From Bradford To Skipton
I took the train from Bradford Forster Square station to Skipton station.
It is a route on which there are interesting things to see,
Saltaire
Everything must come second to the World Heritage Site at Saltaire.
Shipley Station
Shipley station is an unusual concept in that the station is built in the middle of a triangular junction.
This Google Map shows the station
It has five platforms and four lifts.
Keighley Station
Keighley station is the interchange with the Keithley and Worth Valley Railway, which is a heritage railway running steam and vintage diesel trains.
There is a section called Commuter Use in the Wikipedia entry for the Keithley and Worth Valley Railway.
This is said.
As a privately owned heritage railway, the line does not specifically serve commuters; however, a study by Ove Arup & Partners funded by Metro looked at the feasibility of a daily commuter service between Oxenhope and Keighley in 2009.[16] After the first stage of the study was released, Metro stated concerns about a lack of funding and available rolling stock, meaning that services are unlikely to run in the short to medium term
Given that we live in an era of innovative rolling stock, why not run a battery train between Keithley and Haworth?
Kirkstall Forge Station
Kirkstall Forge station has recently reopened, after being closed in 1905.
It is certainly an impressive new station and one of the best new stations I’ve seen.
There are certainly some nice touches.
- A covered bridge with glass sides to give good views.
- Nice finishes.
- I liked the crash barriers and seats made out of steel, to emphasise the station’s history.
- The Braille signs on the handrails. Something I first saw in Italy and wrote about in A Nice Touch On The Milan Underground.
At present, it doesn’t seem that busy and trains are not very numerous, but as the development gets underway in the area and the car parks fill up, this station could get very busy.
Some of the trains are going to and from Skipton, on the Airedale Line. If you read the Future section for that station’s Wikipedia entry, you get the impression that lots of things will happen at Skipton.
- Direct London trains to Skipton are on the cards and a stop at Kirkstall Forge would be ideal for West Leeds and those that live on the Wharfedale Line to Ilkley, which also call at Kirkstall Forge.
- But surely, Skipton is one of those places that is a jumping off point for the Pennines and also the Settle-Carlisle Line.
- In addition, if plans to connect Skipton to Colne to connect Lancashire and Yorkshire through the Pennines come to fruition, Kirkstall Force could be the station, where passengers drive to get their train to the other side.
I don’t think you can accuse Network Rail and Metro of building a station at Kirkstall Forge, that doesn’t have future proofing.
It will be interesting to go in perhaps five years and see how this station has developed.
The Anonymous Widower 