Manchester and Leeds Railway: How the first railway line to connect Lancashire to Yorkshire was built

The first railway to link Manchester and Leeds was completed by 1841.

The idea was discussed in 1825 by a committee of gentlemen from Manchester, Rochdale, Halifax, Leeds and Liverpool.

Disappointingly, due to the fluctuating economic fortunes within the country, the Manchester-Leeds idea was postponed ‘until a more favourable occasion should present itself’.

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Fresh commitment to the project, now titled the Manchester & Leeds Railway (M&LR), was seen on October 18, 1830 at the Royal Hotel, Manchester, due to a perceived economic stability in the country.

Todmorden railway station on the Manchester & Leeds Railway. Peter Tuffrey collectionplaceholder image
Todmorden railway station on the Manchester & Leeds Railway. Peter Tuffrey collection

Share values were set for raising the necessary cash – 8,000 were offered at £100 each. George Stephenson and James Walker were employed to produce drawings for the planned route.

A Bill was presented to Parliament on March 10, 1831 though it received opposition from the Rochdale Canal Company whose waterway it was to closely follow.

The Aire & Calder Navigation, along with the Calder & Hebble, also expressed hostility. Additionally, Parliament being dissolved on April 23 did not help.

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With the M&LR reformed, a third attempt to construct the railway, achieved success on June 21 1836. This, in spite of what was described as violent opposition from canal proprietors in the House of Commons.

Summit tunnel with walkers August 1985placeholder image
Summit tunnel with walkers August 1985

A line from Normanton to Leeds was rejected because of the construction of a link between the two points by the North Midland Railway.

The proposed M&L route was subsequently re-surveyed by George Stephenson and Thomas L. Gooch (taking over from James Walker). Powers to vary the line were granted in May 1837 and during the ensuing months wrangles frequently occurred between M&LR directors and landowners.

Contractor Tredwell & Gerrard won the tender for the first section of the line in Manchester, stretching over 2 miles, after submitting a price of £31,600.

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Work started on August 18 1837. One newspaper from August 26 of that year said: ‘This extensive undertaking has been commenced at three points on the line in the neighbourhood of Oldham, namely, opposite the Three Crowns Inn, Newton Heath: in the valley at Moston Hill; and near Royle Farm, Castleton.

George Stephenson engineer on the Manchester & Leeds Railwayplaceholder image
George Stephenson engineer on the Manchester & Leeds Railway

In the early days, trouble was caused through contractors working on a Sunday. One newspaper ran an article headed ‘Profanity of the Sabbath’.

The M&LR directors were at pains to state they had imposed a £50 penalty clause on Sunday working and intended to see it was adhered to.

Before the completion of the entire line there were to be other incidents and injuries affecting the workforce.

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Often there was drunkenness and fisticuffs amongst the English and Irish navvies, and at times required the militia to be called in.

Brighouse Station print by A.F. Tait. Peter Tuffrey collectionplaceholder image
Brighouse Station print by A.F. Tait. Peter Tuffrey collection

The first ever journey along a section of the new line started from the temporary station, St George's Fields, Manchester to the Summit Tunnel entrance at 10.50 am on May 31 1839.

On the three carriages were company shareholders and their friends. Incredibly, a horse pulled the carriages because a company locomotive was not available.

A pause was made some 41/2 miles from the Summit and the party detrained, walked for a 1/4 mile then climbed aboard another set of carriages hauled by a locomotive.

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Arrival at the Summit occurred at 1.30 pm. The event was followed by a grand opening of the line between Manchester and the Summit Tunnel on July 3 1839 and was available for public use the following day.

Linking Lancashire and Yorkshire along the M&LR was the Summit Tunnel between Littleborough (Lancashire) and Todmorden (Yorkshire).

According to Herapath’s Railway Journal, January 2, 1841, the first brick of the tunnel was laid at No 10 shaft by James Wood, Chairman of the board of Directors on August 17, 1838; the last brick on December 9, 1840 by B. Dickinson, the resident engineer. In the formation of the tunnel 23 million bricks were used, and 8,000 tons of Roman cement.

Normanton Railway station in later yearsplaceholder image
Normanton Railway station in later years

The length of the tunnel is calculated today at 2,885 yards. Between 800 and 1,200 men were employed, 120 to 140 horses and 13 stationary engines.

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The average rate of progress, per month, was 127 lineal yards of the tunnel. In one month (December, 1839) as much as 202 lineal yards were completed. In human terms it had cost 41 lives, besides £250,000.

It was expected the line would be opened throughout from Manchester to Leeds by December 2, 1840. But, a small problem delayed the public opening until March 1, 1841.

The M&LR on reaching Normanton used the North Midland Railway tracks to run into Leeds Hunslet Lane railway station.

Commenting on March 6, 1841 the Railway Times gave details of the opening: “The Directors and a party of their friends, including Mr G. Stephenson, and Mr Gooch as the engineers, made a trip in a special train; starting from the Manchester station at half-past nine in the morning and proceeding to Normanton where the line joins the North Midland.

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"They were joined at the Summit Tunnel and Ossett by bands of music. The average speed maintained throughout, exclusive of stoppages was 30 miles an hour…

"The regular passenger and goods trains commenced running at an early hour and several passed through the tunnel before the half-past nine o’clock special train.”

A total of 19 lithographs by A.F. Tait, appeared in Views on the Manchester and Leeds Railway, published in 1845.

They were accompanied with a descriptive history of the line by Edwin Butterworth. Brighouse station was mentioned by Butterworth as one of the most important stations of the line with a tastefully constructed edifice in the Chinese style.

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Normanton station was opened by the NMR on July 1, 1840 and served not only the parent company but also the M&LR and the Y&NMR. Butterworth said the station had neat offices, commodious refreshment rooms, and a splendid hotel.

He added that from the station it was possible to travel to ‘almost every part of the kingdom.’

Sections of the Summit tunnel were relined in 1936 and soldiers stood guard there during WWII. A major incident occurred in the Summit tunnel on Thursday December 20, 1984 at 05.50.

An official report said there was a derailment and subsequent fire involving a locomotive and 13 loaded bogie tank wagons conveying 835 tonnes of petroleum spirit.

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The train was the 01.40 Haverton Hill (Teeside) to Glazebrook (Merseyside). Fire broke out almost at once and the train’s crew rapidly evacuated the locomotive and made their way forward to escape from the tunnel.

They raised the alarm from a signal post telephone just outside the tunnel portal. At 08.40, under the supervision of the Fire Brigade, the train’s crew re-entered the tunnel and withdrew the three leading tank wagons using the train’s locomotive.

After inspection this part of the train went forward to its destination. However, at 10.05 a ‘Major Incident ‘situation was declared and residents were evacuated from the area. The drama was not considered to be under control until the evening of December 24, 1984.

The railway-technology.com site says damage to the inside of the tunnelling lining ‘was minimal due to the installation of ventilation shafts which allowed gases and heat from the fire to escape.’

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Another source reported that repairs were carried out by the Liverpool contractors, Whitley Moran.

Summit tunnel was closed until officially reopened for passenger and freight trains on Monday August 19, 1985.

In a ceremony at Todmorden station, Malcolm Southgate, general manger for British Rail London Midland Region, presented silver salvers to senior representatives of Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire fire services in recognition of their work at the time of the fire.

He then unveiled a plaque to commemorate the reopening.

Two days earlier, from 1 to 4pm, sponsored walkers had the first chance to inspect the newly repaired tunnel.

Thousands of fundraisers paid £1 a head to trek through it in an event organised by Todmorden Round Table.

Further reading: David Joy Piercing the Pennines (2021)

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