Beighton railway station
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2024) |
Beighton | |
|---|---|
 Site of Beighton railway station in 1963 | |
| General information | |
| Location | Beighton, City of Sheffield England |
| Coordinates | 53°21′04″N 1°20′08″W / 53.351140°N 1.335500°W |
| Grid reference | SK443840 |
| Platforms | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Status | Disused |
| History | |
| Pre-grouping | Sheffield and Lincolnshire Junction Railway Great Central Railway |
| Post-grouping | London and North Eastern Railway London Midland Region of British Railways |
| Key dates | |
| June 1840 | First station opened |
| 2 January 1843 | First station closed |
| 12 February 1849 | Second station opened |
| February 1852 | Second station closed temporarily |
| March 1854 | Second station reopened |
| 1 November 1893 | Second station closed |
| 1 November 1893 | Third station opened |
| 1950 | Extensively rebuilt |
| 1 November 1954 | Closed[1] |
Beighton railway station is a former railway station near the village of Beighton on the border between Derbyshire and South Yorkshire, England.
Three stations
[edit]Beighton station existed on three sites at different times:
- The first station, believed to have been little more than a halt, was opened by the North Midland Railway when it built its Chesterfield to Rotherham Masborough line, which is now predominantly a freight route. At 1+1⁄4 miles (2.0 km) south of Woodhouse Mill, it stood approximately halfway between what is now Beighton Junction and the overbridge, which still carries passenger trains east–west between Sheffield and Worksop.[2] This original station was opened when the line opened in June 1840; it was not near to or convenient for the village of Beighton, and closed in January 1843.
- In 1849, the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MS&LR) completed its Sheffield to Worksop line, which included a branch from just east of Woodhouse to join the North Midland line at what became known as Beighton Junction. They built Beighton's second station at a site on their line only, close to, but not on, the junction. The MS&LR hurried to open this branch to enable a revenue earning service to Eckington to commence and give connections to North Midland trains. This second station closed temporarily from 1852 to 1854, then continued in use until 1892.
- In 1892, the MS&LR opened its "Derbyshire Lines" route near Beighton. This would eventually become part of the Great Central Main Line. On 1 November 1893, the MS&LR closed Beighton's second station, and opened its third and final station at a site 132 yards (121 m) north west of the second site, immediately north of the Rotherham Road level crossing.[3]
At the time, this station was within Derbyshire but following changes in boundaries, the site is now within the City of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.
Context
[edit]All three stations were in the flood plain of the River Rother, which repeatedly led to problems.[4][5] In 1950, these issues, plus the generally poor state of the station building, led British Rail to raise platform levels and undertake other remedial works.[6]
Beighton station closed for the third and final time on 1 November 1954. It has since been demolished.
In 1897, the Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway opened in a branch from Langwith Junction. The original hope had been to join the MS&LR line into Sheffield Victoria, but it was rebuffed, so a goods yard and connection to the ex-North Midland line at Beighton was built instead, though this did not touch Beighton station. The LD&ECR obtained running rights along the Midland line to Treeton Junction, and entered Sheffield via the Sheffield District Railway when it opened in 1900.[7][8]
In March 2021, the 120-year-old Beighton Station Junction signal cabin, the last remaining relic of the station, was demolished, with control of the lines passing to the York Rail Operating Centre.[9]
Proposed reopening
[edit]In 2024, a previously approved plan to reopen the station as part of the Barrow Hill line was put on hold, following a government spending review.[10]
References
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ Butt 1995, p. 31.
- ^ [53°21′13.44″N 1°19′53.6″W / 53.3537333°N 1.331556°W Approximate location of first Beighton station]
- ^ Hurst 1989, p. 33.
- ^ Grainger 2002, p. 63.
- ^ Beighton Station flood: via picturesheffield
- ^ Grainger 2002, pp. 61–2.
- ^ Cupit & Taylor 1984, p. 14.
- ^ Dow 1965, p. 170.
- ^ "Sheffield: 120-year-old signal box to be demolished in rail upgrade". BBC News. 13 March 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
- ^ Thake, Simon (1 August 2024). "Barrow Hill: Plan to reopen freight line to passengers in doubt". BBC News. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
Sources
[edit]- Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
- Cupit, J.; Taylor, W. (1984) [1966]. The Lancashire, Derbyshire & East Coast Railway. Oakwood Library of Railway History (2nd ed.). Headington: Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-302-8. OL19.
- Dow, George (1965). Great Central, Volume Three: Fay Sets the Pace, 1900–1922. Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0263-0.
- Grainger, Ken (2002). Sheffield Victoria to Chesterfield Central, The "Derbyshire Lines" of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Part 1. Bredbury, Cheshire: Foxline Limited. ISBN 1-870119-83-5.
- Hurst, Geoffrey (1989). Great Central East of Sheffield Volume 1. Worksop, Nottinghamshire: Milepost Publications. ISBN 0-947796-00-2.
- Pixton, Bob (2001). North Midland: Portrait of a Famous Route: Part 2 Chesterfield-Sheffield-Rotherham. Nottingham: Runpast Publishing, (now Book Law). ISBN 1-870754-51-4.
External links
[edit]- Beighton Station signalbox images: via flickr
- Beighton Station history: via disused-stations
- Beighton Station railway environs: via signalboxes
- Beighton Station: via picturesheffield
| Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodhouse Station open, line closed |
Great Central Railway Derbyshire Lines |
Killamarsh Central Line and station closed |