Leeds New Line

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Leeds New Line

The Heaton Lodge and Wortley Railway was built by the London and North Western Railway to create a second route between Huddersfield and Leeds. It left the existing line at Heaton Lodge Junction, headed north, and rejoined the line near Farnley Junction, southwest of Leeds. While it was being built, it was called the Leeds New Line; after nationalisation it was known as the Spen Line.

The line opened on 1 October 1900. It started at Heaton Lodge junction, curved north, and crossed the River Calder and Huddersfield Road on bridges before reaching Battyeford. It then crossed the Mirfield viaduct, went through a cutting, and passed Northorpe Higher station (originally wooden, burned down in 1921 and was rebuilt south of the overbridge). The route ran beside the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Mirfield Branch, crossing it and the Ravensthorpe Branch, before entering Heckmondwike in cuttings and a short tunnel. It went through Heckmondwike Spen, then Liversedge Spen, curved gently east, and passed Cleckheaton Spen, Gomersal, and Gildersome Tunnel to Gildersome East. The line continued to Birstall Town.

Passenger services ended in the 1950s, and the line was closed in stages from 1960 to 1990.

Today, parts of the old route are used as a greenway. In 2007 the Spen Valley Ringway connected Littletown and Millbridge. In 2010 it was extended by about 500 yards along the old Leeds New Line into Heckmondwike as part of Spen Valley Greenway work funded by Yorkshire Water.