Healey Mills - future

[wbbminerals]

It is obvious that the derelict Healey Mills yard in Wakefield has no future in its current state, but there are a few things I'm unsure about:

• Who owns it? Is it leased to or owned by DBS?
• Is the yard to be lifted soon - the main offices were being demolished on Friday?
• Are there any plans for a station to be built there?
• Would it not be logical to retain passing loops, so that there will always be a place for transpennine freight to be recessed?

Any help appreciated, there seems to be very little information out there.

 

[YorkshireBear]

No plans as far as i am aware, but theres a few options that I would consider.

Intermodal? near M1 out of way of many main lines, build a link road and you could be looking at a Yorkshire Distribution centre for freight especially with the spine in planning, and all this electrification!

Also worth considering is a station, horbury and ossett are not insignificant places and could probably warrant a station between them.


Just hope it is not developed on and regretted in the future like many other places on the rail network.

 

[wbbminerals]

No plans as far as i am aware, but theres a few options that I would consider.

Intermodal? near M1 out of way of many main lines, build a link road and you could be looking at a Yorkshire Distribution centre for freight especially with the spine in planning, and all this electrification!

Just hope it is not developed on and regretted in the future like many other places on the rail network.

My thinking was it is a vast chunk of flat land ideal for further railway or industrial use (with rail link) and space for a station. Careful design to allow much improved road access for lorries would work wonders for its accessibility. It is well connected to a large chunk of the railway network - a half way house for many journeys so this means that should serious amounts freight return to rail, it will be very well positioned for stabling etc.

 

[Welshman]

Or even space, too, for a new depot to service all these new electric trains Yorkshire is hoping to receive eventually. It would be ideally situated, with easy access to Wakefield, Huddersfield, Bradford, Leeds or even Sheffield.

But, along with Yorkshire Bear, I fear we shall simply see yet another supermarket, retail park and perhaps a Premier Inn.

 

[armadillomaste]

Or even space, too, for a new depot to service all these new electric trains Yorkshire is hoping to receive eventually. It would be ideally situated, with easy access to Wakefield, Huddersfield, Bradford, Leeds or even Sheffield.

But, along with Yorkshire Bear, I fear we shall simply see yet another supermarket, retail park and perhaps a Premier Inn.

A bit out of the way for those things surely? And Ossett/Horbury already has a HolidayInn

Anyone got any pictures or a link to pictures of Healey mills?

My mrs's mum runs a pub on Low Mill Road at the bottom of Ossett and you can see the lines.

 

[WestRiding]

Brewers Pride? very nice pub. Though Healy Mills is close to the moterway m1, the roads to get there, especially for a lorry are dire. it would mean them having to go netherthorpe, midgley, west bretton, m1. To be practical a new junction would be needed near horbury bridge, before the speed cameras start going into wakey. Healy Mills as a rail facility is dead.

 

[DarloRich]

Is it not part of this consultation:

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/Freight/Aquisition-of-DBS-freight-sites-consultation/

 

[YorkshireBear]

Is it not part of this consultation:

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/Freight/Aquisition-of-DBS-freight-sites-consultation/

handed spotted that, i imagine it is part of that. To me that sounds like Network rail want to use some of this land for their own purposes.

 

[DarloRich]

have a read in particular through the propsals and consultations

 

[Ploughman]

Just seen this thread and not yet read the report.
However from time spent working in and around the yard over the years.
Access to the site for anything more than a Transit van was almost impossible due to only one access point into the inner area of the yard via a long low bridge near the S Box.

Any change in rail use would need to include major rethink on road access and probable realignment of at least one of the lines either UP or DOWN and move it parallel to the other. I think retention of the UP line and move the DOWN would make most sense as the UP has been renewed within the last 4 years including new S+C. This would release the most land for redevelopment.

 

[wbbminerals]

Just seen this thread and not yet read the report.
However from time spent working in and around the yard over the years.
Access to the site for anything more than a Transit van was almost impossible due to only one access point into the inner area of the yard via a long low bridge near the S Box.

Any change in rail use would need to include major rethink on road access and probable realignment of at least one of the lines either UP or DOWN and move it parallel to the other. I think retention of the UP line and move the DOWN would make most sense as the UP has been renewed within the last 4 years including new S+C. This would release the most land for redevelopment.

Which direction is 'up' and 'down'? And is there anywhere on the internet that this information can be found.

Many thanks.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Or even space, too, for a new depot to service all these new electric trains Yorkshire is hoping to receive eventually. It would be ideally situated, with easy access to Wakefield, Huddersfield, Bradford, Leeds or even Sheffield.

For Sheffield the reinstatement of Horbury Curve linking HM with the Barnsley line could make this very easy, instead of running round at Wakefield Kirkgate. They must have seen into the future when they put up catinery over one of the sidings a long time ago...

 

[D6975]

For those unfamiliar withthe layout at Healey Mills, the passenger lines run each side of the yard, and are over 100 yards apart at one point.
The Up line, I believe is the one on the North side, closest to where the depot and offices were. Back in the days of Halifax-London via Huddersfield services, this was the up direction.

 

[wbbminerals]

Thanks. I would imagine it is still the same.

 

[Oswyntail]

....
Access to the site for anything more than a Transit van was almost impossible due to only one access point into the inner area of the yard via a long low bridge near the S Box....

I remember my one visit, on an RESL tour of Yorkshire up from London in the early 80s. The usual Ribble coach did manage to get to the site...eventually, after about 40 minutes of slow back and forwards.

 

[YorkshireBear]

When i suggested it as a possible site for intermodal handling i did say build a new link road.
I know the area fairly well and as you say Road Access is appalling.
The road would only have to be a single lane (each way) but just give some better access.
From looking i think it would be possible.

 

[Tomnick]

Just to confirm following the query above, the line towards Wakefield at Healey Mills (i.e. the line to the north of the site) is the Down line, not the Up.

 

[lancastrian]

Also worth considering is a station, Horbury and Ossett are not insignificant places and could probably warrant a station between them.

You may be surprised to know that both Horbury and Ossett had stations in the past. There was a station called Horbury toward the Wakefield end of the Healey Mills site, it was later known as Horbury & Ossett. This was on the old Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway. The was another station where the Wakefield to Barnsley line leaves the Huddersfield line called Horbury Junction.

Plus there was also a station on the old Great Northern railway between Wakefield & Dewsbury called Ossett.

I would agree that a station there would be very beneficial.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Up generally is in the London direction. But for TransPennine routes, which includes Healey mills and the hebden bridge diversions up is towards Stalybridge!

 

[Welshman]

Up generally is in the London direction. But for TransPennine routes, which includes Healey mills and the hebden bridge diversions up is towards Stalybridge!

You're right.

For Cross-Country routes, the "UP" line was generally that which ran to the railway company's headquarters.

Hence for the line through Healey Mills, which was originally the Lancashire & Yorkshire Manchester to Normanton line, the "UP" line is towards Manchester, as it was at Hunts Bank, Manchester, where the L&Y headquarters were situated.