Tuesday, December 15, 2020

The Woodhead route from the cab in 1965


A good view of the lost electrified line from Sheffield to Manchester. 

Wikipedia explains:

The Woodhead line was a railway line linking Sheffield, Penistone and Manchester in the north of England. A key feature of the route is the passage under the high moorlands of the northern Peak District through the Woodhead Tunnels. The line was electrified in 1953 and closed between Hadfield and Penistone in 1981.

The Manchester to Glossop/Hadfield section is still in operation; east of the Pennines, the vicinity of Penistone and the Sheffield to Deepcar section are still open, although the latter is goods-only. The track has been lifted on other sections and much of the trackbed now forms part of the Trans-Pennine Trail and National Cycle Route 62.

I travelled it myself shortly before its closure, as it was sometimes used as a Sunday diversionary route for Sheffield to Manchester trains, and the regular Sheffield to Barnsley service used it to reach Penistone.

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