Healey Mills Happenings?

[Class 170101]

Will all the sidings see use once TRU is complete or will they just sit idle / disused once again?

 

[stibz]

Funny you should ask, Actually we hear several TOCs are interested in the site afterwards.

 

[KN94]

Funny you should ask, Actually we hear several TOC's ARE interested in the site afterward.

You'd hope so - it's in quite a good location for a few TOCs and seems to have plenty of space.
It might require some additional infrastructure nearby but would be good to see it thrive.

I know of one TOC who are putting some thought into it, however the mood seems to change depending on the day and who you ask.

 

[Adrian Barr]

Thanks to everyone for the updates on this thread, it's been interesting to see Healey Mills come back to life...

This video from the wonderfully-named Banjostrings07 HD gives a good view of 66722 arriving into Healey Mills with an engineers train at the end of May (that part of the video starts at 2:23):

Healey Mills Yard ~ More wagons! (May 2025)

Healey Mills now has a regular WTT "as required" weekday infrastructure trip (part of the regular network of midweek infrastructure trips) which runs from Doncaster to Healey Mills and back:

6D40 15:36 SX Doncaster Up Decoy - Healey Mills
6E41 19:41 SX Healey Mills - Doncaster Up Decoy

In the past couple of weeks, 6D40 ran to Healey Mills on 16th, 18th and 19th June (returning light engine)
6E41 departed Healey Mills on 23rd and 25th June (arriving light engine).

I think the yard is now functioning as an "outstabling" and "instabling" location for possession trains, where they can start or finish at Healey Mills if required, with the wagons being tripped to or from a "local distribution centre" (LDC, in this case Doncaster) during the week for the actual loading of ballast or emptying of spoil and so on. This can be especially useful if work is taking place in locations that would block the route needed between the worksite and the LDC or vice versa. With its convenient location relative to the TRU upgrade works, a possession train may be able to start or terminate at Healey Mills, even if the route to or from the LDCs at Doncaster / Tyne / Crewe is not available due to other engineering possessions. Also it helps with yard congestion if there are a lot of possession trains from an LDC on a particular weekend - if Doncaster is busy at the weekend it will help to get rid of some trains to Healey Mills during the week.

Today there was a 6Y32 possession train from Neville Hill West Jn which terminated / instabled at Healey Mills (66506 departed light engine to Leeds Midland Road). 6Y32 had originated from Doncaster on Friday night, and the wagons will be returned to Doncaster on the regular 6E41 trip sometime during the week.

Next weekend there should be 6G50 and 6G51 possession trains starting from Crewe on Saturday night and instabling at Healey Mills on the Sunday morning.

 

[stibz]

The new Healey Mills yard managed & run by Freightliner now. In case anyone did not know.

 

[Roast Veg]

Evening and weekend works are due for the rest of the year to shore up Horbury cutting a little to the East of Healy Mills. It looks like a TSR has gone down, I assume it's related to the rockfall risk?

 

[KN94]

Evening and weekend works are due for the rest of the year to shore up Horbury cutting a little to the East of Healy Mills. It looks like a TSR has gone down, I assume it's related to the rockfall risk?

There's been a TSR at Horbury for quite a while.
During three 'Eye of the Needle' possessions in August, Network Rail are extending it out to Horbury Jn (exclusive) so they can replace the fencing through the cutting, ultimately removing the TSR.

 

[stibz]

Hi. forgot to post pic of finished job at Healey Mills 12/04/25, they will be starting some more new sidings Jan 26 I was informed.
As the side was for the hand-over a few months ago below.

Healey Mills update 12.04.25

A lot has changed since I took my last pic from here in Dec 2024. Job is nearly complete.

www.flickr.com

 

[stibz]

The plan for more new sidings at Healey Mills, for use when Neville Hill is being "redone, changed" is now NOT happening, I have been informed "extortionate cost" the issue. Looking at other options for neville hill now.

 

[1D53]

It's not cost related. It is due to delays with CAF fleet introduction for LNER. More electric stabling is needed, which Healey Mills cannot provide.

 

[LittleAH]

Who would’ve thought CAF trains would be delayed…

 

[Tim_UK]

It's not cost related. It is due to delays with CAF fleet introduction for LNER. More electric stabling is needed, which Healey Mills cannot provide.

Cheeky answer:
Well, just a bit of knitting from Ravensthorpe to Wakefield Kirkgate, the chord back to Westgate. And then you might as well just keep going, turn right and onto the ECML at Crofton. LNER were thinking about Huddersfield to London right

More serious question:
Rather than having temporary storage at Healey Mills while Neville Hill gets redone. Why not just build a new permanent depot at Healey Mills? And then have something small at Neville Hill after. (with a Horbury parkway station for good measure. (with a Horbury chord for Mirfield to Meadowhall trains, for proper crayonista))

Or is the proximity to Leeds station the important part?

 

[Trainman40083]

Cheeky answer:
Well, just a bit of knitting from Ravensthorpe to Wakefield Kirkgate, the chord back to Westgate. And then you might as well just keep going, turn right and onto the ECML at Crofton. LNER were thinking about Huddersfield to London right

More serious question:
Rather than having temporary storage at Healey Mills while Neville Hill gets redone. Why not just build a new permanent depot at Healey Mills? And then have something small at Neville Hill after. (with a Horbury parkway station for good measure. (with a Horbury chord for Mirfield to Meadowhall trains, for proper crayonista))

Or is the proximity to Leeds station the important part?

I'd say proximity to Leeds was key. In the past, Northern used to park units at Holbeck so they were nearer to Leeds station, if the need arose.

 

[takno]

Rather than having temporary storage at Healey Mills while Neville Hill gets redone. Why not just build a new permanent depot at Healey Mills? And then have something small at Neville Hill after. (with a Horbury parkway station for good measure. (with a Horbury chord for Mirfield to Meadowhall trains, for proper crayonista))

Or is the proximity to Leeds station the important part?

Depends to an extent on how many staff you want to retain, whether you want decent access to Leeds (and York), and how much non-portable kit you have already at Neville Hill. The "redoing" isn't actually going to impact the depot, it's just going to cut it off from the railway for a bit

 

[1D53]

Cheeky answer:
Well, just a bit of knitting from Ravensthorpe to Wakefield Kirkgate, the chord back to Westgate. And then you might as well just keep going, turn right and onto the ECML at Crofton. LNER were thinking about Huddersfield to London right

More serious question:
Rather than having temporary storage at Healey Mills while Neville Hill gets redone. Why not just build a new permanent depot at Healey Mills? And then have something small at Neville Hill after. (with a Horbury parkway station for good measure. (with a Horbury chord for Mirfield to Meadowhall trains, for proper crayonista))

Or is the proximity to Leeds station the important part?

LNER don't want to be near Healey Mills. They want to be near Leeds. There is no demand for a depot at HM for any operator, there is already Leeds, Crofton, Holbeck and Hillhouse within 10-15 miles.

 

[Tim_UK]

LNER don't want to be near Healey Mills. They want to be near Leeds. There is no demand for a depot at HM for any operator, there is already Leeds, Crofton, Holbeck and Hillhouse within 10-15 miles.

Plus the new one at Shipley.

 

[Iskra]

LNER don't want to be near Healey Mills. They want to be near Leeds. There is no demand for a depot at HM for any operator, there is already Leeds, Crofton, Holbeck and Hillhouse within 10-15 miles.

Might GC’s new fleet need a depot in the area?

 

[Trainman40083]

Might GC’s new fleet need a depot in the area?

Might they use Hitachi at Doncaster?

 

[Iskra]

Might they use Hitachi at Doncaster?

The Leeds-Doncaster ECML spur (which also links to Wakefield Kirkgate), is classed as congested infrastructure already by Network Rail, so it’s not clear to me how additional ECS moves between Doncaster and Wakefield Kirkgate or Bradford would be accommodated.

 

[hwl]

The reality is LNER though they would have CAF tri-modes delivered to replace Class91+Mk4 around the Neville Hill complete block period. These 897s could cope with getting to Healey Mills and being cleaned and stabled there without issue. The reality is that they are now looking for suitable electric stabling locations for the Class 91s... and HM doesn't meet the requirements.

 

[1D53]

Might GC’s new fleet need a depot in the area?

I think with Hitachi, or Hitachi 'accredited' depots at Heaton, Neville Hill, Bounds Green and Doncaster I suspect they wouldn't be looking at a new site. In theory once Shipley opens they'll be space on Neville Hill for more trains.

 

[53703]

Thanks to everyone for the updates on this thread, it's been interesting to see Healey Mills come back to life...

This video from the wonderfully-named Banjostrings07 HD gives a good view of 66722 arriving into Healey Mills with an engineers train at the end of May (that part of the video starts at 2:23):

Healey Mills Yard ~ More wagons! (May 2025)

Healey Mills now has a regular WTT "as required" weekday infrastructure trip (part of the regular network of midweek infrastructure trips) which runs from Doncaster to Healey Mills and back:

6D40 15:36 SX Doncaster Up Decoy - Healey Mills
6E41 19:41 SX Healey Mills - Doncaster Up Decoy

In the past couple of weeks, 6D40 ran to Healey Mills on 16th, 18th and 19th June (returning light engine)
6E41 departed Healey Mills on 23rd and 25th June (arriving light engine).

I think the yard is now functioning as an "outstabling" and "instabling" location for possession trains, where they can start or finish at Healey Mills if required, with the wagons being tripped to or from a "local distribution centre" (LDC, in this case Doncaster) during the week for the actual loading of ballast or emptying of spoil and so on. This can be especially useful if work is taking place in locations that would block the route needed between the worksite and the LDC or vice versa. With its convenient location relative to the TRU upgrade works, a possession train may be able to start or terminate at Healey Mills, even if the route to or from the LDCs at Doncaster / Tyne / Crewe is not available due to other engineering possessions. Also it helps with yard congestion if there are a lot of possession trains from an LDC on a particular weekend - if Doncaster is busy at the weekend it will help to get rid of some trains to Healey Mills during the week.

Today there was a 6Y32 possession train from Neville Hill West Jn which terminated / instabled at Healey Mills (66506 departed light engine to Leeds Midland Road). 6Y32 had originated from Doncaster on Friday night, and the wagons will be returned to Doncaster on the regular 6E41 trip sometime during the week.

Next weekend there should be 6G50 and 6G51 possession trains starting from Crewe on Saturday night and instabling at Healey Mills on the Sunday morning.

As a general rule of thumb 6D40/6E41 tend to run Monday/Wednesday/Thursday if required.