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A walk tracing the old line which ran from Royston Jct, which was on the Midland line that went to Leeds, following it to its terminus at Dewsbury Saville Goods Depot. This was later deemed a failed project as the Midland railway wanted to create their own avoiding loop to Bradford and beyond, avoiding the busy hub at Leeds. There original intention was to reach Bradford as well as build an additional spur to the nearby town of Huddersfield. As costs rose the Midland Railway reached an agreement with the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway to share their metal following their line through to Low Moor. Close to Low Moor the Midland railway planned on building their own triangle close to Oakenshaw but again this did not materialize.
The walk follows the route through a once busy district of Crigglestone, passing the site of a colliery as well as a disused viaduct, this was also the location where several railways passed under each other, providing connections to the nearby town of Wakefield. The next major district was Middlestown which once had its own goods depot. It was close to here that the railway split in order to join the line to Bradford, this junction was called Middlestown Jct. This line opened in 1906 but closed early in 1950, i was surprised at what i discovered....
The Midland Railway's eight-mile route from Royston Junction to Thornhill was authorised under the 1898 West Riding Lines Act, which included lines to Huddersfield, Halifax and Bradford. First trafficked in 1905 after three years construction, it connected with the Lancashire & Yorkshire's network at Thornhill Junction and featured a short tunnel as well as two substantial viaducts. 1st March 1906 saw the opening of a two-mile spur to Savile Town Goods from a junction near Horbury Bridge. This would have served as Dewsbury's passenger station had the full plans come to fruition.
Intended principally for freight, the route was used by Bradford-St Pancras services for a 12-year period between the two world wars. The eastern end of the line closed in May 1968 but trains continued to use the western section until August, bringing materials to the M1 motorway which was then under construction. Track lifting took place the following year.
The viaduct at Calder Grove (known as Crigglestone Viaduct) has 21 arches. The most eastern one sits over the existing Wakefield-Barnsley line. The former Crigglestone curve (Crigglestone Jnc to Horbury Station Jnc) passed beneath its western approach embankment whilst the central section towered over Pepper's Yard British Oak site and the old line serving the collieries around Flockton.
To the east of Crigglestone goods station, the line passed through a ridge courtesy of a curved 250-yard tunnel. This is lined throughout in blue engineering brick and numerous refuges are provided on both sides.
Since closure, the eastern approach cutting has been infilled and the concrete wall erected at the portal. The extant western entrance has a wonderful presence and, during winter months, can be glimsed by southbound traffic on the M1, just after Junction 39.