Thornhill railway station

For the disused station in Dumfries and Galloway, see Thornhill railway station (Scotland).

Thornhill (for Dewsbury) Railway station, as it was latterly known since the closure (1930) of its sister Market Place Passenger Station in the town centre; was located between Mirfield and Horbury and Ossett stations.

Thornhill
Eastward from Thornhill Station in 1961
General information
Location	Thornhill, Kirklees England
Coordinates	53.67598°N 1.63344°W / 53.67598; -1.63344
Grid reference	SE243200
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Manchester and Leeds Railway
Pre-grouping	Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
5 October 1840	Opened as Dewsbury
January 1851	Renamed Thornhill
1 January 1962	Closed

History

Station platforms

Station Road entrance.

The station was the first to arrive in the town, being built by the Manchester and Leeds Railway and opened in 1840.^[1] It was built on the main line and had the status of such, not least because of its substantial adjacent goods-handling facility, but within ten years of having been built, its importance was somewhat reduced by the arrival of town centre competition. Its lower volume of business naturally contributed to its lower status generally. It was often confused with other Dewsbury stations, or entirely disregarded. It closed just three years prior to Beeching's closure of Dewsbury central, on the last day of 1961.

Its impressive passenger station was located in what is better known today as Thornhill Lees, on the surviving main line. The original access is still there, albeit with a steel barrier bolted in place, on station road level, between the two bridges, on the east side of the road.^[2]

There is on official record, a possible interest in re-opening this facility in the future.^[3]

Route

Preceding station	Historical railways			Following station
Mirfield		Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Huddersfield Line		Horbury and Ossett
Mirfield		Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Dewsbury Branch Line		Dewsbury Market Place

References

1. Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
2. Railway Memories No 11, HALIFAX and the CALDER VALLEY. Bellcode books. 1998. ISBN 1-871233-10-0.
3. "Kirklees Scrutiny panel for regeneration" (PDF). 11 November 2008.