Baildon station

Baildon Station (BD17 6HS)

Opened	December 4th 1876
Closed	3 January 1953
Reopened	5th January 1973
Reduced to single line	1983
Electrified	July 1995
Line	Wharfedale Line
Photo
Open Street Map
Other Links	Google Maps

Early Days

At the meeting of the Baildon Board, 4 Jan 1876 the Midland Railway Co plans for a station at Baildon were approved.

Baildon station, and the Leeds to Skipton line it sits (which was authorised 25th July 1872), was opened by the Midland Railway for passenger traffic on 4th December 1876. Freight started nine days later.

The line was double track, but was reduced to single track between Shipley and Guiseley in 1983.

At the meeting of the Baildon Board 7 May 1879 a diversion of the bridle path between the station and Langley Lane was approved.

In December 1884 there was an unfortunate fatal accident where a man lost his balance when getting off the train and slipped between the train and the platform. He was then crushed by the foot-board and run over by the train. The train had already started to leave the station.

At the meeting of the Baildon Board 23_Dec_1884 agreed that a request be made to Midland Railway Co. for the station to be illuminated by gas.

See the Railway Walk Heritage Trail for more of the history about Baildon Station.

In November 1888 there was a fatality near Baildon Station when 20 year old John Gaunt, on the 9:35pm Ilkley to Bradford train, was leaning too far out of the carriage window and his head struck tunnel entrance just before Baildon station. The Wharfedale & Airedale Observer of Friday 30 November 1888 gives a rather detailed report of the incident and inquest.

On 22 December 1896 Joseph Jackson, a 17 year old, was hit and killed on the level crossing by the express train from Ilkley. The danger associated with the level crossings at Baildon Station had apparently been commented on on numerous occasions and the Jury mentioned that they consider the Midland Railway Company have been culpably negligent of the safety of the passengers at Baildon. On the same day that this was being reported the Whispers section of the Wharfedale & Airedale Observer suggests that there will soon be a foot-bridge or subway at Baildon station. Two months earlier Baildon Urban District Council, in their Waterworks and General Purposes Committee, had been wondering what their next steps should be in getting Midland Railway Co. to go further than "considering" the idea of a footbridge.

From the newspaper articles about the death on the crossing it is evident that the station did not have a bridge in 1896. The 1908 map shows a footbridge over the railway at the Bradford end of the station. Therefore, if the dates on the map are correct then the bridge was built sometime between 1896 and 1906.

1908 map showing the layout of Baildon Station

This section of the 1908 map shows Baildon Station and the sidings on the north side of the track towards Shipley.

In November 1947 there was a collision between an Ilkley train and the Morecambe train were 20 were injured and 15 of them treated at Salt's Hospital. The Yorkshire Observer of Tuesday 25 November covered the event.

Closed, Opened, Closed

In 1949 there were rumours that British Rail was going to close Baildon Station.

In 1951 the Railway Executive proposed the closure of Baildon Station. This was opposed by Baildon Urban Council, Shipley and Baildon Traders Association, Messrs J S Whitaker, local coal merchants. Though passenger numbers were low 50 tons of coal were delivered to the station yard each week.

The station was closed to passengers on 5th January 1953, though it opened again on 28th January 1957 for three months at the time of the Suez crisis when petrol was in short supply to be closed again from 29th April 1957.

Opened

Though the station was closed the line survived the Beeching closures of the 1960s. Freight traffic ceased on 27th April 1964 but after much campaigning the station was reopened on 5th January 1973. This was the result of a subsidy from Bradford Corporation and Baildon U.D.C. for the retention of the Bradford-Ilkley service.

The text with the 1961 photo reads: SW view towards Shipley and Bradford; Bradford - Shipley - Guiseley - Ilkley line. The station was closed 5/1/53, reopened briefly 28/1 - 29/4/57, then from 5/1/73 until 25/7/92, when it was closed again briefly for electrification and reopened finally 8/9/92. Therefore when I took this photograph the station must have been closed, but it does not look like it: the line remained open anyway. The date on Geograph for this image is 21 Apr 1961.

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  Baildon Station with 2 lines, a footbridge and a steam loco arriving

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  Baildon Station. Showing the 2 lines, footbridge, shelter on 2nd platform, and tracks going to the sidings.

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  1961 Baildon Station. Ben Brooksbank. Geograph.

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  A closed station and line. Mid to late 1960s. Harold Ellis.

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  A Class 40 loco at Baildon station. Mid 1970s? Both platforms in use. No footbridge. Wooden steps on opposite platform.

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  Baildon Station. Open. Mid 1970s? No footbridge.

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  Work being done on the station platform. No footbridge. Mid 1970s?

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  Class 101 multiple unit arriving at Baildon station Spring 1984 after closure of the 2nd line.

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  The 2nd line at Baildon Station being lifted, Spring 1984, following its closure in 1983. Distant Class 101 heading to Shipley.

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  June 2002. Baildon Station. Shows that it has been electrified and also shows the overgrown platform on the other side.

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  2008 Drawing of Baildon Station used in the Heritage Trail booklets

The old platform, now overgrown and a haven for birds and other wildlife, can still (2019) be seen across from the station building. It was reached by a footpath from Hoyle Court Avenue and a small gate, but originally there was an iron footbridge with attractive lattice work hand rails between the platforms at the Bradford end of the station, and the now disused platform once had another stone waiting room. The footbridge^{?? See Discussion} and waiting room were demolished soon after the line became single track (1983). The 1984 photos show that the bridge is no longer there. The line was electrified in July 1995, having received government approval for electrification in November 1990.

The station building has been used for many years by The British Rubber Co. and is in 2018. This company has been going since 1928 (calculation in 2018 when their website says they have been rolling for 90 years). Their website in 2018 has their phone number as 01274 585 427. Page 2 of Baildon Urban District Council 1964 Official Guide has an advert for The British Rubber Co of Station Buildings, Station Road, Baildon - Tel Shipley 55427.

References