Elland railway station

{{Short description|Disused railway station in West Yorkshire, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}

{{Use British English|date=January 2013}}

{{Infobox station

| name = Elland

| status = Disused

| image = Elland-signal-box-by-Humphrey-Bolton.jpg

| caption = Elland signal box, at the east end of the former location of Elland railway station.

| borough = Elland, Calderdale

| country = England

| coordinates = {{coord|53.6906|-1.8386|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=inline,title}}

| grid_name = Grid reference

| grid_position = {{gbmapscaled|SE107215|25|SE107215}}

| platforms = 2

| original = Manchester and Leeds Railway

| pregroup = Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
London and North Western Railway

| postgroup = London, Midland and Scottish Railway

| years = {{Start date|1840|10|05|df=yes}}

| events = Opened

| years1 = 1 August 1865

| events1 = Resited

| years2 = 28 June 1962

| events2 = Goods facilities withdrawn

| years3 = 10 September 1962

| events3 = Closed

| events4 = New station gains planning approval

| years4 = 14 March 2023

| events5 = Proposed reopening date

| years5 = {{circa|2026}}

}}

Elland railway station served the town of Elland in West Yorkshire, England until 1962.{{sfn|Conolly|2004|loc=p. 42, section c5}} Since 1995, Calderdale council has announced a series of plans to open it.

History

The station was originally opened on 5 October 1840 by the Manchester and Leeds Railway.{{sfn|Butt|1995|p=90}}{{sfn|Quick|2009|p=164}} It was resited {{convert|185|m|ft|abbr=on|order=flip}} east on 1 August 1865,{{sfn|Butt|1995|p=90}}{{sfn|Quick|2009|p=164}} by which time the line had become part of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway which had taken over the Manchester and Leeds on 9 July 1847.{{sfn|Awdry|1990|p=91}} Upon the grouping in 1923, it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.{{sfn|Awdry|1990|p=86}}

Elland station closed to passengers on 10 September 1962.{{sfn|Butt|1995|p=90}}{{sfn|Quick|2009|p=164}} Goods facilities were withdrawn on 28 June 1962.{{sfn|Clinker|1988|p=45}}

{{Historical Rail Start}}

{{rail line|previous={{rws|Greetland}}
Line open, station closed |next={{rws|Brighouse}}
Line and station open |route=Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Manchester and Leeds Railway |col={{LYR colour}} }}

{{s-end}}

Proposed reopening

Plans to reopen the station in 2000 (at the same time as Brighouse railway station) were cancelled due to lack of funds.{{cite journal|title=Rail group pushes for Elland station|journal=RAIL|issue=722|date=15–28 May 2013|page=17|editor-first=Nigel |editor-last=Harris }}

In 2006, Clayton Homes offered to build a station in return for planning permission for residential development.{{cite news|url=http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/calderdale/163-350k-but-still-no-sign-of-a-railway-station-for-elland-1-1902759|title=£350k...but still no sign of a railway station for Elland|date=6 December 2007|last=Peel|first=Michael|work=Evening Courier|access-date=14 November 2014}} This did not materialise but Calderdale Council continued consulting on possible plans.

Reopening of the station is supported by the Halifax & District Rail Action Group and local campaign group "Give Elland a Rail Station". The New Stations Study undertaken for West Yorkshire Metro in 2014 found that Elland provided the strongest business case of a potential thirteen sites on the Calder Valley line, and was recommended for further study along with stations at Haxby, East Leeds/Thorpe Park, and Cross Hills, with a projected cost of reopening of £6 million.{{cite report|url=http://wymetro.com/uploadedFiles/WYMetro/Content/news/projects/projectdetails/New%20Stations%20Study%20Report%20v1.0%20FINAL%20Redacted.pdf|title=New Railway Stations in North and West Yorkshire Feasibility Study|type=Final Report|date=14 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150420223711/https://wymetro.com/uploadedFiles/WYMetro/Content/news/projects/projectdetails/New%20Stations%20Study%20Report%20v1.0%20FINAL%20Redacted.pdf|archive-date=20 April 2015|access-date=11 October 2020|publisher=West Yorkshire Combined Authority|author=Atkins Ltd }}

In June 2017, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) allocated £20 million towards re-opening the station, with planned opening date in 2022.{{Cite news|url=http://news.calderdale.gov.uk/elland-on-track-for-a-new-station/|title=Elland on track for a new station|work=News Centre - Official news site of Calderdale Council|access-date=1 August 2017}}

In November 2017, the government announced Elland was one of four new stations proposed in the Government's ‘Connecting People: Strategic Vision for Rail’.The Railway Magazine January 2018 In 2021, a planning application was submitted for two platforms, lifts, and a 116 space car park.{{cite magazine |editor1-last=Pritchard |editor1-first=Robert |title=Plans for new Elland station |magazine=Today's Railways |date=November 2021 |issue=237 |page=18 |publisher=Platform 5 |location=Sheffield |issn=1475-9713}}

In March 2023, Calderdale council approved its planning application for the new station, and construction was expected to begin in 2024, with an opening date in December 2025.{{Cite news|url=https://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/people/its-fantastic-news-businesses-welcome-planning-go-ahead-for-elland-rail-station-4064972/|title=Elland Railway Station gets planning go-ahead - here's when it could be built by|work=Halifax Courier|access-date=15 March 2023}}

In November 2024, WYCA announced that the completion date for this scheme had been delayed until late 2026 "...because of a variety of factors, including design changes and supply chain challenges."{{cite web |title=Elland Rail Station |url=https://www.calderdalenextchapter.co.uk/index.php/projects/elland-rail-station |website=Calderdale The Next Chapter |publisher=Calderdale Council |access-date=29 April 2025}} On 9 September 2024, Calderdale Council announced that WYCA had appointed a contractor, Keltbray Infrastructure Services Limited, for the final stage of development work.{{cite web |title=Contractor appointed for final stage of development at Elland Rail Station |url=https://calderdalenextchapter.co.uk/news/contractor-appointed-final-stage-development-elland-rail-station |website=Calderdale The Next Chapter |publisher=Calderdale Council |access-date=29 April 2025}}

In May 2025, Calderdale council said that the station would reopen in late 2026, and would be able to accommodate the six-car trains required by the WYCA on the Calder Valley route.https://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/transport/what-is-happening-with-elland-train-station-new-calderdale-railway-station-will-welcome-six-car-trains-5127094

{{Future rail start}}

{{s-rail-national|previous=Halifax|county1=West Yorkshire|toc=Northern|route=Caldervale Line|next=Brighouse|rowsmid=2|rows2=2}}

{{s-rail-national|previous=Sowerby Bridge|toc=Northern|route=Calderdale Line|next=Brighouse|hidemid=yes|hide2=yes}}

{{s-end}}

References

=Notes=

{{reflist}}

=Sources=

  • {{Awdry-RailCo}}
  • {{Butt-Stations}}
  • {{Clinker-Stations|year=1988}}
  • {{Cite book|last1=Conolly|first1=W. Philip|title = British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer|year=2004|orig-year=1958|publisher=Ian Allan|location=Hersham, Surrey|isbn=978-0-7110-0320-0}}
  • {{Quick-Stations}}