Hallam Line

The Hallam Line is the name given to one of the rail services, operated by Northern Rail, in the West Yorkshire Metro/ South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive area of northern England. The services on the line connect Leeds and Sheffield via Barnsley in the North of England. Because of its route it is a slower route from Leeds to Sheffield than the Wakefield line, although there is a fast service operated on the Line.West Yorkshire MetroCards are available on trains between Leeds and Darton, north of Barnsley and South Yorkshire Travelmaster tickets are available in the South Yorkshire area. Also the proposed hourly Leeds - Nottingham service due to start for December 2008 will use the route.

Origin of name

The line is named after the manor of Hallam which included Sheffield at the time of the Domesday Book (1086). At this time the local area was known as "Hallamshire"—the names "Hallam" and "Hallamshire" are still used today by many local companies and organisations.

History

Before the 1923 Grouping the route followed by the line was owned as follows:
* Leeds - Normanton: Midland Railway
* Normanton - Barnsley: Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
* Barnsley, Jumble Lane to Quarry Junction:Great Central Railway
* Barnsley, Quarry Junction to Sheffield: Midland Railway After 1921 the entire route, except Barnsley (Jumble Lane) to Quarry Junction, became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway until 1948 when the network was nationalised. Midland Railway trains made use of Barnsley Court House station and so avoided any contact with Great Central / L.N.E.R. metals.(Note: The route that exists today was not possible until 1960 when B.R. added a connection at Barnsley (Quarry Junction) to allow trains to use Exchange station and reach the Midland line to Sheffield).

Route details

Trains on the line serve the following places; some stations may no longer be open:
* Leeds City station: in MR days trains would have operated from "Wellington station". Here there is a triangular junction with the line to Bradford. The line from here to Castleford is also served by Pontefract Line services.
* Hunslet (Closed)
* here was the junction with the "East & West Yorkshire Union Railway" (MidR/Great Northern Railway (GNR) joint: it was a direct connection to Wakefield via Rothwell
* Woodlesford
* Methley: station closed
* between here and Castleford there were several junctions: with the "Methley Joint Railway" (GNR/L&YR/North Eastern Railway (NER); with the NER line Leeds to York; and with the "Swinton & Knottingley Railway" to Pontefract
* Either goes to a branch towards Castleford where it then reverses towards Normanton which stopping trains use or alternatively goes a more direct route bypassing Castleford and past the former Altofts railway station which closed in the 1980s towards Normanton station that Leeds - Sheffield fast trains use.
* Normanton
* here the MidR main line to Sheffield branches off: our route now uses the L&YR metals
* Wakefield Kirkgate (Also served by the Pontefract and Huddersfield Lines)
* Sandal, closed. Not to be confused with Sandal and Agbrigg on the Doncaster to Leeds via Wakefield Westgate line.
* Horbury Junction (closed) for the now-closed L&YR line to Dewsbury
* Crigglestone (Closed)
* here is "Woolley Tunnel" 1745 yd (1570 m)
* Haigh (Closed)
* Darton
* here was "Silkstone Junction" for the freight line to Silkstone.
* Barnsley: formally Barnsley Exchange, traffic arrived not only from Leeds but via the Great Central Railway line from Penistone. This is nowadays known as the Penistone Line. Stations from here to Sheffield are also on the Penistone Line:
* Swaithe Viaduct - carries the line over the Worsborough Branch of the Great Central.
* Wombwell
* Elsecar was "Elsecar & Hoyland"
* Wentworth - also known as "Wentworth & Hoyland Common" and "Wentworth & Tankersley". (Closed)
* Chapeltown: formerly Chapeltown South to distinguish from Chapeltown Central on the former South Yorkshire Railway, later G.C.R. line. Chapeltown station was rebuilt nearer to the town centre roundabout in the 1970's as the first railway project of the, then, new South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority. Much of the original remains. From here the two railways - MidR and GCR had parallel lines to Sheffield. The latter line is closed and lifted.
* Ecclesfield - known as "Ecclesfield West" to distinguish from Ecclesfield East on the former South Yorkshire Railway, later G.C.R. line. (Closed)
* Meadowhall:, partly built on the site of "Wincobank and Meadow Hall"
* Brightside (Closed)
* Sheffield Midland station (Also served by the Wakefield and Dearne Valley Lines)

External links

* [http://www.wymetro.com/TrainTravel/MetroTrainTimetablesAndRoutes/HallamLine.htm Includes a map of the line and gives details of Metrocard fares]