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.
The "Caldervale Line" name was given to the route by the West Yorkshire Metro transport authority, as the route is primarily within the West Yorkshire area. The route also extends into Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

Contents

Services

The route

Bradford - Halifax

Halifax - Huddersfield

Halifax - Manchester Victoria

Blackpool route

External links

See also

Services

Passenger train services are operated by Northern Rail, destinations include the following:

★ 'Leeds/Bradford - Halifax'

★ 'Leeds/Bradford - Halifax - Huddersfield'

★ 'Leeds/Bradford - Halifax - Rochdale - Manchester Victoria'

★ 'Leeds/Bradford - Halifax - Burnley - Blackburn - Preston - Blackpool'

★ 'York - Leeds - Halifax - Blackpool

★ 'Scarborough - York - Leeds - Blackpool
This line, along with the Huddersfield Line and York & Selby Lines is normally merged in national timetables to create a coast to coast service.
Services within West Yorkshire are sponsored by West Yorkshire Metro, and West Yorkshire Metro tickets including Metrocards can be used up to Hebden Bridge between Leeds and Blackpool, and Walsden between Leeds and Manchester.

The route

Before the 1923 Grouping the first section of the line (Leeds - Bradford) was owned by the Great Northern Railway (GNR) ; a section of the route leading into Huddersfield by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR); and the entire remainder by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR), which had become linked with the LNWR.
For the section between Halifax and Burnley the line uses the valley of the River Calder, thus giving the services their name; it also follows the Rochdale Canal from Todmorden into Manchester. Since the route crosses the Pennines, there are many tunnels to negotiate ''en route''.
The route description follows: for the initial section of the route: see article Leeds and Bradford Lines.

Bradford - Halifax

Many stations on this route have been closed all stops opened are in 'bold': original places served, and notes on the route:

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★ Bowling was named ''Bowling Junction'' for its link with the GNR at this point

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★ here is ''Bowling Tunnel'' 1648 yd (1483 m)

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★ Low Moor also a junction with GNR. Station maybe reopening in the future.

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★ here was a triangular junction for the L&YR line to Dewsbury

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★ here are two tunnels: ''New Furnace Tunnel'' and ''Wyke Tunnel''

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★ Wyke & Norwood Green, West Yorkshire

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★ here is junction for a line to Huddersfield: now closed, there was one station for Bailiff Bridge

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★ Lightcliffe

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★ here is ''Lightcliffe Tunnel''

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★ Hipperholme

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★ here is ''Beacon Hill Tunnel'' 1105 yd (995 m)

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★ 'Halifax'

★ All the services on the Caldervale line serve Halifax.

Halifax - Huddersfield

This route was re-opened to passengers in 2000 when Brighouse station was re-opened, and a short length of line re-laid to enable trains to reach Huddersfield.

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★ Dryclough Junction (where the Huddersfield route leaves the main line)

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★ 'Brighouse'

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★ 'Deighton' ''(on the Huddersfield line, Caldervale Line trains do not stop there)

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★ 'Huddersfield'

Halifax - Manchester Victoria

Many stations on this route have been closed (or are not served by the Caldervale Line trains): original stations served:

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★ here was the triangular junction for the line via Mirfield to Dewsbury; the former Brighouse station was on this line

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★ here is ''Bank House Tunnel''

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★ here was Copley station

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★ the line now turns west into the Calder valley

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★ 'Sowerby Bridge'

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★ at Sowerby Bridge heading west the line used to branch off to Ripponden. It was originally intended to continue to Littleborough but ended at Rishworth. Closed to passengers 8 July 1929.

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★ here was Luddendenfoot station now closed

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★ 'Mytholmroyd'

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★ 'Hebden Bridge'

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★ here is ''Weasal Hall Tunnel''

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★ here was Eastwood station

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★ here are: ''Castle Hill Tunnel''; ''Horsfall Tunnel''; and ''Millwood Tunnel''

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★ '' Hall Royd Junction'': here the trains on the Blackpool service turn northwestward, following the Calder valley (see below)

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★ 'Todmorden' here the line takes a southward direction, in the same valley as the Rochdale Canal

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★ 'Walsden:' here the line crosses into the Rochdale District of Greater Manchester

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★ after ''Winterbutlee Tunnel'' follows ''Summit Tunnel'', at 2885 yd (2597 m) the longest on the L&YR lines

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★ 'Littleborough'

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★ 'Smithy Bridge'

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★ 'Rochdale:' junction for two lines: to Bacup (closed to passengers 16 June 1947) and to Oldham

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★ 'Castleton:' junction for a line to Bury

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★ Middleton Junction junction for two lines: Middleton branch; and Oldham (both closed)

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★ 'Moston'

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★ 'Mills Hill'

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★ Newton Heath

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★ Miles Platting

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★ 'Manchester Victoria'
Summit Tunnel was the scene of a major fire in 1984, caused when a freight train hauling petrol tankers derailed.

Blackpool route

Trains continue up the Calder valley to Burnley and Blackburn; it also runs parallel with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal from Burnley. The section from Todmorden to Burnley was opened by the L&YR on 12 November 1849; the Blackburn to Preston section on 1 June 1846. Many stations on this route have been closed (or are not served by the Caldervale Line trains): original stations served and other notes on the route:

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★ ''Hall Royd Junction'': see above; there are now no stations on the route before Burnley; stations once served, and notes on the route:

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★ Stansfield Hall

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★ here is ''Kitsonwood Tunnel''

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★ Cornholme station closed to all traffic 26 September 1938

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★ Portsmouth

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★ Towneley: serving the nearby ''Towneley Hall''

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★ 'Burnley Manchester Road' station: there were also ''Burnley Barracks'' and ''Burnley Central''

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★ 'Rose Grove'

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★ here was the ''Rose Grove Junction'' for the alternative route to Blackburn via Padiham {closed to passengers 2 December 1957)

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★ 'Hapton'

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★ 'Huncoat'

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★ 'Accrington'

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★ here was the triangular junction for the line to Bury (line closed)

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★ 'Church' & 'Oswaldtwistle'

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★ 'Rishton'

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★ here was the other end of the line from Burnley at ''Great Harwood Junction''

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★ 'Blackburn': junction of the line to Bolton

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★ 'Mill Hill'

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★ 'Cherry Tree'

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★ here was the L&YR/LNWR joint line (the ''Lancashire Union Joint Railway'' to Chorley and the West Coast Route) opened 1 November 1869 (now closed)

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★ 'Pleasington'

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★ 'Bamber Bridge'

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★ here were further junctions: one the through route to Southport

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★ 'Preston': the joint LNWR/L&YR station on the West Coast Route

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★ 'Lea Road'

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★ 'Salwick'

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★ 'Kirkham & Wesham'

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★ here were junctions: for the direct route to Blackpool; and the coast route via Lytham St Annes on Sea

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★ Singleton

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★ 'Poulton-le-Fylde'

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★ here was the junction for Fleetwood

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★ Bispham

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★ 'Blackpool North' was named ''Talbot Road''

External links

★ West Yorkshire Metro

★ The Caldervale line for Microsoft Train Simulator, currently being built by UKTrainSim members daandmda, DescendingSadly and desiro5

See also

Transpennine Express - A service that connects the West to the East