RAIL CHRONOLOGY : MOORTHORPE JUNCTION - SOUTH KIRKBY JUNCTION :
passenger service chronology
Page updated: 8 August 2015.
This 52 chain † curve, owned by the Swinton & Knottingley Joint (Midland and North Eastern), provided a link from Moorthorpe Junction to the West Riding & Grimsby Joint (Great Northern and Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire, later Great Central) at South Kirkby Junction. Follow this link to Railway Clearing House Junction Diagram for this area - no. 44, 1910 edition.
The MS&L had running powers for passenger services, which reached the S&K at Mexborough West Junction – the curve to Dearne Junction which was perhaps better known for the GC’s service between Sheffield and York which started on 16 March 1899 and finally expired in 1965.
1 August 1879: MS&L commenced Sheffield – Leeds weekday service [as evidenced by MS&L minutes and Midland working timetables, and Dow Vol.II p.68; Joy is in error in quoting 1 July 1879]
2 October 1893: service reduced to Wednesday only between Sheffield and Wakefield Westgate for the Wakefield cattle market [Dow Vol.III p.28 and Joy regard this as a "closure"]
1 May 1903: Sheffield – Leeds weekday service restored in addition to the Wednesday Market service [Dow Vol.III p.28 and Joy regard this as a "reopening"]
20 March 1912: service again reduced to Wednesday only service between Sheffield and Wakefield Westgate, for the Wakefield cattle market [Joy notes this as a reduction from daily, not as a "closure" this time]
1 May 1918: residual Wednesday service (a single train in the northbound direction only, 0610 from Sheffield Victoria) withdrawn [Joy gives April 1918 but a GC notice is more specific]
For the next 49 years there was no regular passenger service.
1 May 1967: some Sheffield – Leeds trains restored, being diverted from the Midland Cudworth route to serve Wakefield Westgate [Joy is in error in quoting 7 October 1968]
7 October 1968: Sheffield – Leeds via Normanton trains diverted from Cudworth route because of severe speed restrictions in consequence of mining subsidence (they ran forward via Hare Park and Calder Bridge)
1 May 1972: Sheffield – Leeds via Normanton trains reverted to Cudworth route upon lifting of most speed restrictions
7 May 1973: Sheffield – Leeds via Wakefield trains reverted to Cudworth route (they used the Oakenshaw curve); Moorthorpe Jn – South Kirkby Jn service reduced to summer Saturday only use by Sheffield – Blackpool and Leeds – Weymouth services
18 May 1980: some Sheffield – Leeds Sunday trains restored in addition to the summer Saturday services
4 October 1982: Sheffield – Leeds trains restored, being diverted from the Cudworth route in preparation for its demise
The curve is now the principal route between Sheffield and Leeds for long distance trains – apart from those CrossCountry trains calling at Doncaster.
Dow = George Dow Great Central Locomotive Publishing (Vol.II 1962, Vol.III 1965)
Joy = David Joy Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain Vol. 8 David & Charles (1975)
† = current measurement (the 1910 RCH Junction Diagram gives 56 chains)
Richard Maund
This article also appeared in Railway and Canal Historical Society Railway Chronology Group Co-ordinating Newsletter no. 71, July 2012.
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