Hebden Bridge railway: History of Yorkshire station in idyllic market town where Happy Valley was filmed
Hebden Bridge has grown in popularity since being at the centre of filming for Sally Wainwright’s TV series Happy Valley - here is the history of the town’s railway station.
Hebden Bridge railway station is on the Calder Valley line, operated by Northern since April 2016 and connects York and Leeds towards Manchester Victoria and Preston.
It was a key location for filming the BBC One crime drama Happy Valley written by Sally Wainwright and starring Sarah Lancashire, Siobhan Finneran and James Norton.
The series spanned nearly 10 years from April 2014 to February 2023.
History of Hebden Bridge railway station
It was the Manchester and Leeds Railway that authorised the station in 1836 for a line from Manchester to Normanton, which was opened in stages; the second section, between Normanton and Hebden Bridge, opened on October 5, 1840.
Passengers initially travelled by horse-drawn carriages from Hebden Bridge to Littleborough to connect the gap in the rail line.
Trains arrived at Hebden Bridge from Normanton and passengers would continue to Littleborough by road.
The section between Hebden Bridge and Summit Tunnel opened in December 1840, which allowed trains to reach Todmorden.
Passengers could continue to Littleborough and Manchester after the Summit Tunnel opened in March 1841. This was the year the railway was opened to the public.
Services were extended to connect to Halifax, Bradford, and onwards to Leeds from 1852 to 1854.
The current station was built with improved facilities, including a booking office, waiting rooms and a Good’s Yard between 1891 and 1893.
Four people died in a serious train derailment near the station in June 1912.
The good’s yard closed in 1966 with the site later converted into a car park 28 years later.
The station underwent a significant renovation in which its historical Lancashire and Yorkshire railway appearance was restored in 1997, including its original style signs.