Woodhead Station

Woodhead in the rain for an afternoon walk.

This is the old platform at Woodhead station and in the background is the famous Woodhead tunnels (3 miles long through to Dunford bridge).

The railway use of the tunnels started to reduce after the Beeching report (1963). By 1965 24 trains per day were switched to the Hope valley line. Despite public objections and a few extra years life the passenger services finished at the start of 1970. All freight use finished in 1981 and the tunnels fell silent but for roar of all the road traffic on the A628 - yes carrying all that freight.

The long distance footpath the Trans Pennine trail passes this point and locally is known as the Longdendale trail.

Many people want the tunnels reopened for rail traffic but as the years go by that seems less and less likely. The recent work in the tunnels has been to lay new electric grid cables through to South Yorkshire.

I think this work has revived (in some people's mind) the idea of placing the cables underground all through the beautiful valley of Longdendale.

Although I keep reading about this I don't think the pylons will be coming down soon.