Mytholmroyd railway station explained

Mytholmroyd
Symbol Location:gb
Symbol:rail
Borough:Mytholmroyd, Calderdale
Country:England
Coordinates:53.7291°N -1.9818°W
Grid Name:Grid reference
Manager:Northern
Platforms:2
Code:MYT
Zone:5
Classification:DfT category F1
Transit Authority:West Yorkshire (Metro)
Original:Manchester and Leeds Railway
Pregroup:Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Postgroup:London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Years:5 October 1840
Events:Line opened
Years1:May 1847
Events1:Station opened
Footnotes:Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Mytholmroyd railway station serves the communities of Mytholmroyd, Luddendenfoot, Midgley, Cragg Vale, and surrounding areas in West Yorkshire, England. It has disabled access via ramps instead of steps on both platforms, unusually as the station is built on a viaduct. It lies on the Calder Valley Line operated by Northern and is situated 7.5miles west of Halifax and 25miles west of Leeds.

History

The Manchester and Leeds Railway (M&LR) was opened in stages. The section between and was opened on 5 October 1840 and completed in 1841, without a station between and Hebden Bridge.[1]

The station was opened by the M&LR in May 1847;[2] within a few weeks of this, the company became the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway.

Facilities

The entrance to the station is by way of two long step-free paths from each side of the Mytholmroyd Viaduct. The original station building (as seen above) included a ticket office, as the main entrance to both platforms. The station building was later closed and tickets had to be purchased on the train but later sheltered ticket machines were installed on platform 2, payable by card. Northern's online 'click and collect' system Application, allows the user to purchase tickets, which are then collected on Platform 2. In October 2004, the first arch of the viaduct on the access ramp was cleaned, the path was extended and new fencing was installed. Two live information screens have been added showing the trains service, type and stops / calls. In 2013, a bicycle area was added at the top of one of the ramps, covered by CCTV.[3]

In August 2016, planning permission was granted to return the station into commercial use. The planning permission allowed for the floors to be ripped out and reinstated, fireplaces to be refurbished and floors / windows to be installed. The station partnership is currently looking for the community to develop a business plan to use the building for community use. Ideas raised include a 'Ted Hughes' museum, bar and cafe.There is an active station user group - Mytholmroyd Station Partnership, which has enhanced the station area with gardens, flower tubs and school art - including the Northern Mosaic by students from Calder High School.[4] A car park, at the top of platform 2 access road, which engineers use to get machinery onto the tracks in the area, will be completed as of Winter 2020 with near 200 spaces including e-car charging facilities as well as car club spaces and secure cycle lockers.

Services

The station has seen its daytime service cut significantly at the winter 2019 timetable change, as the York to Blackpool service no longer calls here on weekdays. There are now two trains per hour each way, both running to eastbound (one via Bradford, the other via) and Manchester Victoria westbound; the latter then continue to either or .

On Sundays, the Leeds to Chester via Manchester Victoria and to trains both call hourly.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Marshall, John . John Marshall (railway historian) . The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, volume 1 . 1969 . . Newton Abbot . 0-7153-4352-1 . 48–50 .
  2. Book: Butt, R.V.J. . The Directory of Railway Stations . 1995 . Patrick Stephens Ltd . Yeovil . 1-85260-508-1 . R508 . 166 .
  3. http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/MYT/details.html Mytholmroyd station facilities
  4. Web site: Renovated murals back at railway station - Hebden Bridge Today. www.hebdenbridgetimes.co.uk. 31 January 2009.