Notes: Despite the difficulties encountered in
building the Halifax - Bradford - Keighley lines, the appetite
for building further lines in the district was not diminished.
In 1883 plans were put forward for a short branch to the west
side of Halifax. The original plan had been to extend the line
through to Huddersfield, but this idea was officially abandoned
on July 5th 1887.
The Halifax High Level Line as it came to be called, was only
just over three miles long and left the Halifax - Queensbury
line at Holmfield, terminating at Halifax St. Pauls station.
Pellon was the only intermediate station on the line; a further
station at Wheatley was planned but never built due to low passenger
expectations.
The first sod was cut on February 8th 1888 and a workforce of
over a thousand men ensured that the first section to Pellon
was opened to goods traffic 2 1/2 years later on August 1st
1890.
Upon opening, the line was operated by the Halifax High Level
Railway, but this was absorbed into the joint ownership of the
Great Northern and Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway in July
1894.
Passenger traffic suffered upon the introduction of electric
trams just over a decade later; it took over half an hour for
trains from St. Pauls to reach Halifax (Old) station to connect
with trains to London & Manchester - a distance of two miles
as the crow flies (or walks!).
Passenger services were withdrawn as a wartime economy measure
on 1.1.1917, but were never reinstated after the war. Occasional excursion
traffic did, however continue to run until the mid 1930's. The
last passenger train to use St. Pauls was a RTCS special in
February 1954. Even then, the train had to be propelled carriages
first from Pellon due to the poor condition of the points at
St. Pauls. Goods services continued to use the line until 27.6.1960
when the whole branch, plus the remnant from Holmfield to Halifax
North Bridge was closed completely.
Some GNR tickets showed the station as Halifax
Pellon.
To see the other stations on
the Halifax - Bradford - Keighley lines click on the station
name: Halifax
St. Pauls, Halifax
North Bridge, Ovenden,
Holmfield, Queensbury,
Clayton, Great
Horton, Horton
Park, Manchester
Road,
St.
Dunstan's, Bradford,
Adolphus Street, Thornton,
Denholme, Wilsden,
Cullingworth
& Ingrow East
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