Hellifield railway station
Encyclopedia
Hellifield railway station serves the village of Hellifield
in North Yorkshire
, England
.
The station is 36.25 miles (58 km) north west of Leeds on the Leeds to Morecambe Line towards Carlisle
and Morecambe
. The Ribble Valley Line
from Blackburn
also meets the Leeds to Morecambe Line at Hellifield which is managed by Northern Rail
, who provide all passenger train services. It is unstaffed, although the buildings are in private use and open to the public at certain times.
and Long Preston
and sited 0.25 miles (400m) to the south of the present one. A much larger replacement (the current station) was built by the Midland Railway
and opened on 1 June 1880, immediately to the north of the junction of the line from Leeds
and the newly completed Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway route from Blackburn via Clitheroe
.
It soon became was a busy junction (as it was now located on the Midland Railway's main line from London to Scotland), with trains going to:
It was also the location of a busy locomotive depot and a large goods yard.
The line from Blackburn
had its passenger service withdrawn on 10 September 1962, but remains open for freight and periodic diversions when the West Coast main line is closed north of Preston for engineering work. The adjacent locomotive shed closed the following year and local trains from the station to Carlisle ended in May 1970, although it continued to be served by expresses to and from Glasgow until 1975. Thereafter it was downgraded to unstaffed halt status and served only by stopping trains between Leeds and Morecambe.
By the late eighties the main buildings and canopies were in very poor condition and under threat of demolition, but following a £500,000 cash injection from British Rail in conjunction with English Heritage and the Railway Heritage Trust, they were refurbished and returned to private commercial use. Trains to and from Carlisle also started calling again in May 1995 to further encourage use of the station and its newly restored amenities.
Between 2005 and 2008, the station was used as the operating base for Kingfisher Railtours' Dalesman steam-hauled charter trains over the Settle-Carlisle Line. Facilities on offer to the travelling public at the station include the Long Drag cafe & gift shop and a heritage room used to exhibit items and photographs connected to the Settle-Carlisle route. The station is also still used by special trains and steam-hauled rail tours as a water stop and traction changeover point.
The last remaining signal box
at the station (there were three until 1966) is one of only two manual boxes left in operation between Leeds and Carnforth (the other being at Settle Junction). It acts as the 'fringe' box to the Leeds workstation of York IECC
in the Skipton direction, as well as controlling the junction and a pair of goods loops that are used to help regulate the increasingly heavy levels of freight traffic on the Carlisle, Leeds and Blackburn lines.
- these run every two hours in the morning but less frequently in the afternoon. One Morecambe train runs through to Heysham
to connect with the daily ferry service to the Isle of Man
.
On Sundays there is an irregular service in both directions - three trains to Carlisle, four to Morecambe and seven to Leeds. The Morecambe line had its service levels improved at the May 2011 timetable changeover, with the first two trains in each direction extended to operate throughout the year rather than only in summer as was previously the case.
Also on Sundays in the summer, one or two trains operate from Blackpool North or Preston along the Ribble Valley Line via Clitheroe
to Hellifield and onwards towards Carlisle. There are plans for more services from Clitheroe. The Ribble Valley Rail
group is campaigning for this route to be re-opened.
Hellifield
Hellifield is a village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England . The village once was an important railway junction on the Settle-Carlisle Railway between the Midland Railway and the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, but Hellifield railway station is now a shadow of...
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The station is 36.25 miles (58 km) north west of Leeds on the Leeds to Morecambe Line towards Carlisle
Carlisle railway station
Carlisle railway station, also known as Carlisle Citadel station, is a railway station whichserves the Cumbrian City of Carlisle, England, and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line, lying south of Glasgow Central, and north of London Euston...
and Morecambe
Morecambe railway station
Morecambe railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Morecambe in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Morecambe Branch Line from to Heysham. The current truncated two-platform station was opened in 1994 to replace the Midland Railway's earlier terminus situated some...
. The Ribble Valley Line
Ribble Valley Line
The Ribble Valley Line is a railway line that runs from Manchester Victoria through Blackburn to the small market town of Clitheroe in Lancashire. Regular passenger services normally only run as far as Clitheroe, but occasional passenger services run along the line through north Lancashire towards...
from 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...
also meets the Leeds to Morecambe Line at Hellifield which is managed 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...
, who provide all passenger train services. It is unstaffed, although the buildings are in private use and open to the public at certain times.
History
The first Hellifield station was opened by the "Little" North Western Railway in 1849. It was a modest structure, similar to those at GargraveGargrave railway station
Gargrave railway station serves the village of Gargrave in North Yorkshire, England. It is north west of Leeds on the Leeds to Morecambe Line operated by Northern Rail who also manage the station....
and Long Preston
Long Preston railway station
Long Preston railway station serves the village of Long Preston in North Yorkshire, England. The station is north west of Leeds on the Leeds to Morecambe Line and is managed by Northern Rail who provide all passenger train services....
and sited 0.25 miles (400m) to the south of the present one. A much larger replacement (the current station) was built by the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The 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....
and opened on 1 June 1880, immediately to the north of the junction of the line from Leeds
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 the newly completed Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway route from Blackburn via Clitheroe
Clitheroe
Clitheroe is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. It is 1½ miles from the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for tourists in the area. It has a population of 14,697...
.
It soon became was a busy junction (as it was now located on the Midland Railway's main line from London to Scotland), with trains going to:
- ClitheroeClitheroe railway stationClitheroe railway station serves the town of Clitheroe in Lancashire, England. The station is the northern terminus of the Ribble Valley Line operated by Northern Rail and is north of Blackburn. The station forms part of the multi-award winning Clitheroe Interchange.- History :The original station...
- SkiptonSkipton railway stationSkipton railway station serves the town of Skipton in North Yorkshire, England on the Airedale Line. It is operated by Northern Rail and is situated north-west of Leeds....
- Leeds
- BlackburnBlackburn railway stationBlackburn 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...
- SettleSettle railway stationSettle railway station serves the town of Settle in North Yorkshire, England. It is operated by Northern Rail who provide all passenger train services. It is situated at the southern end of the Settle-Carlisle Line north of ....
- CarlisleCarlisle railway stationCarlisle railway station, also known as Carlisle Citadel station, is a railway station whichserves the Cumbrian City of Carlisle, England, and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line, lying south of Glasgow Central, and north of London Euston...
- Manchester
- MorecambeMorecambe Promenade railway stationMorecambe Promenade Station was a railway station in Morecambe, Lancashire. It was opened on March 24th 1907 by the Midland Railway and closed in February 1994...
It was also the location of a busy locomotive depot and a large goods yard.
The line from 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...
had its passenger service withdrawn on 10 September 1962, but remains open for freight and periodic diversions when the West Coast main line is closed north of Preston for engineering work. The adjacent locomotive shed closed the following year and local trains from the station to Carlisle ended in May 1970, although it continued to be served by expresses to and from Glasgow until 1975. Thereafter it was downgraded to unstaffed halt status and served only by stopping trains between Leeds and Morecambe.
By the late eighties the main buildings and canopies were in very poor condition and under threat of demolition, but following a £500,000 cash injection from British Rail in conjunction with English Heritage and the Railway Heritage Trust, they were refurbished and returned to private commercial use. Trains to and from Carlisle also started calling again in May 1995 to further encourage use of the station and its newly restored amenities.
Between 2005 and 2008, the station was used as the operating base for Kingfisher Railtours' Dalesman steam-hauled charter trains over the Settle-Carlisle Line. Facilities on offer to the travelling public at the station include the Long Drag cafe & gift shop and a heritage room used to exhibit items and photographs connected to the Settle-Carlisle route. The station is also still used by special trains and steam-hauled rail tours as a water stop and traction changeover point.
The last remaining signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
at the station (there were three until 1966) is one of only two manual boxes left in operation between Leeds and Carnforth (the other being at Settle Junction). It acts as the 'fringe' box to the Leeds workstation of York IECC
Integrated Electronic control centre
The Integrated Electronic Control Centre was developed in the late 1980s by the British Rail Research Division for UK-based railway signalling centres, although variations exist around the world...
in the Skipton direction, as well as controlling the junction and a pair of goods loops that are used to help regulate the increasingly heavy levels of freight traffic on the Carlisle, Leeds and Blackburn lines.
Services
There is a regular service each day from Hellifield to Leeds (thirteen trains on both weekdays and Saturdays since the May 2011 timetable change) and to Carlisle and Morecambe. The interval between services southbound ranges from thirty minutes to two and a half hours. Northbound there are five trains to Morecambe & six to Carlisle plus one evening service to RibbleheadRibblehead railway station
Ribblehead railway station is located at the southern end of the famous Ribblehead Viaduct in North Yorkshire, England. It is operated by Northern Rail who provide all passenger train services....
- these run every two hours in the morning but less frequently in the afternoon. One Morecambe train runs through to Heysham
Heysham Port railway station
Heysham Port railway station serves the port of Heysham in Lancashire.It is the terminus of the Morecambe Branch Line from Lancaster.A twice-daily service formerly served the railway station , which connected with the ferry to Douglas in the Isle of Man...
to connect with the daily ferry service to the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
.
On Sundays there is an irregular service in both directions - three trains to Carlisle, four to Morecambe and seven to Leeds. The Morecambe line had its service levels improved at the May 2011 timetable changeover, with the first two trains in each direction extended to operate throughout the year rather than only in summer as was previously the case.
Also on Sundays in the summer, one or two trains operate from Blackpool North or Preston along the Ribble Valley Line via Clitheroe
Clitheroe railway station
Clitheroe railway station serves the town of Clitheroe in Lancashire, England. The station is the northern terminus of the Ribble Valley Line operated by Northern Rail and is north of Blackburn. The station forms part of the multi-award winning Clitheroe Interchange.- History :The original station...
to Hellifield and onwards towards Carlisle. There are plans for more services from Clitheroe. The Ribble Valley Rail
Ribble Valley Rail
Ribble Valley Rail is the name the group of volunteers that care for the Hellifield, Clitheroe and Blackburn section of the Ribble Valley Line. They were formed in 1986, hoping they would have services running all the way to Hellifield, but so far have services running only to Clitheroe...
group is campaigning for this route to be re-opened.