Railway lines in Leeds in 1913Railway lines around Manchester in 1910Eastbound local train between Mirfield and Thornhill in 1953Calder Valley main line near Mirfield in 1964Two eastbound empties trains west of Mirfield in 1950
The Calder Valley line (also previously known as 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. It is the slower of the two main rail routes between Leeds and Manchester (the other being the Huddersfield line), and the northernmost of the three main trans-Pennine routes.
This line, along with the Huddersfield line and York and Selby lines, was in the past combined in national timetables to show a coast-to-coast service but since May 2018 has been split again into separate routes for operational reasons and to improve service reliability. Through running to Chester (with a limited peak provision to Ellesmere Port via Helsby) began in May 2019.
Services within West Yorkshire are sponsored by West Yorkshire Metro, whose tickets (including Metrocards) can be used up to Hebden Bridge between Leeds and Blackpool, and Walsden between Leeds and Manchester.
For the section between Halifax and Burnley the line uses the valley of the River Calder, which in fact comprises two separate valleys with rivers of the same name, that of West Yorkshire and the Lancashire 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 British Railways Board's Corporate Plan for 1983–1988 marked the routes between Milner Royd Junction (east of Sowerby Bridge) and Bowling Junction (south of Bradford Interchange); and Milner Royd Junction and Heaton Lodge Junction (west of Mirfield) to be 'singled' on a list "The Proposed Elimination of Non-Essential Multiple Tracks".[1] A combination of factors meant this was never implemented: the better gradients for freight than the Huddersfield trans-Pennine route; and the mid-1980s uncertainty over the Settle-Carlisle route meant that this became the preferred route for goods between Leeds and Preston/Carlisle.
Today, Hebden Bridge and Leeds are the only stations where every service calls, the route description follows.
On 24 October 1901, as the 6.10 pm down goods train from Low Moor to Leeds to was passing through Bowling Tunnel, the rear section broke loose. It came to a stop in the tunnel and was run into from behind by the 9.05 pm goods train from Low Moor to Laisterdyke. Wreckage partly blocking the up line was then hit by the 9:00 pm passenger train from Leeds to Manchester. Nobody was killed but there was extensive damage to rolling stock.[2]
Halifax–Huddersfield
This route was re-opened to passengers in 2000 when Brighouse station was re-opened, and two short lengths of line were relaid (after being out of use for 15 years) to enable trains to reach Huddersfield.
At Dryclough Junction the Huddersfield route leaves the main line.
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.
after Winterbutlee Tunnel follows Summit Tunnel, at 2885 yd (2597 m) the longest on the L&YR lines. Here the line crosses into the Rochdale District of Greater Manchester
On 28 February 1902 a Wakefield to Rose Grove goods train broke into two due to a broken coupling, resulting in the rear half eventually crashing at high speed into the front half in Millwood Tunnel. No one was killed but wreckage filled the tunnel right up to the roof.[4]
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 (often called the Copy Pit line) was opened by the Manchester and Leeds Railway (later L&YR) on 12 November 1849. The East Lancashire Railway (later L&YR) built the Burnley to Preston line, Burnley to Accrington 18 September 1848, Accrington to Blackburn 19 June 1848, and the Blackburn to Preston section on 1 June 1846.
The Rose Grove–Todmorden (Hall Royd) local service over this route ended in 1965, the only passenger services thereafter being a daily Leeds–Blackpool train. In mid-1982 the last tanker train travelled over the line, with the expectation of closure shortly after. A turning point came when the National and Provincial Building Society moved staff from Burnley to Bradford. The Society arranged for a Preston–Bradford Interchange train to be run to move staff from their home base to Bradford offices. In October 1984 British Rail developed this into five trains each way between Leeds and Preston with one extended to Blackpool.[5]
Todmorden curve
The Todmorden curve is a 440-yard (400 m) section of track at Hall Royd Junction in Todmorden which was lifted in 1972. Originally Hall Royd Junction was triangular, and the lifted curve allowed services from Burnley to reach Manchester via Todmorden (regular services over it had ceased in November 1965). Reinstating the curve was a priority for Lancashire County Council and was ranked as the most important project in its 2010 Rail Improvement Schemes draft report.[6] The government stated in March 2010 that reinstating the link would cost around £7 million and any new rail services would require initial subsidy.[7] Burnley MPKitty Ussher wrote to the North West Development Agency to seek assurance that it could find the money.[7] In October 2010 Network Rail agreed to pay for the final assessment of the plans.[8] This assessment, completed in May 2011, concluded that it could be feasible to reinstate the curve, although the original route could not be used as the original curve was deemed to be too sharp. An alternative route was instead put forward, and it was stated that, if funds could be obtained by early 2012 to carry forward the project, the curve could be back in use by the end of 2013.[9]
On 31 October 2011, the deputy Prime Minister announced that the scheme would be given the go-ahead.[10]
Construction work began in summer 2013, and the curve was planned to be available for the May 2014 timetable change.[11] The track was completed and tested in May 2014, and services began on 17 May 2015.[12][13]
Original stations
Many stations on this route have been closed (or are not served by the Calder Valley line trains): original stations served and other notes on the route:
Hall Royd Junction: see above; there are now no stations on the route before Burnley; stations once served, and notes on the route:
here is the junction with the original line from Todmorden (to Burnley), forming a triangle (closed 1972, but reopened in 2015).
here was the L&YR/LNWR joint line (the Lancashire Union Joint Railway) to Chorley and the West Coast Route (opened 1 November 1869 and closed to passengers 4 January 1960)
here was a junction for a direct route to Preston, the surviving route continues to Preston via Lostock Hall where there are further junctions, including one for the former through route to Liverpool.
Holme Tunnel, which lies between Hebden Bridge and Burnley Manchester Road, was closed for 20 weeks from November 2013 until March 2014.[14] This was to allow for major engineering work to fix the distorted shape of the tunnel, caused by movement of the ground through which it passes. The project was budgeted to cost £16.3 million.[15] During the works, buses replaced train services. Trains can now pass through at 45 mph.[16]
Future
This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (August 2020)
Improvements to the line were proposed as part of Network Rail's 2010 Northern Hub plans, which would allow for more frequent services on the line.[17] Some services via Bradford would also be extended to Chester, Crewe, Liverpool and Manchester Airport.[17] The Chester services started in December 2017 under the proposed "Northern Connect" brand, which has since been scrapped. Those services are operated by new 100 mph Class 195 diesel trains by December 2019.[18] In 2018, the Manchester Airport trains briefly ran over the Ordsall Curve. However, those services have also been scrapped. Track and signalling upgrades between Hebden Bridge and Leeds (following on from work already carried out between Littleborough and Manchester) will allow for quicker journey times by the autumn of 2018. The work will see four existing signal boxes between Hebden Bridge and Mill Lane Junction in Bradford closed and signalling control transferred to the Rail Operating Centre at York.[19] The ROC will also take over the operation of the parts of the line through Brighouse and Mirfield currently controlled from Huddersfield and Healey Mills panel boxes.
Low Moor station, between Bradford Interchange and Halifax, reopened on 2 April 2017 after the original opening planned for 2005 was delayed by the discovery of disused mine workings under the station site.[20][21] A business case is being developed to re-open Elland station between Halifax and Brighouse.[22]
Calderdale Council have called for the route to be electrified as an alternative route to the line through Huddersfield should that be closed for engineering works. Tim Swift, the leader of Calderdale Council in 2015 stated "It makes no logical sense in terms of a long term network to electrify the Trans-Pennine Route and not the Calder Valley Line".[23] In March 2015 The Northern Sparks report was produced by a committee of Members of Parliament from all parties focusing on economic benefits of electrification in the North. The Calder Valley line in its entirety was number one priority.[24] This was reiterated in 2018.[25]
The Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands (IRP) is a government document that was published on 18 November 2021. This document says that the line from Leeds to Bradford Interchange will be electrified.[26]
As part of the TFGM's Delivery Plan, there are plans to electrify the line between Manchester Victoria to Rochdale via Mills Hill.[27] This is part of the 2040 Strategy, and they aim to complete business cases for the early start of it with potential completion in 2026, subject to funding.[28]
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