Woodlesford railway station

The station is unstaffed, but a self-service ticket machine is provided to allow passengers to buy before travelling or collect advance purchase tickets. The platforms are staggered either side of the (now disused) foot crossing, with the Leeds-bound platform the more northerly of the two. Waiting shelters, timetable posters and digital CIS displays are provided on each platform, with automated announcements also offered to give train running information. Step-free access is available to both platforms (via the ramps on the footbridge for platform 2).[1]

Monday to Saturdays there is a half-hourly service to Leeds and an hourly service to Sheffield on the Hallam Line and hourly towards Knottingley on the Pontefract Line.[2] A single through train to Goole runs in the evening.

Sundays, there is an hourly service to Leeds and train every two hours to Sheffield and Knottingley respectively.

The view from platform 2 (2006). The pedestrian crossing was replaced by a footbridge in 2010.

The station was opened in 1840 and formed part of the original North Midland Railway from Derby to Leeds built by George Stephenson.[3] During the early 20th century, coal trains from the nearby Water Haigh colliery provided regular goods traffic, as did the Armitage Quarries and Bentley's Yorkshire Brewery which had their own sidings. Parcels headed for the nearby town of Rothwell were unloaded here.

For much of its life, the station had a Midland Railway building on the northbound platform that housed the booking hall, waiting room and station master's office, along with a signal box (dating from 1899) at the end of the southbound platform. Both were demolished in the early 1970s - the former in 1971 (after the station had been downgraded to an unmanned halt the previous year) and the latter after its abolition in January 1972.[4]

Platform 2 seen from the end of platform 1 prior to the construction of the footbridge (2006)

In late 2010 a footbridge was erected at the station to replace the crossing.[5]

In 1850, a train was in a rear-end collision with an excursion train at the station. The cause was a signal not being lit at night.[6]

Upon publication of the proposed route of the second phase of High Speed 2 on 28 January 2013, it emerged the HS2 line into Leeds would run parallel with the Pontefract Line from Woodlesford onwards. The plans show that to accommodate Woodlesford railway station, the high speed line will bypass north of the station and rejoin the path of the line for the remainder of the route into Leeds.[7] There will be no station at Woodlesford, the nearest High Speed station being Leeds New Lane.

• Train times and station information for Woodlesford railway station from National Rail
• The Story of Woodlesford Station http://www.woodlesfordstation.co.uk

Preceding station		National Rail		Following station
Castleford		Northern Hallam Line		Leeds
		Northern Pontefract Line
	Historical railways
Methley Line open; station closed		North Midland Railway Midland Railway		Leeds City Line open; station open