Reason for Dismantled Connection near Pontefract

[Dr_Paul]

Looking at the New Adlestrop railway map, I noticed that as a result of the closure of lines in Yorkshire, the junction north-west of Pontefract, shown in a box on the attached map, was rationalised in such a way that removed a direct route from the line through Knottingly through to Leeds via Woodlesford, leaving a circuitous rote to Leeds via Wakefield and a peculiar u-turn towards Castleford. Can anyone explain why this occurred?

 

[Gloster]

I wonder if it was simply to keep a service to Castleford, which would otherwise be a bit of a lone station out on a limb. Diverting Knottingley-Leeds services via Castleford was probably better at a time of economies than trying to justify two separate services.

 

[The exile]

I wonder if it was simply to keep a service to Castleford, which would otherwise be a bit of a lone station out on a limb. Diverting Knottingley-Leeds services via Castleford was probably better at a time of economies than trying to justify two separate services.

That and quite possibly mining subsidence - which has plagued / finished off several lines in the area.

 

[30907]

Not my area, but old maps show that almost any permutation was possible in the Castleford/Methley area.
Old timetables show two main routes - Leeds City - Knottingley direct (serving Cutsyke on the southern edge of Cas, and Leeds Central/Wakefield W - Castleford (Central, the present station).
Rationalisation took place in the 50s (between 55 and 58 on the basis of www.timetableworld.com), presumably with the arrival of DMUs, and the main service became Leeds Central-Ardsley-Castleford C (reverse) - Knottingley, with a token service only on the Cutsyke route. The latter was subsequently closed, as did Leeds Central, so switching the service to City via Woodlesford, which was several minutes quicker, made obvious sense.
So in fact the direct route through the edge of Castleford was an early rationalisation (even the 1955 timetable is on the thin side, though not at "parliamentary" level).
I'm sure others here know more of the detail, but I've learnt something this evening!

 

[Spartacus]

There was at the time very little use for it. For a time I think it was in a little way retained in case the pits around Stanley ever needed it too, the M62 was built with a tunnel for the line including refuges, but it was never needed. In the end the closure and removal of some of the bridges was quite unfortunate given how much coal and gypsum traffic started coming off the Settle - Carlisle, pretty much all of which would have used it.

 

[yorksrob]

Most of it can be walked as a footpath now.

 

[LMS 4F]

There was at the time very little use for it. For a time I think it was in a little way retained in case the pits around Stanley ever needed it too, the M62 was built with a tunnel for the line including refuges, but it was never needed. In the end the closure and removal of some of the bridges was quite unfortunate given how much coal and gypsum traffic started coming off the Settle - Carlisle, pretty much all of which would have used it.

Where the line goes under the M62 is still in use on the line between Glasshoughton and Castleford. The junction with the closed line is just after the level crossing on the A639.

 

[Spartacus]

Where the line goes under the M62 is still in use on the line between Glasshoughton and Castleford. The junction with the closed line is just after the level crossing on the A639.

I'm referring to the section between Methley and Outwood.

 

[LMS 4F]

I'm referring to the section between Methley and Outwood.

I thought that was a different line closed before the one we are talking about. That line went to Outwood eventually.
Lost railways of South and West Yorkshire by Gordon Suggitt covers this area very well.
At the end of these lines the village of Methley had three stations, today it has none although some buildings remain.

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

The passenger service on the line from Cutsyke Junction to Methley Junction was withdrawn in October 1968 at which time the station at Castleford (Cutsyke) closed. As other commentators have said the service was diverted via Castleford (Central)- nowadays just Castleford - which was the route taken by the majority of services anyway, the Cutsyke route only being used by a handful of trains per day. The reason was to better serve the centre of Castleford rather than Cutsyke on the outskirts. The need to reverse at Castleford was not a problem as the service was DMU operated.
The Cutsyke to Methley line remained open for freight, however by the dawn of the 1980s it was very seldom used and closed completely in February 1981.

 

[Gloster]

Hurst’s Register gives closure to passengers of Cutsdyke Junction-Methley Junction as 7 August 1968; I suspect that this was either one a day or Summer Saturdays only services. The line was taken out of use on 23 February 1981: traffic had probably ceased at an earlier date.

 

[Spartacus]

I thought that was a different line closed before the one we are talking about. That line went to Outwood eventually.
Lost railways of South and West Yorkshire by Gordon Suggitt covers this area very well.
At the end of these lines the village of Methley had three stations, today it has none although some buildings remain.

It was, but the route was retained for a very long time in case the pits reopened. I'm sure there were areas still with track, albeit in a dire state, into the 90s, though it had long since been abandoned. With that hope of reopening, and the line to Cutsyke being a far better option than via Outwood, that would have helped the case for keeping the Cutsyke like open.