The Woodhead Line was a railway line linking Sheffield, Penistone and Manchester in the north of England. A key feature of the route is the passage under the high moorlands of the northern Peak District through the Woodhead Tunnels. The line was electrified in 1954 and controversially closed east of Hadfield in 1981. For other uses, see Sheffield (disambiguation). ... Penistone is a small market town in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley, in South Yorkshire, England, with a population of 8,727 inhabitants (according to 2001 Census). ... Manchester is a major city within Greater Manchester in North West England, historically notable for being the worlds first industrialised city, and its subsequent central role in the Industrial Revolution. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, mainly spanning Derbyshire, but also covering bits of Cheshire, Staffordshire and South and West Yorkshire. ... The western portals of the Woodhead Tunnels in 2004, from the former Woodhead Station. ... 40% (3,062 miles / 4,928 km) of the British rail network is electrified and 60% of all rail journeys are by electric traction (both by locomotives and Multiple Units). ...

Construction

The line opened in 1845. It was built by the Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway, with Joseph Locke as its engineer. In 1847 the railway merged with the Sheffield & Lincolnshire Junction Railway, the Great Grimsby & Sheffield Junction Railway, and the Grimsby Docks Company to form the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (later the Great Central Railway (GCR)). Ownership passed to LNER in 1923, and finally to British Railways in 1948. Joseph Locke, railway engineer Joseph Locke (9 August 1805- 18 September 1860) was a notable British civil engineer of the 19th century, particularly associated with railway projects. ... The Great Central Railway (GCR) was the latter day name of a railway company of the United Kingdom which earlier was known as the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MS&LR). ... The London and North Eastern Railway or LNER was the second-largest of the Big Four railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain. ... British Railways (BR), later rebranded as British Rail, ran the British railway system, from the nationalisation of the Big Four British railway companies in 1948 until its privatisation in stages between 1994 and 1997. ...

The original eastern terminus of the line was at Bridgehouses station. By the time of the creation of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway in 1847 the station at Bridgehouses had been outgrown. A 1 km extension — including the Wicker Arches viaduct, engineered by John Fowler — was constructed to the new Sheffield Victoria Station, which opened in 1851. Bridgehouses was the main Sheffield station on the Great Central Railway, between Chesterfield and Penistone. ... The Wicker Arches are the name for the now disused railway viaduct in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. ... Sir John Fowler (July 15, 1817–November 10, 1898) was born in Wadsley, South Yorkshire, England. ... Sheffield Victoria station was the main Sheffield station on the Great Central Railway (known prior to 1897 as the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway), between Chesterfield and Penistone. ...

Electrification

• See also Manchester-Sheffield-Wath electric railway
  

  

  The remains of Woodhead Station and the tunnel portal
  ‎

Electrification was first mooted by the Great Central Railway owing to the difficulties of operating heavy steam-hauled coal trains on the Penistone-Wath section (the Worsborough branch), a line with steep gradients and several tunnels. Definitive plans were drawn up by the LNER in the mid-1930s; many of the gantries for the catenary (electric wires) were erected before World War II. // Introduction The Manchester-Sheffield-Wath electric railway was an early electrification scheme on British railways. ... Woodhead Tunnel western portal from the old Woodhead station on the Longdendale Trail, Derbyshire SK114999. ... Woodhead Tunnel western portal from the old Woodhead station on the Longdendale Trail, Derbyshire SK114999. ... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead...

World War II prevented progress on electrification, but the plans were restarted immediately after the war - but now with plans for a new double-track Woodhead Tunnel. This (third) Woodhead Tunnel was constructed to replace the twin single-bore Victorian tunnels which had been damaged by years of smoke from steam engines. The western portals of the Woodhead Tunnels in 2004, from the former Woodhead Station. ...

The Manchester-Sheffield-Wath electrification project was finally completed in 1954 using overhead wires energised at 1,500 Volts Direct Current. Whilst this was tried and tested technology (and is still standard in the Netherlands), the comparitively low voltage meant that a large number of electricity substations and heavy cabling would be required. Following technological developments (especially in France) 1.5 kV DC was soon superseded by the later network standard of 25 kV AC. This left the Woodhead Line as the only main line in the UK with 1.5 kV DC eletrification. // Introduction The Manchester-Sheffield-Wath electric railway was an early electrification scheme on British railways. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

New electric locomotives for the line were constructed at Gorton Works, Manchester. These were the EM1/Class 76 for freight trains (and some passenger duties) and EM2/Class 77 locomotives for express passenger trains. Given the steep gradients on the line, the locomotives were able to use regenerative braking on their descent from Woodhead. Rheostatic braking was also later added. Preserved locomotive no. ... Preserved locomotive, no. ... Regenerative braking is any technology which allows a vehicle to recapture and store part of the kinetic energy that would otherwise be lost to heat when braking. ...

Additionally, Class 506 electric multiple units were built for suburban services between Manchester, Glossop and Hadfield. British Rail Class 506 was a locomotive commissioned by British Rail in England. ... Location within the British Isles Glossop (Grid reference SK0393) is a town of approximately 16,500 in the High Peak of Derbyshire, England, about 13 miles east of Manchester. ... The war memorial and Station Road in Hadfield Hadfield is a small town in High Peak, Derbyshire, England. ...

Closure

Having seen major investment in the 1950s the line was controversally closed to passenger traffic on 5th January 1970 when it was clear that the alternative Hope Valley Line through Edale would be required to remain open for social and network reasons and could handle all Manchester–Sheffield passenger traffic. The Class 77 locomotives for passenger trafffic were sold to the Netherlands Railways, where 1500V DC electrification was standard. By the late 1970s, virtually all the remaining freight traffic consisted of coal trains from Yorkshire to Fiddlers Ferry Power Station near Widnes - which required a change to diesel haulage for the final part of the journey. The Hope Valley Line is a railway line in England linking Sheffield with Manchester. ... Edale is a small village in the Derbyshire Peak District, England. ... Preserved locomotive, no. ... // Introduction Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) is the main public transport railway company in the Netherlands. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

By the 1980s a combination of alternative available routes, an absence of passenger traffic since 1970, a downturn in coal traffic across the Pennines and a need to eventually upgrade or replace the (non-standard) electrical supply systems and Class 76 locomotives resulted in the line's closure east of Hadfield. The last train operated on 17th July 1981 and the line was mothballed.

The tracks were lifted in the mid-1980s ending short-term hopes of reopening. Almost the entire line east of Hadfield has now been lifted (apart from a few short sections shared with other lines, notably at Penistone). The trackbed between Hadfield and the Woodhead Tunnel has been adapted as the Longdendale Trail for hikers and cyclists. Hadfield railway station serves the village of Hadfield in Derbyshire, England. ... The western portals of the Woodhead Tunnels in 2004, from the former Woodhead Station. ... The Longdendale Trail is a Long-distance trail that runs a distance of approximately 6. ...

The surviving sections

• See also: Manchester-Glossop Line

The suburban passenger service between Manchester, Glossop and Hadfield remains in service, but the electricity supply was converted to standard 25kV AC overhead in December 1984. The Class 506 EMUs were then withdrawn and replaced by Class 303 EMUs from the Glasgow area. The service is now operated (as of 2006) by Class 323 EMUs. The Glossop Line is a railway line in northern England, connecting Manchester with Glossop and Hadfield in Derbyshire. ... Location within the British Isles Glossop (Grid reference SK0393) is a town of approximately 16,500 in the High Peak of Derbyshire, England, about 13 miles east of Manchester. ... Hadfield railway station serves the village of Hadfield in Derbyshire, England. ... The British Rail Class 303 electric multiple units, also known as Blue Train units, were introduced for the electrification of the North Clyde line in Strathclyde. ... Class 323, no. ...

The Huddersfield line platforms at Penistone station remain open, used by the Huddersfield-Sheffield diesel-operated local trains, which traverse the line the short distance between the former Huddersfield Junction and Barnsley Junction. Penistone railway station Penistone railway station is a railway station in Penistone, South Yorkshire, England. ... Statistics Population: 146,234 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SE145165 Administration District: Kirklees Metropolitan county: West Yorkshire Region: Yorkshire and the Humber Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: West Yorkshire Historic county: Yorkshire (West Riding) Services Police force: West Yorkshire Police Fire and rescue: {{{Fire}}} Ambulance... Sheffield Midland station, now called simply Sheffield, is the railway station in central Sheffield, England. ...

There is just one other part of the line open to traffic, albeit freight, and that is the single line from Woodburn Junction, on the Sheffield to Lincoln line, to Deepcar to serve the Corus steel works at Stocksbridge. Traffic is sparse and usually at night or early morning. Deepcar railway station is an old and now disused station near Sheffield, South Yorkshire. ... Stocksbridge is a small town in the metropolitan borough of Sheffield, England, with a population of around 14,000. ...

Proposals for the future

Whilst much of the trackbed is currently part of the Trans-Pennine Trail there have been periodic proposals to revive the Woodhead route. In 1996 and 2003 it formed part of the proposed Central Railway route from Liverpool to the Channel Tunnel. 2006 saw another proposal, this time as a rolling highway [1]. Alternative uses for the tunnel route have been suggested from time to time — see M67 motorway. There are also plans to restore the route from Deepcar to Sheffield city centre as a heritage line called the Don Valley Line. The Trans Pennine Trail is a long distance path in England, running largely along disused railway lines and canal towpaths, entirely on surface paths and only gentle gradients. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Central Railway is a company in the United Kingdom who propose to build a new freight railway line from the channel tunnel to the north of England, using much of the trackbed of the former Great Central Railway. ... Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. ... Map of the Channel Tunnel. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The M67 is a short motorway in Tameside, Greater Manchester, forming an A57 bypass for the towns of Denton and Hyde. ... Stocksbridge and Upper Don ward is one of the 28 electoral wards in City of Sheffield, England. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

The Woodhead line has, unusually for an electric route, managed to achieve a cult status with collectors of railway memorabilia (perhaps because of a feeling that the closure of a modern electric railway was a mistake, given that the alternative routes were (are) not electrified). The original poster of the 'modern' route, published in 1955 by British Railways Board and entitled 'Britain's First All-Electric Main Line', fetches high prices at auction, and is still available in reproduction.

External links

• The woodheadsite - has good history section
• The Don Valley Railway Line
• Another recent (2006) reopening proposal, this time as a 'Rolling Highway' for HGV traffic
• Michael Pead :: Photos of the Woodhead Route