Barnsley Interchange Is One Of My Favourite Stations
Barnsley Interchange station is unusual in that it is a combined train and bus station, that seems to be well-positioned in the town.
There is only one real problem and that is like Lincoln station, it is a town centre station with a level crossing.
The other problem with the station, is that it is a steep walk up the hill to the Football Ground.
The only solution would be a tunnel under the hill with a large lift to bring you into the Ground.
I don’t think it woud be very affordable or practical.
There is a lot to like about the station and this Google Map shows the overall layout.
Note the level crossing at the South end of the station.
If you read the section on Services in the Wikipedia entry for the station, you’ll see that the station handles three or four trains per hour in both directions at times. The track layout on the Penistone Line doesn’t help, as this extract from Wikipedia describes.
Barnsley also marks the last continuous dual running track (except for parts) for trains heading towards Huddersfield, or the first continuous dual running track for trains heading towards Sheffield.
I suspect Network Rail and the Penistone Line Partnership have ideas for increasing capacity, but they’d really like the level crossing removed.
I did notice though, that trains in opposite directions, didn’t always seem to pass in the station, which is a technique that has been used in several places to cut the number of times crossings close.
Perhaps because of the single-track sections on the Penistone Line this is not possible.
But other factors will help.
- Northern’s new Class 195 trains will probably handle the stops a couple of minutes faster, than the current Pacers.
- As there are upwards of a dozen stops, this could save a lot of time and allow organising the passing of trains better.
- There are some other level crossings, which might be removed.
- Most of the line is single-track, but it does seem from my helicopter that the track-bed has been left wide enough to reinstate the original double-track.
So in a few years time with the new Class 195 trains, some track modifications and perhaps better signalling, a more frequent and better service might be possible.
The Anonymous Widower 