Church Fenton railway station

Church Fenton National Rail
Church Fenton station in 1970
Location
Place Church Fenton
Local authority Selby
Coordinates 53°49′35″N 1°13′39″W / 53.8263°N 1.2275°W / 53.8263; -1.2275Coordinates: 53°49′35″N 1°13′39″W / 53.8263°N 1.2275°W / 53.8263; -1.2275
Grid reference SE509369
Operations
Station code CHF
Managed by Northern
Number of platforms 4
DfT category F2
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2012/13 Decrease 72,370
– Interchange  Increase 1,187
2013/14 Decrease 69,230
– Interchange  Decrease 1,042
2014/15 Decrease 66,888
– Interchange  Decrease 690
2015/16 Increase 71,354
– Interchange  Increase 771
2016/17 Decrease 71,180
– Interchange  Increase 990
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Church Fenton from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Church Fenton railway station serves Church Fenton in North Yorkshire, England. It is on the former York and North Midland Railway main line from York to Normanton, just under 10.75 miles (17 km) from York.

History

The Y&NMR opened the first part of its route through the village (and on as far as Milford) on 29 May 1839,[1] completing it the following year. On completion of a branch from there to Harrogate via Wetherby and Tadcaster by the Y&NM in 1848 a new station on a slightly different site gave it new importance and within two years it had become a calling point on the new East Coast Main Line from York to London with the opening of a line from Burton Salmon to Knottingley (trains then continuing via Askern and Doncaster).

Further development of the station occurred in 1869, when a 5-mile (8.0 km) link was opened by the North Eastern Railway from there to Micklefield on the former Leeds and Selby Railway to create a new main line between Leeds and York. The NER had been looking to shorten the previous, indirect route between the two cities via Castleford for some time prior to this, but plans to build a line via Tadcaster had come to nothing and so this alternative route was chosen. The existing line from here to York was subsequently quadrupled to handle the increased levels of traffic and the station substantially altered, with the addition of extra platforms and connections between the two pairs of lines. The station lost its ECML status in 1871 when the new direct line from York to Doncaster via Selby was opened, but trains from London to Harrogate continued to call and yet another addition to the list of routes serving the station came in 1879 when the Swinton and Knottingley Joint Railway line via Pontefract Baghill and Ferrybridge was opened.[2] In connection with the quadrupling of the lines the present station was opened in 1904 slightly south of the second station.[3]

Today the station remains busy, even though the Harrogate line fell victim to the Beeching Axe in January 1964 and passenger trains towards Castleford ended six years later. The Leeds to York Line carries a frequent passenger service (including CrossCountry and First TransPennine Express services) whilst the line towards Sherburn, Milford Junction and thence to Knottingley, Castleford and Pontefract carries large quantities of freight. However, only certain trains on the Northern operated Leeds to York, Dearne Valley and Hull to York routes actually call at the station's four platforms due to the relatively small size of the village it serves.

The station is covered by a long-line automatic P.A system to provide real-time train running details. Passenger information screens are also installed, but it is unstaffed and travellers must buy their tickets in advance or on the train. Access to all four platforms is via footbridge, so there is no step-free access to any of the platforms.[4] The former booking office at street level is now in private commercial use as a restaurant, but the platform level buildings were all demolished by 1990.[3]

Services

Express train passing through the station in 1988

The service levels at the station were increased significantly at the summer 2018 timetable change - trains on the York to Leeds line now call hourly each way throughout the day, whilst many York to Hull trains also stop (previously only a limited peak service was provided on this route). Leeds-bound services normally continue through to Huddersfield via Bradford Interchange. A limited service (two per day) is also provided to Sheffield via the Dearne Valley line.[5]

Sundays now also see an hourly service to Leeds and York, plus two trains to and from Sheffield and three to Hull. Most Leeds services continue to Blackpool North.

Notes

  1. ↑ Body, p. 53
  2. ↑ Body, p .54
  3. 1 2 Disused Stations - Church Fenton
  4. ↑ Church Fenton station facilities National Rail Enquiries; Retrieved 30 November 2016
  5. ↑ Table 33 & 40 National Rail timetable, May 2018

References

  • Body, G. (1988), PSL Field Guides - Railways of the Eastern Region Volume 2, Patrick Stephens Ltd, Wellingborough, ISBN 1-85260-072-1
Preceding station   National Rail   Following station
Northern
Dearne Valley Line
Northern
Hull-York Line
Northern
York & Selby Lines
Disused railways
Terminus   North Eastern Railway
Harrogate–Church Fenton line		   Stutton
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