Should Horsforth station be moved ?

[Halifaxlad]

Yesterday flash floods shut the Harrogate line as water cascaded down through Horsforth station which is right at the bottom of the hill right next to Scotland beck. The platforms effectively channelled the water down the track.

A pic and news about it from this BBC article https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-68970025

This has got me wondering if it should be moved Northwards so when it happens again (which it will) water can flow straight into the beck rather than down the track.

The location of the existing station building would make it very hard to put drainage in under the platform so there is a case for demolishing and rebuilding it anyway. Also for those who dont know NR has aspirations of errecting an accessible footbridge however this seems to be prevented by the lack of room.

Moving the station northwards could effectively kill two birds with one stone!

 

[YorksLad12]

It's an awkward station in an awkward place, but it's also in the right place for passengers, with large catchment areas on both sides of the valley within 15 minutes walk (I did the walk up the hill often). The path over the road bridge isn't the safest, and I always thought there should be a pedestrian bridge on the station side of it anyway to compensate.

But even if you persuaded Woodlands to move out so you could expand the car park (and put in a new footbridge), you'd still have road access issues with it being almost on the junction. If you moved it northwards you'd be in the sidings (which would also need moving). Rail replacement stops would be more difficult. What it really needs is the road bridge widening, but someone built flats on one side and a funeral home on the other...

 

[Halifaxlad]

It's an awkward station in an awkward place, but it's also in the right place for passengers, with large catchment areas on both sides of the valley within 15 minutes walk (I did the walk up the hill often). The path over the road bridge isn't the safest, and I always thought there should be a pedestrian bridge on the station side of it anyway to compensate.

But even if you persuaded Woodlands to move out so you could expand the car park (and put in a new footbridge), you'd still have road access issues with it being almost on the junction. If you moved it northwards you'd be in the sidings (which would also need moving). Rail replacement stops would be more difficult. What it really needs is the road bridge widening, but someone built flats on one side and a funeral home on the other...

I dont really see how moving it immediately North of the existing station is going to drastically make it unattractive to existing rail users.

The only valid point in my opinion would be your point with regards to the siding which I doubt is that big of an issue as I do question the need for a turnback ?

Is the turnback still being used ? If not that could be used as the siding. Not that it would be neccesary to move the siding as the platform could fit in alongside it although it would be much better to use that land as well.

 

[Bantamzen]

Given the scale of work that would be needed to move the station, would it actually solve the problem or simply move it? The topography of the area is what it is, the line is generally lower than most if the surrounding area with a watercourse running nearby. So water is almost always going to find it's way down to track level, and if new paths / roads are built to service a new station they might just act as new conduits for it during flash floods. And we've had these for as long as I can remember, living in a hilly area with valleys means that these are always a problem.

 

[skyhigh]

The whole section of line from the station to the entrance to Bramhope Tunnel has flooded at various points over recent years. I'm not sure there's really a better location.

The flash floods on Monday were caused by a fairly spectacular downpour and even if it hadn't flooded at the station the line was blocked in other locations between Horsforth and Weeton (enough that ballast was eroded exiting Bramhope).

With that in mind I'm not sure it's worth spending millions to move a station.

 

[YorksLad12]

I dont really see how moving it immediately North of the existing station is going to drastically make it unattractive to existing rail users.

The only valid point in my opinion would be your point with regards to the siding which I doubt is that big of an issue as I do question the need for a turnback ?

Is the turnback still being used ? If not that could be used as the siding. Not that it would be neccesary to move the siding as the platform could fit in alongside it although it would be much better to use that land as well.

My bad; the "siding" is the turnback facility. It would still add to the walk; and would take people who didn't want to do the walk on the Horsforth side away from the bus stops. And you'll be in green belt (so no park & ride facility).

The whole section of line from the station to the entrance to Bramhope Tunnel has flooded at various points over recent years. I'm not sure there's really a better location.

The flash floods on Monday were caused by a fairly spectacular downpour and even if it hadn't flooded at the station the line was blocked in other locations between Horsforth and Weeton (enough that ballast was eroded exiting Bramhope).

With that in mind I'm not sure it's worth spending millions to move a station.

Horsforth and the Kirkstall Forge route are both in their respective valley floors; you can try and improve drainage, or flood alleviation, but that's about it. And it would probably still cost millions!

 

[bluenoxid]

There’s probably some questions to be asked about what can be done to mitigate these big down pours.

If we were really splashing (pun not intended) cash, I would extend the station northwards, throw a covered concourse over the tracks and push a bus only road, cycle path and path to the airport.

 

[YorksLad12]

There’s probably some questions to be asked about what can be done to mitigate these big down pours.

If we were really splashing (pun not intended) cash, I would extend the station northwards, throw a covered concourse over the tracks and push a bus only road, cycle path and path to the airport.

Also known as... Leeds Bradford Airport Parkway Station

Rail Station Improvements

Rail Station improvements which are part of Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme (LPTIP).

www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk

 

[Halifaxlad]

My bad; the "siding" is the turnback facility. It would still add to the walk; and would take people who didn't want to do the walk on the Horsforth side away from the bus stops. And you'll be in green belt (so no park & ride facility).

I hardly think doing like what was done at Morley will have that much of an impact!

Wasn't a massive car park for Leeds Bradford Airport Parkway also to be built in Greenbelt ?

Also known as... Leeds Bradford Airport Parkway Station

The proposed Leeds Bradford Airport Parkway station is a little further North although it might be an idea to look at combining the two!

 

[Bantamzen]

The proposed Leeds Bradford Airport Parkway station is a little further North although it might be an idea to look at combining the two!

That wouldn't be popular in Horsforth, the parkway station is some distance in the wrong direction from there, save perhaps parks of Cookridge.

 

[Halifaxlad]

That wouldn't be popular in Horsforth, the parkway station is some distance in the wrong direction from there, save perhaps parks of Cookridge.

Dont get me wrong Im not saying close Horsforth and open a combined station halfway between it and LBA Parkway!

Im just saying if a new station was built immediately North of the existing platforms and had a road down to it as suggested by bluenoxid then it could also act as a parkway for the Airport.

It clearly isnt important for the parkway to be close to the Airport since it is a Parkway to be served by a bus of somekind anyway.