Wetherby railway station

Infobox UK station
name = Wetherby
manager = British Railways up until closure
locale = Wetherby
borough = City of Leeds
platforms = 2
start = 1902
Closed 1964
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Wetherby railway station was first built on the Harrogate to Church Fenton Line and the station was situated on York Road (Racecourse Station). The platform hall still remains and stands on what is now a derelict industrial estate.

Once the Cross Gates to Wetherby Line was constructed, Wetherby's second station was opened on Linton Road in 1902. This station remained operational until the Beeching axe of 1965.

The Station

For a while an alternative Leeds-Scarborough route ran through Wetherby Station. From Cross Gates to Wetherby the stations were as follows, Pendas Way, Scholes, Thorner, Bardsey, Collingham Bridge, Wetherby.

The station would have been quite similar in appearance (although larger) to Menston Station, with stone-built buildings concentrated on one platform with an iron footbridge. The front of the station originally had a sheltered entrance so that wealthy passengers could board their stagecoaches without exposure to the elements.

Towards the eastern end of the station was the "Devils Toe Nail Junction", where the line forked off, either to Harrogate or Church Fenton. This made up one third of the triangular junction. This junction was set deep in a cutting, creating a huge natural cliff on both sides. It is still known to locals as the "Devils Toe Nail".

Up until 1963, Racecourse Specials ran to the station from Bradford Exchange on racedays. Racedays would bring many additional passengers to the station. Being as the station on York Road, closed in the early twentieth century, for decades the only rail access was via the station on Linton Road (the other end of Wetherby from the racecourse and a fairly long walk).

Development plans

In the late 1960s it was evident that Wetherby was going to grow (In 1965 it was estimated that by 1981, the towns population would double to 12,000 and this estimate wasn't far off). There were ambitious plans to relieve growing congestion through the town centre, A58 and A661 by converting the disused railways into relief roads. These suggestions never came to fruition.

Today

The station's two through platforms, two sidings, ticket office, waiting rooms and footbridge, no longer remain. There was a junction at the eastern end of the station The former station site was briefly used as a car park for a nearby restaurant. However, due to the position of the site, people were reluctant to leave their cars hidden in a derelict railway cutting.

A significant part of the former railway tracks between Wetherby and Leeds have been used for housing development. Sustrans National Cycle Network routes 66 and 67 [http://www.sustransshop.co.uk/index.php?f=itemdetl.php&p=fpt07] use some of the remaining track bed. Around the Thorp Arch Trading Estate it is still possible to drive over the rails where they cross the roads.

If the Cross Gates to Wetherby line were still open it would probably be very popular given the number of commuters between Wetherby and Leeds. The Harrogate to Church Fenton line may not be so popular, given the relative small sizes of these places and that few people from Wetherby work in these places.

Cross Gates to Wetherby Line

Stations: Cross Gates (Interchange with the York & Selby Lines), Pendas Way, Scholes, Thorner, Bardsey, Collingham Bridge, Wetherby (Interchange with the former Harrogate-Church Fenton line).

Harrogate to Church Fenton Line

Stations: Harrogate (Interchange with the Harrogate line), Spofforth, Wetherby (Interchange with the former Cross Gates- Wetherby line), Thorp Arch, Tadcaster, Church Fenton (Interchange with East Coast Main Line)

Future

The Harrogate Church Fenton line would probably still be unsustainable as it is not on a major communting route so would probably never be reconstructed. The Cross Gates to Wetherby line would probably be very popular now, a small stretch of this line has been built on in Linton and Bardsey, however the roads and landscaping have since changed, so reconstruction would be expensive. In the current climate, the reconstruction of either line seems unlikely, however Wetherby is growing and rail is being given greater consideration in transport plans so this could change eventually.

If plans go ahead First Harrogate Trains may establish a park and ride at Cattal railway station. This will interconnect with Wetherby Bus Station. This could include a name change to something like 'Catal for Wetherby' as has been done in Northumbria with Alnmouth for Alnwick Station.

References

rail line
previous = Collingham Bridge Railway Station
"Line closed; station closed"
next =
route = LNER

Cross Gates to Wetherby
col = ffff00rail line
previous = Spofforth Railway Station
"Line and station closed"
next = Thorpe Arch Railway Station
"Line closed; station closed"
route = LNER

Harrogate to Church Fenton
col = ffff00