Halifax railway station

Infobox UK station
name = Halifax


caption = Platform 2 at Halifax railway station
manager = Northern Rail
locale = Halifax
borough = Calderdale
pte = West Yorkshire (Metro)
zone = 4
usage0405 = 0.940
usage0506 = 0.978
usage0607 = 1.049
platforms = 2
code = HFX
start = 1844
moved and rebuilt 1855

Halifax railway station serves the town of Halifax in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Caldervale Line 17 miles (27 km) west from Leeds.

The station at Halifax is an example of a single island platform acting as two platforms, Platform 2 headed eastbound, towards Bradford and Platform 1 headed westbound when 180 metres (200 yards) west of the station, a line splits off towards Brighouse and Huddersfield to the south.

To the east the line also split with the current line passing into Beacon Hill tunnel and a disused line going to Ovenden and then to the Halifax High level line which had stations in Pellon and at St Paul's, Queens Road.

Facilities

There is no platform Café, and only a spartan covered area which includes a kiosk and a ticket booth. There are no toilets, washroom or baby-changing facilities provided [ [http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/sectionhome.aspx?sectionid=6517 Halifax Evening courier Railway station comments] ] .

A campaign, run by the local newspaper the [http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/|Halifax Evening Courier] was started to get the dilapidated station updated [ [http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/action-station/Give-Halifax-a-proper-station.2089363.jp Halifax Evening courier HADRAG report on station facilities] ] . Due to the amount of support generated Network Rail and Northern Rail have agreed to do so . What this work will include has not yet been decided, or a timetable drawn up, though it appears to be a five year project [ [http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleID=2130909&SectionID=6517 Halifax Evening courier Railway Companies agree to improve station] ] .

Access and accessibility

Entry to the station is via a cobbled road bridge from opposite the bottom of Horton Street. Passengers arriving by foot who have walked down Winding Road from the bus station are forced to cross over this bridge to access the right hand pavement, which is the only pedestrian access. The decision to allow car parking on the left side some years ago makes for safety issues at peak period times. As the cobbles may be slippery in rain and snow, this can make difficulties for cyclists, as gritting on the cobbles is sometimes inadequate.

Access to the single island platform is by steep stairs. Alternative access for disabled users and cyclists is by lift- only installed in recent times. It is not unusual for the lift to smell of urine. Given that there is no toilet in the station, this is hardly surprising.

History

The original station was built at Shaw Syke, approximately 200 metres west of the current location and opened in 1844, this was extended and used as a goods yards prior to the building of a new railway station building at the current site. This was designed by Thomas Butterworth and opened in 1855. This Grade II listed building now houses the nursery associated to Eureka! Children's Museum.

From 1890 the station was known as Halifax Old Station, to distinguish it from Halifax St. Paul's and Halifax North Bridge stations. In 1951 the name was changed again to Halifax Town, and in 1961 it reverted to Halifax.

The railway constructed by the Great Northern Railway in the mid 1870s across and indeed partly in tunnel beneath the exceptionally hilly terrain from Halifax via Queensbury, where there was a highly unusual triangular station, to both Bradford in the east and Keighley (for Skipton, Carlisle and Morecambe) to the north-west, was unfortunately closed in stages from 1955 onwards although many of its spectacular engineering features remain. The route has lately been adopted and to an extent brought back into public use and attention by Sustrans as a walking and cycle route. The principal structure on the line, Queensbury Tunnel, was, at its opening, the longest on the GNR system at 1 mile 751 yards. It is currently derelict, partially flooded and impassible.

The Halifax High Level Railway was a related branch line leading from Holmfield near Ovenden, on the line to Queensbury, running through a half-mile tunnel through the ridge and across the Wheatley Valley on a ten arch viaduct past Samuel Webster's brewery, to Pellon, where there were sizeable goods facilities and then to St Paul's railway station in Queens Road. This branch line gradually fell into disuse, losing its regular passenger service as early as 1917. The last goods train ran in 1960 and the line was then dismantled, leaving the spectacular viaduct standing as a reminder of a once useful freight link.

ervices

Eastbound: Monday to Saturdays there is a train every 15 minutes heading to Bradford Interchange and Leeds with two trains per hour going beyond Leeds to York and Selby respectively. Evenings and Sundays it is half-hourly to Leeds and hourly to York.

Westbound: Monday to Saturday daytimes there is a half-hourly service to Manchester Victoria (hourly evenings), one train an hour to Blackpool North and one per hour to Wakefield Westgate via Huddersfield and Brighouse. Sundays there is an hourly service to Manchester Victoria and one train each hour goes either to Blackpool North or Huddersfield.

Gallery

References

External links

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