Missing Railway links from Church Fenton to Harrogate, and Leeds to Wetherby

[Baggpuss]

There are plans for an East Leeds Parkway, http://www.transportbriefing.co.uk/story.php?id=4891 , but the latest draft rail route utilisation strategy for Yorkshire & Humber, http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/4449.aspx has this located at Micklefield. It wouldn't be possible to four-track from Leeds to Micklefield as there is insufficient width after Crossgates through Garforth.The plan as I understand it is to ease congestion along this route by reducing the number of trains stopping at every station to Leeds to be replaced by more express units.

[raveydavey]

Baggpuss wrote: There are plans for an East Leeds Parkway, http://www.transportbriefing.co.uk/story.php?id=4891 , but the latest draft rail route utilisation strategy for Yorkshire & Humber, http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/4449.aspx has this located at Micklefield. It wouldn't be possible to four-track from Leeds to Micklefield as there is insufficient width after Crossgates through Garforth.The plan as I understand it is to ease congestion along this route by reducing the number of trains stopping at every station to Leeds to be replaced by more express units. Less stopping trains? There are only two an hour for most of the day and only one an hour after 6-ish or on Sundays.The trackbed is still easily wide enough to take 4 tracks all the way from just east of Crossgates all the way to the viaduct at Marsh Lane, so with that in place stoppers at Crossgates (and maybe the often suggested station at Osmondthorpe) wouldn't get in the way.

[Squatch_11]

They've got some odd stopping patterns at the minute, I came up from London the other week and was expecting some rubbish old unit for the trip to Croggy. The train that was in the platform before mine was off to Hull (Or Newcastle, can't remember) and stopped at Garforth and East Garforth before heading off, mine came in and it was a new fancy unit off to 'Boro, stopping at Croggy, then York!! As my ticket from Kings Cross was first class, I had the unusual "luxury" of a 6 minute first class ride to Crossgates!

[jf]

We need a 'crossrail' scheme for Leeds - perhaps a light transit system from Garforth using the two removed tracks as far as Marsh Lane, through the old goods depot, around the north side of the Kremlin, an elevated station over the top of the roundabout (interchanging with the bus and coach station) then burrowing under Eastgate as far Park Row, a sweeping curve in front of the Library to head down East Parade, through the new Whitehall development, across the river to meet the old Central Station viaduct, then follow the line up to Pudsey via Armley on the formerly quadrupled trackbed & whatever is left of the line to Pudsey proper. Later expansions to Bradford via Dudley Hill & Wetherby. Anyone got a billion or two spare?

[raveydavey]

jf wrote: We need a 'crossrail' scheme for Leeds - perhaps a light transit system from Garforth using the two removed tracks as far as Marsh Lane, through the old goods depot, around the north side of the Kremlin, an elevated station over the top of the roundabout (interchanging with the bus and coach station) then burrowing under Eastgate as far Park Row, a sweeping curve in front of the Library to head down East Parade, through the new Whitehall development, across the river to meet the old Central Station viaduct, then follow the line up to Pudsey via Armley on the formerly quadrupled trackbed & whatever is left of the line to Pudsey proper. Later expansions to Bradford via Dudley Hill & Wetherby. Anyone got a billion or two spare? That is a great idea, which is why it will never happen... Squatch_11 wrote: They've got some odd stopping patterns at the minute, I came up from London the other week and was expecting some rubbish old unit for the trip to Croggy. The train that was in the platform before mine was off to Hull (Or Newcastle, can't remember) and stopped at Garforth and East Garforth before heading off, mine came in and it was a new fancy unit off to 'Boro, stopping at Croggy, then York!! As my ticket from Kings Cross was first class, I had the unusual "luxury" of a 6 minute first class ride to Crossgates! You're not wrong there. In the peaks the service suddenly gets vastly better. It's amazing how many people get the train to/from Crossgates, but when you think that the quickest bus takes at least 25 minutes it's no wonder people use the train.There is a good argument for saying that ALL trains that way in the peaks should be made to stop at Crossgates and Garforth simply to increase capacity.

[Squatch_11]

I actually think they have increased the stopping at Crossgates though, I'm pretty certain the only ones that stopped before were to locals to York which stopped everywhere, and maybe an odd one or two going to Hull.These are ones that were never scheduled to stop until York and used to go whizzing past, now the odd one stops.They still persist on sending 2 car units in the morning though, which by the time they get to Croggy on the way to Leeds are packed to the rafters. I normally go to our office in Newcastle on the train, and I've started going via York rather than Leeds, as it's a more pleasant trip of Croggy is the first stop instead of the last.Anyhoo, back on topic I guess, would be a great idea to reinstate the track bed to create a park and ride on the A64 somewhere - from a selfish point of view, it would cut down loads of traffic that comes piling through Barwick and Scholes.......

[chameleon]

Squatch_11 wrote: I actually think they have increased the stopping at Crossgates though, I'm pretty certain the only ones that stopped before were to locals to York which stopped everywhere, and maybe an odd one or two going to Hull.These are ones that were never scheduled to stop until York and used to go whizzing past, now the odd one stops.They still persist on sending 2 car units in the morning though, which by the time they get to Croggy on the way to Leeds are packed to the rafters. I normally go to our office in Newcastle on the train, and I've started going via York rather than Leeds, as it's a more pleasant trip of Croggy is the first stop instead of the last.Anyhoo, back on topic I guess, would be a great idea to reinstate the track bed to create a park and ride on the A64 somewhere - from a selfish point of view, it would cut down loads of traffic that comes piling through Barwick and Scholes....... As I remember squatch, the old track-bed may be in private ownership. There was some furore a few years ago when they realised many abutting residents had extended their gardens accross it, and they tried to reclaim the land.I don't know if anyone was successful in registering Adverse Possession or not, but clearly someone wishes the route to remain available - even after such a long time.One unrelated thing I remember, that was also used as the first part of the route for the trunk sewer tunelled through from scholes, in the late 60's I think it was.

[Phill_d]

Just after Scholes station or what used to be called the 'Buffers' is the only new housing to take up the old line between Crossgates and the A64. Your right Chameleon there is some newish water course/drainage that comes to the surface near Chippy's quarry opposite Stanks. There's only a few houses built in Thorner blocking the line too. I seem to recall the old railway bridge still crossing the main street in Thorner in the 80's. Can anyone remember it as well. I keep wondering if I imagine that. I'm sure we used to ride our bikes under there.

[chameleon]

Phill_d wrote: Just after Scholes station or what used to be called the 'Buffers' is the only new housing to take up the old line between Crossgates and the A64. Your right Chameleon there is some newish water course/drainage that comes to the surface near Chippy's quarry opposite Stanks. There's only a few houses built in Thorner blocking the line too. I seem to recall the old railway bridge still crossing the main street in Thorner in the 80's. Can anyone remember it as well. I keep wondering if I imagine that. I'm sure we used to ride our bikes under there. There were Access excavations every 100 yds or so through the estate from the Arndale Centre through to primrose valley for the sewer. As work progressed, they hit the bed rock and had to blast - Crossgates' own mini-earthquake zone!

[Phill_d]

Ok.. There is like a concrete culvert and drainage channel at the Quarry as well. That looks relatively new. That's one obstacle blocking the line as well.