1. History

2. Route details
    Leeds–Huddersfield  Huddersfield–Manchester  Manchester–Liverpool 

3. Services

4. Future

5. Ale trail

6. References
    Sources 

7. External links

The Huddersfield line is one of the busiest rail lines on the West Yorkshire MetroTrain network in Northern England. Local services are operated by Northern with longer distance services operated by TransPennine Express. The line connects Leeds and Huddersfield with Manchester (Victoria and Piccadilly), Manchester Airport and Liverpool.

The route travels south-south west from Leeds through Dewsbury. After a short westward stretch through Mirfield (where it runs on the ex-L&YR section), it continues south west through Huddersfield, using the River Colne valley to its headwaters. The long Standedge Tunnel just after Marsden crosses under the watershed and the majority of the run down to Manchester is in the Tame valley. After Manchester, the line reaches the Liverpool and Manchester Railway line over Chat Moss to Liverpool.

The Government announced in November 2011 that this route would be electrified,^[1] and electrification is currently scheduled to be completed by 2022, though not all the route will now be electrified.^[2]

History

At the time of the 1923 Grouping most of the route followed by the line was over London and North Western Railway (LNWR) metals, the exception being a short stretch around Mirfield which was the property of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR).{{sfn|Haigh & Joy|1979|p=55}} The first section of the line, between Huddersfield and Stalybridge, was opened by the Manchester, Stockport and Leeds Railway on 1 August 1849. The line became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway after 1923.

The route was furnished with an additional two tracks in 1894, thus giving four tracks between Stalybridge and Leeds. The loss of traffic through the second half of the 20th century saw these cut back to just two lines and the closure of the Micklehurst (Friezland) loop.{{sfn|Nixon|1988|p=71}}

The length of the line between Manchester Victoria and Holbeck Junction at Leeds is {{convert|49|mi}},{{sfn|Body|1989|p=111}} though the Transpennine upgrade work covers the additional section to York which accounts for {{convert|76|mi}}.^[3]

Route details

Metro (West Yorkshire) pre-paid tickets and concessionary fares are available between Leeds and Marsden. Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) fares are available for the Greenfield-Manchester section.^[4] Several of the intermediate stations listed were closed in the 1960s (as a result of the Beeching Axe, including many of those between Huddersfield & Manchester). All stations that are still open are in bold:

Leeds–Huddersfield

• Leeds
• Copley Hill Goods
• Farnley and Wortley{{sfn|Burgess|2014|p=94}}
• Cottingley (Leeds)
• Churwell{{sfn|Burgess|2014|p=94}}
• Morley
• Batley
• Staincliffe & Batley Carr{{sfn|Burgess|2014|p=94}}
• Dewsbury: previously Dewsbury (Wellington Road)
• Ravensthorpe was named Ravensthorpe and Thornhill
  • here is Dewsbury Junction with the L&YR. Trains from Wakefield (Westgate and Kirkgate railway stations) join the Huddersfield line here, giving connections from the Pontefract, Hallam and Wakefield lines.
• Mirfield L&YR junctions here to Low Moor and Halifax (the Caldervale Line): the service from the Huddersfield Line operates to Brighouse
• Heaton Lodge/Heckmondwike Junctions return the route to the ex-LNWR line
• Bradley{{sfn|Burgess|2014|p=94}}
• Deighton
• Huddersfield: served by the Caldervale and Penistone lines. The railway station here was LNWR/L&YR joint owned.

Huddersfield–Manchester

• here is Springwood Tunnel and Springwood Junction for the trains on the Penistone line
• Longwood and Milnsbridge{{sfn|Burgess|2014|p=94}}
• Golcar{{sfn|Burgess|2014|p=94}}
• Slaithwaite
• Marsden
• Standedge Tunnel: three parallel tunnels, two single-line, one double, {{convert|5,340|yard}} in length
• Diggle{{sfn|Burgess|2014|p=94}}
• Diggle Junction with line to Stalybridge via Friezland
• Saddleworth{{sfn|Burgess|2014|p=94}}
• Moorgate
• Greenfield
• Mossley
• Stalybridge
• Ashton-under-Lyne
• Manchester Victoria

Manchester–Liverpool

• Manchester Piccadilly
  • Manchester Airport
• Irlam (peak only)
• Manchester Oxford Road
• Birchwood
• Warrington Central
• Hunts Cross (peak only)
• Liverpool Lime Street

Services

At the May 2018 timetable change, the Northern services calling at the smaller stations on the section between Greater Manchester and Huddersfield, were transferred to TPE and combined into an hourly {{rws|Manchester Piccadilly}} to {{rws|Leeds}} service.{{sfn|James|2018|pp=38–39}} This also saw many of the TPE services diverted away from the {{rws|Guide Bridge}} to Manchester Piccadilly corridor, so that through trains could use the newly opened Ordsall Chord. However, Northern still operate local services from Huddersfield to Sheffield, Leeds (via {{rws|Bradford Interchange}}) and Wakefield.^[6] Due to the change of line on the through Manchester services, the Liverpool trains no longer run on the line through {{rws|Warrington Central}}, but instead travel via {{rws|Newton-le-Willows}}.^[7]

TPE provide six trains per hour in both directions between {{rws|Stalybridge}} and Leeds;^[8]

• {{rws|Liverpool Lime Street}} to {{rws|Newcastle}} (via {{rws|Manchester Victoria}})
• Liverpool Lime Street to {{rws|Scarborough}} (via Manchester Victoria)
• {{rws|Manchester Airport}} to Newcastle (via {{rws|Manchester Piccadilly}} and Manchester Victoria)
• Manchester Airport to {{rws|Middlesbrough}} (via Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria)
• Manchester Piccadilly to {{rws|Hull}}
• Manchester Piccadilly to {{rws|Leeds}}{{sfn|James|2018|p=38}}

Future

From spring 2019, the whole route is being upgraded over the course of five years. Network rail state that this will include doubling the track in some places and upgrading stations as well as some of the intended Transpennine electrification programme.^[9] The electrification has been curtailed in parts and as such, the sections between Stalybridge and Huddersfield, and a further section of {{convert|12|mi}} east of Leeds will not be electrified. Emphasis has been placed on the Bi-Modal power of the new trains using the line; this will necessitate using Diesel engines on the hillier sections of track.^[10][11]

Ale trail

Owing to a large number of easily accessed and nationally acclaimed pubs along the route (including pubs on the station platforms at Dewsbury, Huddersfield and Stalybridge), an "ale trail" along the route has become popular. Of particular interest are:

• West Riding Licensed Refreshment Rooms (on the platform at Dewsbury Station, 2006 runner up CAMRA National Pub of the Year)^[12]
• The Kings Head, formerly known as The Station Tavern, in the east wing of Huddersfield station
• The Head of Steam in the west wing of Huddersfield Station
• The Commercial, The Shoulder of Mutton and The Swan in Slaithwaite
• Riverhead, Marsden (with the Riverhead Brewery in the basement, in the town a little down from the station and tunnels)^[13]
• Station Buffet at Stalybridge (original Victorian Station Buffet with marble counter, on the platform at Stalybridge station)

The Trail featured on the BBC Oz and James Drink to Britain programme and consequently became very popular for drinkers in Manchester and Leeds. This has prompted some concerns over anti-social behaviour in the villages along the Trail.^[14]

References

Sources

• {{cite book|last=Body|first=Geoffrey|title=Railways of the Eastern Region Volume 2: the Northern Operating Area|year=1989|publisher=Patrick Stephens|location=Wellingborough|isbn=1-85260-072-1|ref={{Harvid|Body|1989 }} }}
• {{cite book|last=Burgess|first=Neil|title=The Lost Railways of Yorkshire's West Riding; the Central Section - Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield|year=2014|publisher=Stenlake|location=Catrine|isbn=9781840336573|ref={{Harvid|Burgess|2014}} }}
• {{cite book|last1=Haigh|first1=A|last2=Joy|first2=David|title=Yorkshire Railways|year=1979|publisher=Dalesman Books|location=Clapham, Lancashire|isbn=0-85206-553-1|ref={{Harvid|Haigh & Joy|1979}} }}
• {{cite magazine|last=James|first=James|title=Changing Times at TransPennine Express|magazine=Today's Railways|issue=203|date=November 2018|publisher=Platform 5|location=Sheffield|issn=1475-9713|ref={{Harvid|James|2018}} }}
• {{cite book|last=Nixon|first=L A|title=Transpennine Rail Routes|year=1988|publisher=OPC/Haynes|location=Sparkford|isbn=0-86093-307-5|ref={{Harvid|Nixon|1988}} }}

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