The Remains of the North Dean (Stainland) Branch Railway Line
The North Dean, Stainland or Greetland and Stainland branch line was a double track railway that ran from the main line at Greetland, Near Halifax climbing approx. 1.6 miles up the valley to it's terminus at the Stainland and Holywell Green Station. Opened on the 1st January 1875 to service the mills along the valley the line remained in use for passengers until 23rd September 1929 still running 16 trains each way upon closure. Goods traffic ceased on the 14th September 1959.
Despite it's short length the line featured 4 stations by 1907 with North Dean and Greetland Station at the junction with the mainline. Opened in 1844 as the mainline junction to Halifax Station, Greetland station remained in use until closure on the 8th September 1962, there have been rumours / discussions according to online sources of the station re-opening as a parkway station.
Looking westward along the mainline. This was the junction of the branch and the site of Greetland Station.
The line then arrived at the 2nd station along the route was the Rochdale Road Halt, opened in 1907 when the line change to rail motors the halt was on a bridge that crossed the B6113 Rochdale Road at West Vale. This station served passengers only and closed in September 1929 along with all passengers services along the line. Nothing remains of the bridge or station.
After leaving the halt the line made a small climb before crossing the Grade II listed 13 arch West Vale Viaduct. Now accessible as a public footpath / cycleway, the viaduct remains an impressive feat of civil engineering and gives outstanding views of the village of West Vale below.
West Vale Station was next just after West Vale Viaduct, all that remains is a partially covered retaining wall at the station site on a small housing estate called Green Royd. The station opened on January 1st 1875 and closed along with the line in September 1959.
After passing through West Vale Station, the line the passed under Long Heys Bridge before crossing Rawroyds (Stainland) Viaduct. Rawroyds is a Grade II listed 14 arch viaduct that crossers the valley and Holywell Brook. The viaduct remains largely intact but is now inaccessible with only a couple of footpaths under it's archers. The embankment at the western end has been almost completely removed to allow an access road to Brookwoods Industrial Estate.
After crossing Rawroyds the line went up through a cutting and underneath Station Road Bridge before arriving at the final halt and terminus of the line which was Stainland and Holywell Green Station, nothing remains of this station as an industrial area has been built upon it. The cutting is now an access road that passes underneath Station Road Bridge.
The pictures below can also be seen on Clickasnap, they were taken with a Nikon d300 SLR camera on the 15th October 2017.
Clay House Bridge, Rochdale Road Halt was not far from here.
The previous 3 pictures were taken on the former trackbed between what was the Rochdale Road Halt and West Vale Viaduct.
West Vale Viaduct, the above picture and 5 below show pictures taken from and of the viaduct.
West Vale viewed from the viaduct.
Long Heys Railway Bridge.
The cow was grazing in a field near top the railways former trackbed. It seemed more interested in me than the field and other cows.
The 2 pictures show the remains of Rawroyds Viaduct, for a short branch line of less than 2 miles, this was the 2nd impressive viaduct that carried the line.
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All the pictures remain the copyright of Colin Green.
