Penistone Line | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Type | Heavy rail |
System | National Rail |
Status | Operational |
Locale |
South Yorkshire West Yorkshire Sheffield Barnsley Huddersfield Kirklees Holme Valley Penistone Yorkshire and the Humber |
Operation | |
Owner | Network Rail |
Operator(s) | Northern |
Technical | |
Number of tracks | Two |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
The Penistone Line is operated by Northern in the West Yorkshire Metro/ Travel South Yorkshire area of northern England. It connects Huddersfield and Sheffield via Penistone and Barnsley, serving many rural communities. Metrocards (Zone 5) can be used for travel between Huddersfield and Denby Dale and intermediate stations.
The first section of line between Huddersfield and Penistone was opened on 1 July 1850 by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR). From the joint L&YR/London and North Western Railway Huddersfield station, trains ran south to Springwood Junction (south of Huddersfield) on the London and North Western Railway Leeds - Manchester main line, where the L&YR line began; from there the route was as follows:
The southern part of that section follows the upper reaches of the River Don.
At Penistone, the route joins the former Great Central Railway line from Manchester via the Woodhead Tunnel, travelling eastwards. It deviates from the former main line towards Sheffield Victoria at a point once known as Barnsley Junction, and heads towards that town beyond which it takes a circuitous route via Wombwell before going south to Sheffield. The route is as follows:
The 32.6-km section of line from Springwood Junction (between Huddersfield and Lockwood) to Barnsley Station Junction (between Dodworth and Barnsley) constitutes Network Rail route LNE 15A.