Dunford Bridge railway station explained

Dunford Bridge
Status:Disused
Borough:Dunford Bridge, Barnsley
Country:England
Coordinates:53.5178°N -1.7628°W
Grid Name:Grid reference
Platforms:2
Original:Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway
Pregroup:Great Central Railway
Postgroup:London and North Eastern Railway
Years1:14 July 1845
Events1:opened
Years2:1954
Events2:station moved to new alignment
Years3:5 January 1970
Events3:closed

Dunford Bridge railway station was a railway station that served the village of Dunford Bridge on the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway situated immediately east of the Woodhead Tunnel, 5miles west of Penistone, within the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England.

The station was 22mile east of Manchester London Road (now Manchester Picadilly) and 20mile west of the now closed Sheffield Victoria station.[1]

History

When the line over Woodhead was opened in 1845 the tunnels were incomplete and a stagecoach service operated from here over the hills to the station at . Because the turning space at was inadequate the stagecoach links in the Huddersfield direction via Holmfirth were also operated from here.

The station was opened on 14 July 1845[2] and consisted of two flanking platforms, the main, stone built structure, with booking office and staff accommodation was on the Manchester-bound (Down) platform, whilst the Sheffield-bound platform (Up) had a large water tower alongside a stone built waiting shelter. Immediately east of the station was access to sidings which served stone quarries.

The area was controlled from a signal box positioned near the road bridge at the west end of the station but this was replaced by a larger cabin, of the late Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway design, immediately east of the station buildings, on the up platform.

This station was replaced by a modern structure in 1954 when the line was electrified. Still with flanking platforms but now realigned with the line through the "new" Woodhead Tunnel the main building was still on the down platform with a simple waiting shelter on the up.

The station was closed with the passenger services on the line on 5 January 1970.

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Electric Locomotive Equipment for the Manchester-Sheffield-Wath Line. Railway Archive. 7 November 2015. December 1954.
  2. Web site: Nick Catford. Dunford Bridge Railway Station. Disused Stations. 7 November 2015.