The Morley Railway System
Click The images for a better picture
Morley Top layout |
 Morley Top Station looking towards Bradford. Taken around 1908. |
 Morley Low layout |
 A 3rd class train bound for Blackpool during Morley Feast around 1903. During Feast Week mill hooters were silenced. |
 Morley Low Station looking towards Huddersfield. Taken in 1895. |
 A more modern picture than the one to the left taken in 2000. |
 Morley Low Station from the top of Albert Road steps. Taken in 1961 |
 The top of Albert Road Steps. This photograph was taken in 2000, just after the area was 'tidied' up. |
 Another modern photograph of Morley Low Station taken in 1997 by A. J. Haigh. |
The Morley Railway System
The Borough of Morley had a reasonably large Railway System with many Stations. This page deals only with Morley 'Top' and 'Low' stations.
Morley Top Railway Station opened in 1858. The station was imroved in 1904 when a new booking office and subway were added. The station was very busy around 1913, but being close to the Town centre suffered from increasing competition from the Tramways and bus services. The line ran between Leeds Central and Wakefield Westgate stations and included most of the Borough's railway stations.
Morley Low Railway Station opened on the 18th September 1848 and was Morley's first Railway Station. The line was part of the London and North Western Railway (L.N.W.R.) line between Leeds and Manchester.
The Morley Tunnel heads away from Morley
towards Huddersfield and Manchester. It is 3,370 yards long which is
over a mile (3.07 Kilometres) long. Construction started in 1845 and
took 3 years to complete.
The tunnel is still in use today.
The 'Beeching' report of the 1960's proposed withdrawal of all local
passenger services and closure of some lines. Because of the report
and a decline in passengers due to competition by bus services the
station ceased passenger services in 1961 and freight services ended
in 1969. Most of the site of the station and the High Street and
Bridge Street Viaducts has been cleared, but the goods depot is still
standing next to a new road called Chartist's Way which was
constructed along the old railway line. The report recomended that
Morley Low should stay open but in 1967 the decision was reversed and
Morley Low was earmarked for closure. A public enquiry in to the
decision was held and found that the closure of the station would
cause considerable hardship to local people and the Minister of
Transport refused permission to close the station. The Morley Low
Station is still operating today.
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