Pontefract Tanshelf railway station
Railway station in West Yorkshire, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pontefract Tanshelf is the most central of the three railway stations that serve the market town of Pontefract, in West Yorkshire, England.[a] It lies on the Pontefract Line, 8 miles (13 km) east of Wakefield Kirkgate, with services operated by Northern Trains.[2] It is the nearest station to Pontefract Racecourse and Beechnut Lane, the home ground of Pontefract Collieries FC.
Pontefract Tanshelf  | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The view from platform 1, with a Class 156 diesel multiple unit (DMU) calling, August 2006 | |||||
| General information | |||||
| Location | Pontefract, City of Wakefield, England | ||||
| Coordinates | 53.694°N 1.319°W | ||||
| Grid reference | SE450221 | ||||
| Manager | Northern Trains | ||||
Transit authority | West Yorkshire Metro | ||||
| Platforms | 2 | ||||
| Other information | |||||
| Station code | POT | ||||
| Fare zone | 3 | ||||
| Classification | DfT category F2 | ||||
| Key dates | |||||
| 17 July 1871 | Station opened as Tanshelf | ||||
| 1 December 1936 | Station renamed Pontefract Tanshelf | ||||
| 2 January 1967 | Station closed | ||||
| 11 May 1992 | Station reopened | ||||
| Passengers | |||||
| 2020/21 |  8,388 | ||||
| 2021/22 |  30,440 | ||||
| 2022/23 | 85,368 | ||||
| 2023/24 | 91,090 | ||||
| 2024/25 | 98,558 | ||||
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History
The first station on the site was opened on 17 July 1871 as Tanshelf, being renamed Pontefract Tanshelf on 1 December 1936.[3]
In the days of coal mining in the Pontefract area, the station served the needs of the local workforce with regular and frequent services timed for the beginning and the end of mining shifts. The station is the closest to the former Prince of Wales Colliery which closed in August 2002.[4]
It was closed on 2 January 1967,[5] when the passenger services were diverted away from the direct line to Wakefield Kirkgate, via Featherstone, to serve Leeds via Castleford.[6]
The present station was opened by West Yorkshire Metro on 11 May 1992, when the line between Wakefield Kirkgate and Pontefract Monkhill was reopened.
Both platforms of Tanshelf are step-free.
Services
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On Monday to Saturday, there is an hourly service to Wakefield Kirkgate and Leeds, and also hourly to Knottingley. On Sundays, there is a two-hourly service each way to the same destinations.[7]
| Preceding station |  National Rail |
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Trains | ||||
Notes
- The other stations in the town are Pontefract Monkhill and Pontefract Baghill.[1]
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