Calder Valley Line Bradford connection — Trains to Brighouse, Halifax and Bradford with changes for upper Calder Valley
See also: Huddersfield Line to Manchester Huddersfield Line to Leeds Wakefield connection Penistone Line
Trains towards Brighouse, Halifax and Bradford
☉ Huddersfield
☉ Brighouse
☉ Halifax
˧ Low Moor
☉ Bradford
In the June to December 2024 timetable there continues to be a regular hourly service together with a late evening service useful for anyone having an evening out in one of the towns along the line or in the city of Bradford.
Trains run through Deighton without a stop.
Services on Sundays continue beyond Bradford via New Pudsey and Bramley to Leeds. Although a long and circuitous journey from Huddersfield to Leeds, usually beaten by direct TransPennine Express services, it offers connection to Leeds from Brighouse when the Calder Valley line does not have a Sunday service via Brighouse and Dewsbury to Leeds.
The full journey from Huddersfield to Leeds on Sundays is about an hour, but might be worth considering if engineering work is disrupting the direct line to Leeds and leaves this service running. However when work is taking place at Huddersfield station there are periods when this route is not running and it is generally replaced by buses operating via Brighouse to Halifax to link to trains on other routes there.
Changes for Hebden Bridge and upper Calder Valley
There are no direct trains from Huddersfield to the upper Calder Valley, including Sowerby Bridge, Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge, Todmorden and Walsden. You will need to change train.On weekdays and Saturdays there is usually a good connection from the above Huddersfield-Bradford service at Brighouse. Alighting from this hourly service at Brighouse and boarding what is usually the next train at the same platform allows Hebden Bridge to be reached in 35 minutes. The connection might also be considered as a rail alternative for travel to Manchester Victoria at times when TransPennine Express is only providing a bus replacement service from Huddersfield to Manchester due to engineering work. (See note • below for June 24 to July 19)
Returning from Hebden Bridge to Huddersfield has two-per-hour options from Monday to Saturday, but Brighouse is not the changing point. The easiest connection point for slightly slower returning journeys from the upper Calder Valley is usually an hourly option changing at the neighbouring platform at Halifax. Hebden Bridge to Huddersfield typically takes around 47 minutes this way. In-between there are services which can, on alternate hours, achieve a change at Mirfield or at Dewsbury. Via Mirfield offers a slightly quicker journey but with a more difficult platform change. Via Dewsbury the journey is a little longer with a slightly higher ticket price. Changing at the same platform at Brighouse is not impossible, but will involve a wait of nearly half an hour. (See note • below for June 24 to July 19)
On Sundays, there is not the option of changing at Brighouse, Mirfield or Dewsbury. Halifax will generally be the best changing point in both directions and there will be longer journey times.
• The June-December 2024 timetable shows a period from June 24 to July 19 when replacement buses will cover services from Leeds via Dewsbury and Mirfield which normally operate through Brighouse towards the upper Calder Valley. These buses will operate to Halifax to connect with other train services and not along the Calder Valley. The best option to travel from Huddersfield to the upper Calder Valley during this period is likely to be staying aboard the train from Huddersfield as far as Halifax and changing there, although journey times to Hebden Bridge will increase from 35 to around 55 minutes. Do, however, check with journey planners on the day of travel.
There are no trains to Elland. While a new station there has long been proposed, it remains one of the largest towns in Yorkshire with a passenger service running through it that does not have a station.
Useful web links
Northern Northern Timetables - 36 shows Huddersfield-Bradford service. 38 shows Brighouse to Calder Valley (external link)Metro West Yorkshire passenger transport authority Metro's website (external link)TransPennine Route Upgrade TransPennine Route Upgrade upcoming closures (external link)National Rail National Rail Enquiries and journey planner (external link)
Also in Huddersfield.guide