HADRAG Reports

Calder Valley Line Aspirations

HADRAG’s plan for more services serving more people.

Updated November 2022

HADRAG map — The HADRAG Map for pdf version including diagram of “Northern Hub” routes across Manchester click here: HADRAG Map 2020

HADRAG’s new review and ideas papers Autumn 2019.

With concerns about failures of the Calder Valley Line timeatble to deliver either what passengers need today or promised improvements – franchise “commitments”! – HADRAG has produced two short papers available at the links below:

Developing the Calder Valley Line timetable beyond 2019: A HADRAG view – we say Northern Rail and Network Rail should be required to deliver franchise promises such as extra Calder Valley trains to Manchester and a service demanded by commuters to the south side of Manchester city. And we suggest alternative ideas for delivering these promises. Top priority should be a robust timetable that provides a reliable service – an aspect found sadly wanting in recent weeks.

December 2019 Calder Valley Line timetable: HADRAG comments – focussing the need for fair treatment for stations such as Sowerby Bridge and Mytholmroyd as well as Brighouse.

Earlier HADRAG papers:

November 2018: HADRAG’s Concerns, aspirations and priorities is addressed to the Northern train franchise under Arriva, to Network Rail as system operator, to West Yorkshire Combined Authority, and to Rail North Partnership at Transport for the North.

Following the May 2018 timetable “omnishambles” we set out HADRAG aspirations 2018.11 our concerns about changes in the upcoming December timetable and aspirations for future improvements and developments from better “clockface” patterns to potential new services and line reopenings. But top priority in the short term must be a timetable that works for ordinary train passengers who depend on the service daily, but have suffered completely unacceptable reliability, punctuality and comfort standards in recent months.

Summer 2018 Issues for Northern, HADRAG’s shopping list of points we asked the train operator to address at the “drop-in” event.

2018 – HADRAG’s estimates of Calderdale station catchment populations based on wards served.

Summer 2017 update. HADRAG’s response to Northern’s May 2018 timetable proposals here: HADRAG&UCVRSTG May’18 consult response FINAL

2016: HADRAG has its report on Developing the Calder Valley Line train service (click here). Still about a better deal for Brighouse and Sowerby Bridge – stations that saw biggest growth in footfall on our line between 2006 and 2015 but for which the promise the new train franchise remains unclear. We also want to see the benefits of the additional service every hour from 2019 – including services to Manchester’s south side and the Airport – spread to more stations on our line. We say it shouldn’t just be about getting between the bigger towns and cities as fast as possible;

dscf3047 — Nice train heading south! TransPennine Express Class 170 on a farewell trip before dispatched to the home counties and Chiltern Railway’s fleet. Loss of these decent quality trains has left the North with temporary rolling stock issues affecting the Arriva franchise’s Northern Railway as well as TPE. But there should be good news and patience rewarded when, in 2-3 years, Northern takes delivery of brand new trains for Northern Connect services running through Halifax and Bradford. Meanwhile, more of the nice Class 170s are expected to arrive from Scotland for the Leeds-Brighouse-Manchester-Southport service.

smaller communities, places like Mytholmroyd and Low Moor – the latter to get its own station in late 2016 or early ’17 – deserve a share of the new deal. Timetable planning also needs to allow for a new station at Elland. And beyond 2020 we want the Elland/Brighouse rail corridor developing as a fast route from Calderdale to Leeds, with possible new services from the upper valley to Huddersfield and maybe on to places like Wakefield and York, bypassing Leeds. It should be about opening up rail connectivity for more and more people for all different sorts of journey – not just commuting!