Altofts railway station served the village of

Altofts Altofts is a village in West Yorkshire, England. It lies north-east from the centre of Wakefield and less than north-west of Normanton. The M62 runs close to the village to the north-east, and the Aire and Calder Navigation to the north-w ...

near Normanton in the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

county of

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

. It was opened in 1870 as Altofts and Whitwood by the

Midland Railway The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It am ...

on its line from

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...

to Leeds Wellington Station. Much of the village of Altofts is in fact closer to Normanton station. It was built on an embankment using spoil from the cutting south of Normanton. The area was in any case, prone to subsidence, resulting in speed restrictions and the need to shore up the platforms. North of the station the line crosses the Aire and Calder Navigation and the River Calder by means of a viaduct of five sixty foot arches.Pixton, B., (2000) ''North Midland: Portrait of a Famous Route,'' Cheltenham: Runpast Publishing

History

Opened by the

on 1 September 1870, and originally named ''Altofts and Whitwood'', it became part of the

London, Midland and Scottish Railway The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMSIt has been argued that the initials LMSR should be used to be consistent with LNER, GWR and SR. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway's corporate image used LMS, and this is what is generally u ...

during the

Grouping Grouping may refer to: * Muenchian grouping * Principles of grouping * Railways Act 1921, also known as Grouping Act, a reorganisation of the British railway system * Grouping (firearms), the pattern of multiple shots from a sidearm See also ...

of 1923. The line then passed on to the

Eastern Region of British Railways The Eastern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948, whose operating area could be identified from the dark blue signs and colour schemes that adorned its station and other railway buildings. Together with the North Eastern Region ( ...

nationalisation Nationalization (nationalisation in British English) is the process of transforming privately-owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to pri ...

in 1948. When Sectorisation was introduced in the 1980s, the station was served by

Regional Railways Regional Railways was one of the three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982 that existed until 1997, two years after privatisation. The sector was originally called ''Provincial''. Regional Railways was the most subsidised (per pas ...

under arrangements with the WYPTE METRO. The name was simplified to ''Altofts'' on 4 May 1970 and the station closed on 14 May 1990, the last day of service being 12 May 1990.

Post closure

Faster services on the

Hallam line The Hallam Line is a railway connecting Leeds and Sheffield via Castleford in the West Yorkshire Metro area of northern England. It is a slower route from Leeds to Sheffield than the Wakefield line. Services on this line are operated by Nort ...

currently run past the former station on their way from Normanton to Woodlesford. These have operated since 2006, with alternate trains running through to since December 2008. Slower trains since 1988 instead follow an alternative route along the former North Eastern Railway lines from Normanton to

Castleford Castleford is a town within the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 45,106 at a 2021 population estimate. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, to the north of the town centre the River Calder joins the ...

, where they have to reverse direction, rather than the direct line through Altofts. The industrial estates associated with

Wakefield Europort Wakefield Europort is a rail-connected warehousing and industrial estate located to the northeast of Wakefield at junction 31 of the M62 motorway in West Yorkshire, England. It opened in 1996 in anticipation of increased international railfreigh ...

now surround the unredeveloped station site.

References

* {{Jowett-Nationalised

External links

Station on navigable O.S. map
Disused railway stations in Wakefield Former Midland Railway stations Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1870 Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1990 1870 establishments in England 1990 disestablishments in England