponsbourne Tunnel near Hertford in 1910. Four streets of temporary houses were built in Queensbury for
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#17327796143454628-935: The most strategic part of Yorkshire: the M62 , M1 and the A1(M) pass through the county, as well as the internal urban motorways in Leeds and Bradford . West Yorkshire has two mainline railway stations, Leeds and Wakefield Westgate . Leeds railway station is the only Network Rail principal station in Yorkshire and North East England , and one of only three in the North of England along with Manchester Piccadilly and Liverpool Lime Street . Other important railway stations in West Yorkshire include Bradford Interchange , Bradford Forster Square , Huddersfield , Halifax , Dewsbury , Keighley and Shipley . West Yorkshire also has Yorkshire's largest airport, Leeds Bradford Airport . Unlike South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire has no light transit system;
4717-552: The nearby Rockingstone Quarry and some interior work was done at North Light Film Studios. Urban tourism varies. National interest features include sporting stadia, museums, theatre and galleries. Royal Armouries is in Leeds, as is the Leeds Playhouse (formerly the West Yorkshire Playhouse), Opera North and The Grand Theatre. The First Direct Arena in Leeds seats around 15,000 people. Sheffield Arena
4806-410: The network was busy, both for passengers and goods, but carryings declined steeply, and passenger services were discontinued in 1955. Goods traffic ceased in 1974. The lines were marked with a number of major civil engineering works including several viaducts and tunnels. A feature of the line was the unusual station at Queensbury , which was on a triangular track layout , with two platforms on each of
4895-436: The number of stops and the duration of the wait at Queensbury. This was slower than by the alternative Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway service, which was more frequent. A Great Northern train from Bradford to Keighley took 45 minutes, twice as long as the faster trains by the Midland Railway from Forster Square . Some traffic was lost to the electric tramways after the turn of the century. The Bradford trams began to eat into
4984-706: The planned Hull and Barnsley Railway at a Central Station in George Square, Halifax. In addition there would be a local branch to St Paul's, also in the high level part of Halifax. The Huddersfield part of the project was abandoned as too expensive, and the railway was authorised as the Halifax High Level & North & South Junction Railway by the Halifax High Level and North and South Junction Railway Act 1884 ( 47 & 48 Vict. c. ccxlii) on 7 August 1884. The Hull and Barnsley Railway
5073-431: The product and legal backing against other products made outside the area using the name. Other protected names include Stilton cheese , Champagne and Parma Ham. The last pit in West Yorkshire to close was Hay Royds Colliery at Denby Dale in 2012 after a flood. Several films and television series have been filmed in West Yorkshire's historic areas, particularly around the town of Halifax . For example, portions of
5162-404: The proposal as between Halifax and Keighley, if the independent supporters would find half the cost. The GNR's financial commitment was £640,000. The Great Northern Railway (Halifax, Thornton & Keighley Railway) Act was passed on 5 August 1873. The route was to start from the almost-completed Halifax and Ovenden line at Holmfield, and join the Bradford and Thornton Railway at Queensbury, making
5251-935: The rugby ground is home to Leeds Rhinos. In Huddersfield , the John Smith's Stadium is home to Huddersfield Town and Huddersfield Giants. In Bradford , Valley Parade is the home of Bradford City, whereas the Odsal Stadium is the home of the Bradford Bulls. Other stadiums include Wheldon Road (Castleford), The Shay (Halifax), Belle Vue (Wakefield), Mount Pleasant (Batley), Crown Flatt (Dewsbury), Post Office Road (Featherstone), John Charles Centre for Sport (Hunslet) and Cougar Park (Keighley). There are two racecourses in West Yorkshire: Pontefract and Wetherby . West Yorkshire also used to host regular speedway meetings, having
5340-559: The station itself. The Ovenden valley, north-west of the town, was a significant source of traffic, and a branch line there would potentially assist. A company was formed in 1863 to build a railway along the Thornton valley, to connect Halifax with Keighley . At the time this was considered to be a very ambitious project, and during its time in Parliament, the scheme was much reduced in scope, to connect Halifax and Holmfield through
5429-485: The station was one mile (1.6 km) downhill along an unsurfaced and unlit footpath; the difference in altitude was about 400 feet (120 m). When the line opened in 1878 there was no station at Queensbury until a temporary structure was hastily made ready for Easter 1879; it was located east of the East Junction. It had no goods facilities, no access for vehicles and the only footpath was unmade and unlit. There
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#17327796143455518-507: The successful ZEBRA funding will see the introduction of between 179 and 245 zero-emission electric buses with the necessary infrastructure whilst the BSIP plan will give the West Yorkshire Combined Authority £70 million out of a desired £168 million to implement the improvements outlined in the authority's BSIP. Major football clubs in West Yorkshire include Leeds United , Huddersfield Town , and Bradford City . Rugby league
5607-521: The surrounding hillsides, as shaped the first urban-rural juxtapositions of David Hockney . Where most rural the land crops up in the such rhymes and folklore as On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at , date unknown, the early 19th century novels and poems of the Brontë family often in and around Haworth and long-running light comedy-drama Last of the Summer Wine in the 20th century. The carboniferous rocks of
5696-513: The three chords. West of Bradford, the Pennine terrain rises steeply to a plateau around 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea level, with numerous steep-sided valleys: an area of exceptional difficulty for railways. Nevertheless, it included a large area of Yorkshire with active industries, not well served by road transport. The first Halifax station on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
5785-573: The timetable showed a continuing good service. In 1950 the timetable was recast to give a better peak-hour service to and from Bradford but with fewer off-peak trains and a reduction in direct trains between Halifax and Keighley. St Dunstan's and Horton Park stations closed in September 1952, and less than three years later, the entire passenger service was withdrawn. In May 1956 the sections between Queensbury and Holmfield and between Cullingworth and Ingrow were closed to all traffic. This saved
5874-530: The traffic at stations as far as Thornton, whilst Ovenden, Holmfield and Queensbury became prey to the Halifax tramways . Because of the breaks of gauge, trams were not a threat on longer journeys in the West Riding, but when motor buses were operating in later years, the threat was considerable. In 1884 an ambitious plan was authorised, to make a north to south railway through Halifax connecting Holmfield to
5963-569: The undertaking was transferred to and vested in the GNR by Act of 18 July 1872. The authorised construction was 5 miles 49 chains (9.03 km) of line between St Dunstan's, Bradford , and Thornton. The junction at St Dunstan's was to be a triangle joining the existing GNR connecting line between Hammerton Street Junction and the Mill Lane Junction, approaching the L&;YR Exchange station : this would allow direct running towards
6052-453: The upper part of Halifax, and goods traffic continued until 27 June 1960. Defects were discovered in the sidewalls of Queensbury tunnel, and urgent repairs were carried out from January to September 1883. Single-line working through the tunnel was instituted to enable the work to proceed. Normal working was able to resume on 9 September 1883 and no further problems were encountered. Sunday trains were withdrawn in December 1938, but otherwise
6141-682: The vegetable in considerable quantities. Twelve farmers who farm within the Rhubarb Triangle applied to have the name "Yorkshire forced rhubarb" added to the list of foods and drinks that have their names legally protected by the European Commission's Protected Food Name scheme. The application was successful and the farmers in the Rhubarb Triangle were awarded Protected Designation of Origin status (PDO) in February 2010. Food protected status accesses European funding to promote
6230-438: The walking and cycling facility with a route into Bradford has been identified and much of the remaining route to Keighley has also been studied so that plans can be developed. A development blocking the High Level route between Holmfield and Wheatley tunnel would seem to have ended any prospect of using that former railway at the present time. West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in
6319-502: The war effort. In fact the passenger service never resumed, though there were occasional excursions during the 1920s and 1930s. The track was singled and most of the signalling removed. The main value of the High Level line was for freight. St Paul's was at an altitude about 325 feet (99 m) higher than the Old Station , and the slow and roundabout route was not significant to goods traffic; there were numerous mills and factories in
6408-638: Was 1 in 45 and the sharpest curve was 11 chains (220 m) radius. A masonry viaduct carried the line through Halifax, with 35 spans which varied from 35 to 44 feet (11 to 13 m). A short distance beyond that, the line crossed another viaduct of 11 spans which varied from 20 to 35 feet (6 to 11 m). There were two tunnels, North Bridge (403 yards, 369 m) and Lee Bank (267 yards, 244 m). Earthworks were heavy, with high retaining walls . Goods depots were opened at North Bridge and Holmfield. The line opened for goods between Halifax and North Bridge on 17 August 1874, to Holmfield on 1 September 1874, and
6497-467: Was a ten-arch viaduct across the Hebble Valley . St Paul's and Pellon Stations served a well-populated area of Halifax but the train service was of little value to anybody travelling south or west from Halifax. By 1898 electric trams had been introduced serving both St Paul's and Pellon. The High Level passenger service was temporarily closed at the end of 1916 because of the demand for manpower in
6586-556: Was doubled to a dual carriageway, the northern portal was bricked up. Thornton, West Yorkshire was an important industrial centre, and in 1865 separate proposals were advanced by the L&YR and the GNR for lines to Thornton, but they were rejected by Parliament. During 1870 local businessmen put forward a scheme for a railway from Bradford to Thornton via Clayton and Queensbury; this would connect industrial locations hitherto not served by railways. The project had already been cut back in scope from an earlier project to reach Keighley, on
6675-570: Was first drawn up in the 1950s. All the county's districts contain large portions of green belt. West Yorkshire has close ties with Lancashire in terms of history, local identity and infrastructure including with the War of the Roses and Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway . Up until the 19th century, the town of Todmorden was in Lancashire but was moved into Yorkshire. In the 1974 boundary review. The towns of Earby and Barnoldswick were moved into
6764-596: Was formed as a metropolitan county in 1974, by the Local Government Act 1972 , and corresponds roughly to the core of the historic West Riding of Yorkshire and the county boroughs of Bradford, Dewsbury, Halifax, Huddersfield, Leeds, and Wakefield. West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council inherited the use of West Riding County Hall at Wakefield , opened in 1898, from the West Riding County Council in 1974. Since 1987 it has been
6853-578: Was given a trial on the branch about 1906 but did not find favour, possibly because of the gradients. The Halifax High Level Railway Company was absorbed jointly by the L&YR and GNR by the Great Northern Railway Act 1894 ( 57 & 58 Vict. c. lxxv) of 3 July 1894; a clause in the act obliged them to build a goods station at Wheatley . The branch was steeply graded and heavily engineered with an 810-yard (740 m) tunnel at Wheatley, approached at both ends by deep cuttings. There
6942-660: Was granted in July 1888. However the Industrial Revolution , which changed West and South Yorkshire significantly, led to the growth of Leeds and Bradford, which became the area's two largest cities (Leeds being the largest in Yorkshire). Leeds was granted city status in 1893 and Bradford in 1897. The name of Leeds Town Hall reflects the fact that at its opening in 1858 Leeds was not yet a city, while Bradford renamed its Town Hall as City Hall in 1965. West Yorkshire
7031-487: Was increased. Although the line passed through Queensbury, there was no station there at first; a temporary structure was built, to the east of the later East Junction on 14 April 1879. It had no goods facilities, and was reached only by a primitive and unmade footpath. The improved station, with platforms on all three curves of the triangular layout, opened later, on 1 January 1890. In 1864 and again in 1867 moves were made independently (seeking Midland Railway support) for
7120-475: Was not ready. From 7 April 1884 GNR passenger trains were extended to Ingrow ; the train service was eight trains a day. Finally, on 1 November 1884 passenger trains began running from Bradford and Halifax to Keighley Joint station . There were 18 GNR trains each weekday and four on Sundays. The station had cost £80,000, and in fact was not completed until the following spring. In 1880, the GNR applied for Parliamentary sanction to reduce its financial liability for
7209-507: Was on 1 May 1878. The line was opened throughout from Bradford to Thornton to all traffic on 14 October 1878. Thornton Viaduct crossed the Pinch Beck valley. The viaduct is 300 yards (270 m) long and rises 120 feet (37 m) from the valley floor. It was built of brick and stone quarried locally and the central piers were sunk 25 feet (8 m) underground to the foundations. Each of its 20 arches are of 40 feet (12 m) span. It
7298-483: Was only after a survey showed the line was losing £48,000 a year that regular passenger trains were withdrawn on 23 May 1955. All lines west of Horton Park were completely closed by 1965, and those east of this point followed suit in 1972. Queensbury and Lees Moor tunnels were abandoned in 1956 owing to their poor state of repair. The line was cut back to Thornton on 11 November 1963 and the entire section west of Horton Junction closed from 28 June 1965. Horton Park Yard and
7387-502: Was opened in 1844. The main station, opened later, is approached from the north-east by a tunnel: it is located at the bottom of the town, which is hilly. From 1854 the Great Northern Railway had running powers to Halifax over the Leeds, Bradford and Halifax Junction Railway . Both the L&YR and the GNR were concerned about the difficulty of carting goods to and from the higher-lying districts, as well as congestion at
7476-409: Was opened to passengers throughout on 1 December 1879. Lee Bank Tunnel was a railway tunnel on the Halifax to Queensbury section of the Queensbury lines south of Ovenden in Halifax , West Yorkshire , England . It was 267 yards (244 m) long and was very close to Woodside Viaduct and Woodside (Old Lane) Tunnel . The southern portal of Lee Bank tunnel was infilled when the main Keighley road
7565-487: Was passed to amend existing local acts of Parliament in the West Yorkshire area, and to confer specific powers on West Yorkshire County Council , as well as the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council , Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council , Kirklees Council , Leeds City Council and Wakefield Council . West Yorkshire is ethnically diverse, hosting large populations of multiple ethnic minority groups. Most notably,
7654-517: Was repeated pressure from the Queensbury Local Board to improve the access, but the GNR delayed. In 1885 a report was considered, which showed that it would be possible to construct a new station with platforms on all three sides of the triangular junction. Remarkably a railway connection to the town was considered: either a rope-worked incline at a gradient of 1 in 6, or a slightly more conventional locomotive-worked line, following
7743-510: Was slow. The first section to be opened was from the St Dunstan's junctions at Bradford as far as Great Horton on 4 December 1876. The short branch line to City Road goods depot opened on the same day; both openings were for goods traffic only. The short extension to Clayton followed on 9 July 1877 or on 9 August 1877. The next stage was dependent on completion of Clayton Tunnel and Thornton Viaduct ; opening for goods from Clayton to Thornton
7832-468: Was too steeply graded to compete with the Midland's low-lying line along the Aire Valley . At first the GNR provided the fastest service from Keighley to London in 4 hours 55 minutes by a Keighley–Bradford train, stopping only at St Dunstan's to connect with a King's Cross express. A service from Halifax avoided St Dunstan's by using the Leeds curve to connect with London trains at Laisterdyke . After
7921-608: Was unable to complete its planned lines and by an act of Parliament, the Halifax High Level and North and South Junction Railway Act 1886 ( 50 Vict. c. xliv) of 1886, the Halifax High Level Railway was reduced to the Holmfield to St Paul's section. Authorised capital was £360,000. The line would be worked jointly by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and the Great Northern Railway, although
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