Leeds and Bradford Extension Railway

Leeds and Bradford Extension Railway
Company type	Public company
Industry	Railway transport
Founded	June 30, 1845; 181 years ago
Defunct	July 24, 1851
Fate	Leased and later absorbed by Midland Railway
Headquarters	Bradford, England
Area served	West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Parent	Midland Railway (from 1846 lease)

The Leeds and Bradford Extension Railway was an early railway enterprise in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. It constructed a route beginning near Bradford that passed through and before reaching . While the Skipton–Colne section ceased operations in 1970, the remainder of the line is still active. This route once formed a segment of the Midland Railway's principal corridor connecting London with Glasgow.

Authorisation

On 30 June 1845, the Leeds and Bradford (Shipley–Colne Extension) Railway Act granted permission to build this extension to the Leeds and Bradford Railway, which was then progressing between Leeds and Bradford. By July 1846, the company was leased by the Midland Railway, which fully incorporated it on 24 July 1851.

Opening

The initial segment, running from , at a triangular junction with the Leeds and Bradford Railway, to , commenced service on 16 March 1847 following a construction contract awarded in October 1845. This phase included the creation of a tunnel at Bingley.

On 7 September 1847, the stretch from Keighley to opened as a single track, which was doubled by the end of that year. Passenger trains operated between Bradford and Skipton, with Leeds travelers transferring at Shipley.

The last portion from Skipton to was contracted in September 1846 and inaugurated on 2 October 1848. At Colne, it linked directly with the extension of the East Lancashire Railway, which began service in February 1849. By April of that year, a continuous route existed between Leeds and Liverpool, although most passenger traffic remained localized between Skipton and Colne.

Little North Western Railway

The "Little" North Western Railway constructed a line starting just west of Skipton, ultimately becoming Skipton's primary rail connection. The segment from Skipton to Ingleton opened on 30 July 1849, with through services extending to by June 1850. From January 1859, this line was leased to the Midland Railway. After the Midland's Settle-Carlisle Line opened on 1 May 1876, express trains from Leeds to Glasgow utilized the Leeds–Skipton line along with services bound for Morecambe, , and .

Partial closure

As part of the Beeching cuts implemented in 1963, services on the Skipton–Colne Line were reduced, culminating in its closure on 2 February 1970. The Skipton - East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership continues to campaign vigorously for reopening this route.

Surviving section

The segment between Shipley and Skipton remains operational as an integral part of the Airedale Line, supporting trains running on both the Leeds-Morecambe and Settle-Carlisle Lines.

References

Awdry, C. (1990), Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies, Patrick Stephens Ltd., Wellingborough
Bairstow, M. (2000), The "Little" North Western Railway, Martin Bairstow, Leeds
Binns, D. (1984), Steam in Airedale, Wyvern Publications, Skipton
Dewick, T. (2002), Complete Atlas of Railway Station Names, Ian Allan Publishing, Hersham, , Maps 21 and 42
Suggitt, G. (2004 reprint), Lost Railways of Lancashire, Countryside Books, Newbury