Old & New
Woodhead Lines
The arrival of the railway in the mid nineteenth century transformed Penistone from a quiet and rural backwater to an industrial centre, with the Cammel Laird factory. Penistone remained a major junction until the Woodhead line was closed by 'Beeching's Axe' just over a century later. The Woodhead line was also a trail-blazer when electrification arrived in the 1950s, using a DC supply with electrical substations distributed along the line. Much of Penistone's old railway land is now used for the Trans-Pennine Trail, for cyclists, walkers and horse-riders.
We still have the Penistone Line with its seventeen stations between Huddersfield and Sheffield, using the ubiquitous Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) on a 37-mile trip between Sheffield and Huddersfield. In 2010 there will be a new sight on the viaduct, when 'tram-trains' will be tested out for the first time on a two-year trial. These trains will be more fuel-efficient and cause less wear and tear on the tracks. The Flying Scotsman 4472 is shown below.
| 1 | Stations, Old & New |
|
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Huddersfield & Woodhead Lines |
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| 3 | Beeching's Axe | |
| 4 | Flying Scotsman |
Here is a statement from our government about the Woodhead line (April 2008), in the context of a recent e-petition to re-open the line. It refers to the use by the National Grid for electrical power distribution in one the tunnels:
No current proposals for tunnels on the Woodhead route stop them from being re-opened for future rail use, if they are needed.The Rail White Paper, published in July 2007, identified the need for more passenger capacity across the Pennines. It concluded that this could best be met by longer trains and faster journey times on the Manchester to Leeds via Huddersfield route. The White Paper did not identify any need for substantial extra trans-Pennine capacity for freight.
The Minister of State for Transport, Rosie Winterton, proposes to meet National Grid in the next few weeks to confirm that the Government would wish to explore further the option of continuing the inspection and maintenance regime for the Victorian tunnels once National Grid have vacated them.
Following that meeting, she would also like to meet key stakeholders to gain the transport industry and northern economic perspectives on the issue of TransPennine transport and how that will tie in with the process of developing a longer term strategy. This will be conducted as part of the process outlined in the document - Towards a Sustainable Transport System (TaSTS).
