The Railways of Bradford and Leeds- Their History and Development

It was to the south-west of Leeds that one of the key lines in the development of Britain’s railway network, the Middleton Railway, established the principle of seeking parliamentary sanction for the construction of a new form of transport. Five decades later in the early 19th century it was again the Middleton Railway that was at the forefront of the use of steam power to move coal from colliery to market. From the early 1830s through until the early years of the 20th century, the local railway network continued to expand. If it had not been for the outbreak WWI the area would have played host to one of the last first-generation main lines to be constructed, a new main line north from Royston. In the event the line was never completed, consigning Bradford to be served by no more than glorified branch lines. Providing a largely illustrated account to the history of the railway development of the area, the book focuses on the evolution of the network in the almost 80 years since the end of WWII.