Manchester and Leeds Railway

Manchester and Leeds Railway
Overview
HeadquartersManchester
LocaleLancashire and Yorkshire
Dates of operation4 July 1836 (1836-07-04)–9 July 1847 (1847-07-09)
SuccessorLancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 9 in (1,448 mm)[1]
Route map
Manchester and
Leeds Railway
M&LR Mainline and Branches 1836-1847
Leeds Hunslet Lane (NMR)
Woodlesford (NMR)
Methley (NMR)
Y&NMR
to York
51
Normanton (NMR)
48
Wakefield Kirkgate
44
Horbury and Ossett
41
Dewsbury
Mirfield
36
Cooper Bridge
34
Brighouse for Bradford
31
Elland
North Dean
Halifax Shaw Syke
28
Sowerby Bridge
26
Luddendenfoot
Mytholmroyd
24
Hebden Bridge
21
Eastwood
20
Todmorden
Walsden
14
Littleborough
11
Rochdale
9
Blue Pitts
Heywood
6
Mills Hill
Oldham
Werneth Incline
AS&LJR
to Stalybridge
Middleton Junction
Park
Miles Platting
0
Manchester Oldham Road
Manchester Victoria
L&NWR
to Liverpool Lime Street
Manchester and Leeds Railway
Other lines
North Midland Railway (NMR)
York and North Midland Railway (Y&NMR)
London and North Western Railway (L&NWR)
Ashton, Stalybridge and
Liverpool Junction Railway
(AS&LJR)

Line & stations shown as of 1847
Not showing the
Manchester and Bolton Railway
acquired by the M&LR in 1846

The Manchester and Leeds Railway in 1841

The Manchester and Leeds Railway was a British railway company that built a line from Manchester to Normanton where it made a junction with the North Midland Railway, over which it relied on running powers to access Leeds. The line followed the valley of the River Calder for much of the way, making for easier gradients but by-passing many important manufacturing towns. Crossing the watershed between Lancashire and Yorkshire required a long tunnel. The line opened throughout in 1841.

Early on, the company realised that the initial route required expansion, and branches were built by the company or by new, sponsored companies. In Manchester steps were taken to make a railway connection with the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, and a connecting line was built, including an important joint passenger station, named Victoria station.

The pace of expansion accelerated, and in 1846 it was clear that the company's name was no longer appropriate, and the opportunity was taken, when getting Parliamentary authority for further amalgamations, to change the name to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway; this took effect by an act of Parliament, the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Act 1847 (10 & 11 Vict. c. clxiii) of 9 July 1847. From that time, coupled with the considerable expansion of the network, the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway took on a new dynamic.[citation needed].