However, in order to progress some railway stations and routes have to be abandoned.

Along with other places across the country, Bradford was hit hard by the Beeching cuts, when thousands of miles of track and stations were closed in the ‘60s

Other routes simply weren't used enough and couldn't handle the competition that the development of trams and cars brought with them.

Here are just five local railway stations and lines that have been abandoned, demolished in the Bradford district- how many do you remember using?

1. Clayton Railway Station

(Photo: House of the former station master for Clayton
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Alan Longbottom - geograph.org.uk/p/401825)

This station was on the Great Northern Railway line, connecting Bradford, Keighley, Halifax and Queensbury together.

It served the village of Clayton, opening up for passengers in 1878.

While it was relatively small, the station consisted of an island platform and a goods yard for the transportation of produce and materials.

Thanks to the hilly nature of the journey, train drivers nicknamed this route ‘the alpine route’

Clayton Tunnel wasn’t far from the railway- but there is a tragic story attached to it.

(Photo: The bricked up Clayton Tunnel
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Paul Glazzard - geograph.org.uk/p/392580)

During its construction in 1874, two workers were killed when their lift fell down a shaft.

The station was forced to close its doors in 1955 but the good yard and tunnel remained open until 1961 when it closed completely and the tracks were dismantled.

The only visible remnant of the station is a short length of wall near the former station’s pathway.

2. Denholme Railway Station

(Image shows the site of Denholme railway station looking north. For many years after closure, a timber merchant occupied this site. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/The joy of all Things)

This station was once on the Queensbury line.

It was built by the Great Northern Railway back in 1884, serving mainly as a goods line for coal and timber.

There were railway tunnels at either end of the site and The Station Master’s house overlooked the site.

It was closed to passengers in 1955 but continued to transport goods up until 1961.

It was purchased by a timber merchant and stood as Station Sawmill for a time.

In 2020, plans to build 72 affordable homes on the site were approved.

3. Queensbury Railway Station

(A view of the decaying viaduct at the Queensbury station. Photo: Queensbury station
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Dr Neil Clifton - geograph.org.uk/p/656888)

At the time of its construction, Queensbury Railway was one of the most ambitious stations on the Queensbury line.

It had a unique triangular layout with platforms that served all three directions.

However, this particular station was open for less than a century; it opened to passengers in 1879 and closed completely in 1963.

The station has since been demolished and little remains of the station other than an iron footbridge and the portal of the Queensbury Tunnel.

4. Shipley and Windhill Railway Station, Shipley

(Photo: Shipley & Windhill railway station (site), Yorkshire
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Nigel Thompson - geograph.org.uk/p/5044299)

This station was in operation between 1875 and 1932.

The former Great Northern Railway line linked the Shipley and Windhill station with Bradford Exchange.

As a passenger route it soon found it was difficult to compete with the tramway (later trolley bus) and closure was inevitable. After closure to regular passenger trains the line was singled with control from the Laisterdyke East signal box by electric token.

By 1957 there were still seven daily freights, mainly conveying coal from Wakefield collieries.

John Braithwaite was the first stationmaster at Shipley & Windhill.

He might have been hoping for a quieter life- but he encountered many incidents during his career at the station.

There were several cases of trains running away on the steeply graded Idle line, resulting in at least two incidents where they ran through the wall at the terminal station.

5. St Dunstans Railway Station

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons: © David Bailey/ Duncharris~commonswiki (talk | contribs)

This station opened in 1878 and was primarily used as an exchange station so passengers travelling east / west could change trains without entering Bradford Exchange.

It was located in the Bowling/ Ripleyville area and took its name from a local manufacturing works.

After World War II, passenger use on this line fell sharply and the station didn’t close long after this war.

It closed in 1952 and the site was demolished. One of the only remnants of the station is a short section of wall.