Garforth railway station

The station was originally opened by the Leeds and Selby Railway in 1834. The road bridge crosses the line at an oblique angle; this was considered something of a marvel at the time of construction. The station then linked the town with the former Leeds Marsh Lane railway station. The current buildings date from 1872 and were designed by NER architect Thomas Prosser.[http://www.railwayarchitecture.org.uk/Location/Garforth/Garforth.htm "Garforth"]Railway Architecture of North East England; Retrieved 18 November 2016

Garforth station also connected with the privately owned Aberford Railway (known locally as the 'fly line' or simply 'the lines') which closed in 1924, and is now a public path commonly used for horses, dog walkers and travelling to and from Garforth Academy part way upon it. East of the station was the junction to the branch line to {{rws|Castleford}} via Ledston which closed to passengers in 1951 and completely in the 1990s.{{cite book|last=Rockett | first=Ron | title=The Leeds, Castleford & Pontefract Junction Railway; the Ledston Branch | year=2003 | publisher=Bairstow|location=Farsley|pages=17, 48|isbn=1-871944-27-9}}

Though East Garforth is fully accessible to wheelchair users, the main Garforth station is not; wheelchair users can only access platform 2 which serves trains towards Leeds.

In 2015 additional shelters were placed on both platforms, doubling the sheltered capacity.

In July 2023, the footbridge, connecting both platforms to Aberford Road, was closed and demolished, for the new replacement bridge to be built. The new bridge will be built by April 2024 in the same spot, and will include lifts. This was done in order to install new overhead wires and to include step free access on to the platforms and Aberford Road.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}

The footbridge was transported to Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway in Kent.{{Cite web |last=Newton |first=Grace |date=11 January 2023 |title=Victorian footbridge at Garforth Station to move to heritage railway as part of Leeds to York line electrification |url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/heritage/victorian-footbridge-at-garforth-station-to-move-to-heritage-railway-as-part-of-leeds-to-york-line-electrification-3982113 |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=11 January 2023 |website=Yorkshire Post}}{{Cite web |last=Grant |first=Alex |date=2023-11-09 |title=Garforth station: Historic rail bridge 'relocated to Kent' as construction continues on £6m Leeds Beacon Bridge |url=https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/transport/garforth-station-historic-rail-bridge-relocated-to-kent-as-construction-continues-on-ps6m-leeds-beacon-bridge-4403580 |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=Yorkshire Evening Post}}

File:An LNER HST passing by Garforth station, pictured under the footbridge.jpg

File:A TransPennine Express train bound for Scarborough passing through Garforth.jpg

File:Demolished Garforth Railway Station footbridge waiting for transporting to it's new home.jpg

File:Garforth new footbridge.jpg

File:Garforth railway station (21st December 2015) 009.JPG

The station buildings are concentrated on the Leeds bound platform, which is disabled accessible (the opposite platform can only be accessed via a footbridge).[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/GRF.aspx Garforth station facilities] National Rail Enquiries; Retrieved 29 November 2016 There is a ticket office (open 06:00–14:00 Mondays to Saturdays) and waiting room in the buildings; the remaining space is leased out to a taxi company. The Leeds bound platform also has an automatic ticket machine that can be used out of hours and a vending machine. As well as the heated waiting room on the Leeds bound platform, there are two shelters available for use out of office hours. The York bound platform has two passenger shelters. The two platforms are connected by a footbridge with stepped access, this also links to Aberford Road. The station has a large car park which is free for passenger use. There is CCTV and lighting throughout the station and car park. Refreshments can purchased from the Station House Café, which opened in August 2016, and is situated on the Leeds bound platform (2).

File:TransPennine Express Class 185 at Garforth station, August 2020.jpg

{{Northern (train operating company) route 9 | collapse=true}}

Northern operates a half-hourly service to Leeds, as well as hourly services to York and {{rws|Hull}} via {{rws|Selby}} to the east.GB eNRT, December 2023 Edition, Table 23 The Hull service began operating at the winter 2019 timetable change and runs through to {{rws|Halifax|England}} via Bradford Interchange in the westbound direction, restoring the link to Bradford lost when the York to Blackpool North service ceased calling in May 2018 (this has been reinstated however in December 2022).{{NRtimes|December 2023|22}}

TransPennine Express trains also stop at Garforth hourly towards Leeds, Huddersfield and Liverpool Lime Street westbound and {{rws|Scarborough}} eastbound.{{NRtimes|December 2023|39}} The service now also stops here on Sundays since the start of the winter 2019 timetable. However these services have also been reinstated in the December 2022 timetable and now run to Liverpool and Manchester once again.

{{rail start}}

{{rail line

| previous=Leeds

| next=York

| route=TransPennine Express
North TransPennine

| col={{TPX colour}}

}}

{{rail line

| previous=Cross Gates

| next=East Garforth

| route=Northern
Selby Line

| col={{Northern colour}}

}}

{{Disused Rail Insert}}

{{rail line|previous=Cross Gates|next=Kippax |route=North Eastern Railway
Castleford–Garforth line |col={{NER colour}} }}

{{s-end}}

National Express East Coast proposed to operate trains directly between Garforth and London from December 2009.[http://www.nationalexpressgroup.com/nx1/media/news/sub_news/pr2008/2008-06-25a/ National Express Group PLC – National Express submits exciting proposals for new services and faster journeys] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006111102/http://www.nationalexpressgroup.com/nx1/media/news/sub_news/pr2008/2008-06-25a/ |date=6 October 2008 }} This proposal was supported by the Office of the Rail Regulator in January 2009, however the Department of Transport had rejected the plans because the proposal would require changes to franchised services and there was not enough capacity for these services, however Virgin Trains East Coast had plans to increase capacity and introduce a number of direct services between Garforth and London from 2019. The plans have not as yet (summer 2019) been implemented, as VTEC no longer operates the East Coast franchise and a private successor is yet to be agreed upon.

File:Garforth station building.jpg

The station has a taxi-office with the taxi rank directly outside the main buildings. Buses serve the station on Aberford Road, to which there is a direct link from the stations' footbridge.

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category|Garforth railway station}}

• [http://www.lner.info/co/NER/aberford/aberford.shtml The LNER Encyclopedia: The Aberford Railway]
• [http://www.lner.info/co/NER/selby/selby.shtml The LNER Encyclopedia: The Leeds and Selby Railway]

{{stn art lnk|GRF|LS252QQ}}

{{West Yorkshire railway stations}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Garforth Railway Station}}

Category:Railway stations in Leeds

Category:DfT Category E stations

Category:Former Leeds and Selby Railway stations

Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1834

Category:Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1840

Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1850

Category:Railway stations served by TransPennine Express

Category:Railway stations served by Northern

Category:Garforth