Hull and Barnsley Railway

{| Railway line header

History

The Hull and Barnsley Railway (H&BR) was opened on 20 July 1885. On incorporation and until 1905 it was the Hull, Barnsley and West Riding Junction Railway and Dock Company. The projected total length was 66 miles, but as built it did not reach Barnsley. Its Alexandra Dock in Hull opened 16 July 1885. Various joint lines were operated in conjunction with the HBR.

The main line ran from Hull to Cudworth, South Yorkshire
Cudworth, and the company included two other lines, the South Yorkshire Junction Railway from Wrangbrook Junction to Denaby, and later a connection to the Great Central Railway at Lowfield Junction, near Conisbrough and The Hull & South Yorkshire Extension Railway, in effect an eight-mile branch to Wath-upon-Dearne, opened 31 March 1902. Before the Grouping of 1923, the line was taken over by the North Eastern Railway.

Present day

Alexandra Dock remains in use, though rail connection was severed when the dock was closed from 1982 to 1992. Most of the embankment line from the Neptune Street depot to Alexandra Dock remains in use, albeit mostly singled, as the sole rail access to the King George Dock and the Salt End oil refinery in east Hull.
About three miles of the H&BR through Carlton Towers was re-opened in the 1970s for MGR coal trains which supply Drax power station.

The steam powered Ouse swing bridge over the River Ouse was dismantled in the 1970s.

Hull Docks Branch improvements

As reported in The Railway Herald issue 76 (March 2007) the Hull Docks branch is being upgraded to increase traffic capacity. This includes the installation of a double track junction at Hessle Road, and some restoration of double track. This will increase the capacity to 22 trains per day. The work is being carried out by GrantRail and is due to be completed in summer 2008.cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = 2007 | url=http://www.railwayherald.co.uk/magazine/viewissue.php?type=UK&issue=76 | title = The Railway Herald | format = | work = | publisher = Railway Herald Ltd| accessdate = 2007-04-25] cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = 2007 | url=http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=3396&NewsAreaID=2&SearchCategoryID=4 | title = Network Rail | format = | work = | publisher = | accessdate = 2007-12-09]

Hull-Scarborough Line in Hull

ee also

* Locomotives of the Hull and Barnsley Railway
* Matthew Stirling - Chief Locomotive Superintendent

References

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External links

* [http://www.hullandbarnsleyrailway.org.uk Hull and Barnsley Railway Stock Fund]
* [http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&om=1&z=16&ll=53.733342,-0.380251&spn=0.006537,0.019956 Google Maps view of the remaining line in Hull, starting at Hessle Road (HBR branches to the north east)]
* [http://www.leytransport.i12.com/hbr.htm Images of the Hull & Barnsley Railway]
* [http://www.grantrail.co.uk GrantRail Ltd]