Rishworth Branch Line.

The Rishworth Branch Line was a railway that ran along the Ryburn Valley from Sowerby Bridge to Rishworth. Originally proposed in 1865, work commenced in 1873, and the first section of the line to Ripponden opened in 1878, with the line to Rishworth being completed in 1881. The original plans for the line meant tunnelling through the moor near here to connect with the main line at Rochdale, but difficulties with landslides, etc. meant this never happened. Problems with the surrounding land led to the line closing between Ripponden and Rishworth in March 1952 and completely in September 1958.

 

A number of the bridge crossings still stand, along with the Scar Head Tunnel, and at Rishworth, the station platform still waits for a train to arrive, although it is largely hidden now by undergrowth and inaccessible due to being on private land. Sadly, there is no other evidence of the lines' remaining at Ripponden, Triangle, or Watson's Crossing. The majority of these pictures featured in this slideshow were taken using my Nikon D3300 camera on April 29, 2016.

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