Otley railway station

Otley railway station was a railway station serving the town of Otley in West Yorkshire, England.

Otley
An abandoned stone bridge spans the former track bed
General information
LocationOtley, City of Leeds
England
Coordinates53.90099°N 1.69138°W / 53.90099; -1.69138
Grid referenceSE203450
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Pre-groupingNorth Eastern Railway and Midland Railway (joint)
Key dates
1865Opened
1965Closed
Abandoned weighbridge in the grounds of the former station, 2008

History

It was opened as a joint venture on the Otley and Ilkley Joint Railway, constructed by the North Eastern Railway and the Midland Railway, on 1 February 1865. The station was closed on 22 March 1965. Tracks and buildings have been removed since. The Otley branch line joined Arthington, in the east, to Ilkley and Menston in the west via a junction known as Milnerwood. The length of the line was about six miles[1] and spanned a range of terrain at the foot of The Chevin with a substantial cutting through a sandstone ridge near Milnerwood which can still be seen today by walking the footpath along the old track bed.[2]

In January 2019, Campaign for Better Transport released a report identifying the line via Otley which was listed as Priority 2 for reopening. Priority 2 is for those lines which require further development or a change in circumstances (such as housing developments).[3]

The trackbed between Burley in Wharfedale, Otley and Pool is to become a cycleway, footpath and equestrian route known as the Wharfedale Greenway, with possible extensions onward to Ilkley alongside the extant railway. Planning permission for the first phase of the greenway was granted in July 2020.[4]

Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Pool-in-Wharfedale   Otley and Ilkley Joint Railway
or Midland Railway		   Burley-in-Wharfedale
or Menston

References
  1. "The Midland railway, its rise and progress, a narrative of modern enterprise". Frederick Williams, 1888. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
  2. "Remains of Otley Railway". 2009 photograph by T.J. Blackwell & 1888 source quote. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
  3. "The case for expanding the rail network" (PDF). Campaign for Better Transport. p. 42. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  4. Planning Services (July 2020). Report of the Chief Planning Officer (Report). Leeds City Council. Application 19/01217/FU.


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