The Bradford - Halifax & Keighley lines via
Queensbury never had a regular scheduled service from Leeds.
Trains for Queensbury departed from Bradford Exchange station
and then crossed the incoming Leeds trains at St. Dunstan's
station. Thus, St. Dunstan's was used more as an exchange station
between the Leeds/London to Bradford and the Bradford to Keighley/Halifax
trains. As the station was situated in a largely industrial
area, there was very little use by local residents.
The track layout at the station was unusual, in that trains
from Bradford Exchange branched off eastwards at Mill Lane junction
and passed through St. Dunstan's. Then a triangular junction
allowed through running to Leeds, or by curling round and back
under the Bradford Exchange to Manchester line, trains could
continue to Queensbury. These two lines were served by passenger
platforms. There was a third side to the triangle which allowed
through running from Queensbury to Leeds, but this was almost
exclusively used by goods trains and had no passenger platforms.
After the second world war, passenger use on the Queensbury
lines fell sharply, mainly due to increased private car ownership.
Through trains from Halifax to Keighley virtually ceased and
it was felt that the expense of maintaining St. Dunstan's could
be saved by starting journeys from Bradford Exchange. The station
was closed to passengers on September 15th 1952, the same day
as Horton Park, almost three years before the rest of the line,
which closed on May 23rd 1955. Occasional goods services remained
at the unstaffed station until the final closure of the section
to Great Horton on August 26th 1972, when the southern chord
of the triangle was also lifted.
Tickets from Michael Stewart
To see the other
stations on the Halifax - Bradford - Keighley lines click on
the station name: Halifax
St. Pauls, Pellon,
Halifax North
Bridge, Ovenden,
Holmfield, Queensbury,
Clayton, Great
Horton, Horton
Park, Manchester
Road, Bradford
Adolphus Street, Thornton,
Denholme, Wilsden
& Ingrow East |