Thornton railway station was a station on the Keighley-Queensbury section of the Queensbury Lines which ran between Keighley, Bradford and Halifax via Queensbury. The station served the village of Thornton, West Yorkshire, England. The station had an island platform and was very close to the 300-yard (270 m) 20 arch Thornton viaduct which spanned the Pinch Beck valley. It opened for passengers in 1878 and closed in 1955 The viaduct, closed off for many years, was reopened in 2009 as part of the Great Northern Walking Trail after it had been safety checked and the former railway bed was sealed. No other parts of the former large station remain, the site now occupied by Thornton Primary School (previously Royd Mount Middle School) since 1977. However, the original goods platform and a large retaining wall are still visible and have been incorporated into the school's grounds design. The viaduct is a grade II listed building, and is unusual in that it has an 'S' shape to accommodate the natural contours of the valley. It is in an extremely picturesque location, that has remained unchanged since its construction. The final trip by train over the viaduct was in 1966, by a goods train. The station, like many others, fell victim to the Beeching plan for the British rail network. The original 'Thornton' platform sign was a large concrete affair, some 16 feet (5 m) long. This is on display at the Industrial Museum at Eccleshill on the outskirts of the city of Bradford.
Read more about Thornton Railway Station: Photographs
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