WOODHEAD XMAS QUIZ -Woodhead By Numbers - ANSWERS

Welcome back and Happy Christmas to all our readers and supporters.

If you've arrived here at the answers page without taking the two part quiz, you can skip back to it using these links:-

PART ONE

PART TWO

otherwise...

As promised, here are the answers to the Woodhead By Numbers Xmas Quiz, posted nice and early on this crisp and even and bloomin freezing Christmas morn. Good luck.


A1 - 45 (ie: 1845)

A2 - 115 (1868-1983)

A3 - 60 (Tunnel 1 1845 - 26 deaths/Tunnel 2 1849 - 28/Tunnel 3 1953 - 6)

A4 - 30

A5 - 200

Thus SUBTOTAL 1 should equal 450

A6 - 54 (ie:1954)

A7 - 76

A8 - 65

A9 - 77

A10 - 90

SUBTOTAL 2 = 362 - Therefore the correct score at the halfway point came to 812

A11 - 1,550 (volts direct current)

A12 - 1957

A13 - 25 (kV overhead)

A14 - The princely sum of £1

A15 - 400(kV)


SUBTOTAL 3 = 3883 - Therefore at the 3/4 mark the correct tally to now stands at 4695.

A16 - 70 (ie: 1970)

A17 - 84 (I have seen various wrong answers to this posted on different websites but who can argue with this definitive link?:

http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=34592&SESSION=891

A18 - 1270

A19 - 165

A20 - 35

SUBTOTAL 4 thus equals 1597 - So finally we get to add it all up as follows:-

SUBTOTAL 1 - 450
SUBTOTAL 2 - 362
SUBTOTAL 3 - 3883
SUBTOTAL 4 - 1597

GRAND TOTAL 6,292

If you actually managed to arrive at exactly the right total, then absolutely fantastic and really well done - I think your name must be Alan Whitehouse then!

For those of us who are less than perfect or just mere mortals, give yourself a pat on the back if you managed to fall within any of the following standards:

Award yourself a Gold Star if you got within 2% either way, that is between 6166 - 6418

Award yourself a Silver Star if you got within 5% either way, that is between 5977 - 6607

Award yourself a Bronze Star if you got within 10% either way, that is between 5663 - 6921

If you didn't quite make the very exacting standard required to earn a Star in our Woodhead By Numbers Christmas Quiz, then don't worry because you're clearly in need of further education about the line, so you've come to the right blogspot.

Not only is the blog packed full of information but there are regular updates which you can follow by entering your e-mail address and if you scroll down the right hand panel you will find links to other Woodhead related sites and to numerous press articles.

Expect a lot of blog activity in 2011 and a record number of posts during the next 12 months as we continue the push the case to Re-open the Woodhead Line regardless of Ministerial attitudes and Treasury cutbacks - there is both a business case and a common sense case for the re-instatement of this line.

Thank you all for taking the time to do our quiz (a hard one I think). Please bookmark us and visit us again soon. Also if you have any news or views to share or things you would like to appear on the blog then let us know. If we don't blog before the New Year - have a good one.

Xmas Quiz - Woodhead By Numbers - part 2

For those of you who missed part one, click here for Questions 1-10 then rejoin us once you have your interim score. Just to recap, all the answers to the questions are in the form of a number. Moreover, the ultimate answer to the quiz is also a number ie: the sum of your answers to all 20 questions. Your aim is to get as close to the target figure as possible. Here we go then:-

Q11 - The Manchester-Wath electrification project was energised at how many volts direct current?

Q12 - The year in which Crowden Station closed (all four digits).

Q13 - In 1984 the remaining section of the line (Hadfield to Manchester) was converted to how many kV overhead?

Q14 - In 1990 National Grid bought the 1954 tunnel from British Rail for how many pounds sterling?

Q15 - Since 1963 the north tunnel has been used by the National Grid to carry the trans-Pennine ??? kV electricity link below ground under the Peak District National Park. Replace the ??? with a three digit answer.

A small interlude now follows as you sum your answers for questions 11-15 to create SUB-TOTAL 3. Finished. Good. Now for the run-in......

Q16 - The line was closed to passengers in which year? Last two digits only.

Q17 - On the 4th December 2007, how many MPs signed an early day motion in the commons brought by Manchester Blackley MP, Graham Stringer, expressing concern at laying cables in a viable tunnel for rail traffic.

Q18 - Catherine Bone's No.10 petition calling for the re-opening of the Manchester-Sheffield line via Woodhead received how many signatures?

Q19 - How many millions did National Grid exageratedly claim it would cost to refurbish the old tunnels?

Q20 - and finally... according to the 2001 Arriva proposal, the use of Woodhead could reduce Manchester to Sheffield journeys times to how many minutes.

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Time to sum up your answers for questions 16-20 to give you SUB-TOTAL 4

Now simply add SUB-TOTALS 3 and 4 together. That gives you a score for today.

Finally add yesterday's score to todays score to arrive at your GRAND TOTAL, which is in fact your answer to the quiz.

As I know you all can't wait a moment longer than necessary for the answers (and my suggested GRAND SCORE) I shall schedule them to be available first thing Christmas morning.

That is to say after Santa has arrived but before the kids and the dog arise. So whilst they are opening their presents, you can sneak off to the computer for a quick peek at the result.

Good luck with the quiz and may I take this opportunity to wish all our readers and supporters a very merry Christmas. I'll be back with the answers early on the 25th.

WOODHEAD BY NUMBERS - XMAS QUIZ 2010

Hi everyone and welcome back,

Today we have a little Christmas treat for all our readers entitled Woodhead By Numbers. Its a quiz but one with a difference. That difference being that all the answers are represented by a number. The ultimate answer to the quiz is also therefore represented by a number - that number being the sum of all the answers and which will be revealed at the end of the quiz.

Your task is to get as close to the final declared number as possible. Naturally, if you get them all right you will have it bang on but you'll be lucky - or extremely knowledgeable about the subject of Woodhead.

Alternatively you can of course score it the traditional boring way by just counting up your correct answers then arguing with the question master to chisel an extra half point like they do in pubs!

Ready? Then summon up your calculator (if you really can't add up) and put your thinking caps on now. Away we go for the first instalment of Woodhead By Numbers:

Q1 - The last two digits of the year in which the first of Woodhead's two single bores opened to traffic.

Q2 - The number of years that Deepcar station was open.

Q3 - The sum total of lives lost during the construction of the three tunnels.

Q4 - 17th July 2011 will represent how many years since a Harwich ferry train became the last service ever to pass through the tunnel?

Q5 - The gradient towards Dunford Bridge at its east end is 1 in how many? - choose from the following: 1:100 1:200 1:500 1:1,000

OK its calculator time. Add up your first five answers to give yourself SUB TOTAL 1

Once you've done that and put it in your digital memory bank or just scribbled it on a bit of paper in the customary traditional way, as most of us do, you can move onto Question 6:
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Q6 - The new double track tunnel took 5 years to build. The ribbon was cut by Transport Minister Alan Lennox-Boyd on the 3rd of July 19xx? The last two digits only please.

Q7 - New electric freight train locomotives were constructed at Gorton, Manchester and were known as the EM1 - but what was the Class Number?

Q8 - And what was the maximum speed (miles per hour) of the EM1?

Now for a little deja vu.....

Q9 - New electric passenger train locomotives were constructed at Gorton, Manchester and were known as the EM2 - but what was the Class Number?

Q10 - And what was the maximum speed (miles per hour) of the EM2?

Now add up your answers to questions 6-10 to give yourself SUB TOTAL 2.

Finally, as you might have guessed, simply add together your two sub totals to give yourself a numerical answer to the whole of todays questions and which you will carrry forward to the second half of the quiz that follows tomorrow. See you back here soon.

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NO MEETING THIS MONTH

Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, mainly logistical and practical ones, there will be no December meeting of the Re-open Woodhead Line group. Business will be resumed, as per usual, on the third Thursday in January, which I make the 20th January 2011. A reminder will of course be posted nearer the time.

There will however be further blog posts to look out for very soon, starting with our Christmas Quiz, entitled Woodhead By Numbers, coming to you throughout next week, so stay tuned for that. To make sure you don't miss the quiz, simply enter your e-mail address to the right of this post and you will automatically receive future blogs straight to the address provided.

RE-OPEN the WOODHEAD LINE - Monthly Meeting - Labour Club in Chapel Street, Glossop, starting at 7.30 p.m.

A late reminder that today is the third Thursday in the month, 18/11/2010 which means that the Re-open Woodhead Line group meeting takes place this evening.


The venue is as per usual - the Labour Club in Chapel Street, Glossop, starting at 7.30 p.m.

The Labour Club, despite its name is politically unaffiliated.

ALL WELCOME

Woodhead Tunnels Trilogy - The Chronological Chronicles

As promised, the letters are published again today, this time in sequence, just to tidy up the Tunnels Trilogy of correspondence between the DfT, Angela Smith MP and Friends of the Peak District. You dear reader are now as up to date with the current position on the state of play, viz a viz the tunnels, as we are.

You will need to
CLICK ON THE LETTER TO ENLARGE
then CLICK THE BACK BUTTON to RETURN
else you will lose us.

Thanks for taking the time to visit our site today.

Woodhead's Tunnels Trilogy

In last weeks post from 4rth November entitled 'Has future maintainance of Woodhead Tunnels ceased?' we promised to bring you the Department for Transport reply to Angela Smith MP, who asked for a statement on the current position.

We are pleased to announce that we can now bring you the said letter which is reproduced above. This was the first of a trilogy of letters circulated between Angela Smith MP, the Department for Transport and Friends of the Peak District which have all now been published in recent posts.

Apologies for not reproducing them in sequential order but we have simply passed on to our readers the letters available to us, as and when we had sight of them. We'll tidy it all up by publishing the trilogy in some sort of chronological order in a subsequent post.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TIN BATH STEAM TRAIN?

In a previous post dated 17/10/2010 we mentioned the then forthcoming Tin Bath 'Extra' Railway Tour and detailed its scheduled itinery for Sunday 7th November, as posted by the Railway Touring Company, who organised the excursion.

News has reached us that all did not run to plan (well it is Sunday!) and some of you have been enquiring as to what exactly did take place and when?

The news I have (subject to verification) is that the original 10.15am scheduled start from Manchester Piccadilly was brought forward to 9.15am from Manchester Victoria. This was apparently because of engineering works at both Stalybridge and Stoke which prevented these alternative routes from being used.

Consequently, we believe the Tin Bath had to be re-directed via Crewe, which explains the added journey time.

Congratulations to those of you that managed to catch the train at the right time and location. Commiserations to anyone who found themselves flat-footed by the alternative arrangements (if our sources are correct).

Spare a thought too for what must have amounted to hundreds of train spotters and photographers along the scheduled route, who got up early, tripod in situ, in order to get some rare snaps and footage. I know for certain that there were several dozen at Hyde alone, who were bitterly disappointed that their dedication and enthusiam went unrewarded.

In our previous post we did make a jokey reference to the length of time it took the Tin Bath to navigate its course and mentioned that a fully functioning Woodhead Line would reduce the 'excessive time that it takes passengers along the route of the Manchester-Sheffield-Wath route to travel between two of Britain's major cities or between towns on the route' .

The diversion of the Tin Bath however, makes the point for us, albeit it in unhappy circumstances. Namely that were there a further direct route between Manchester and Sheffield, such as the Woodhead Line would provide, then there would still be a reliable inter-city route - whether that be for pleasure trips, commercial passengers or freight, should the unforseen (or in this case the forseen and presumably scheduled!) happen to occur.

Yes Minister, we do need to Re-open the Woodhead Line and sooner rather than later, if the situation is to improve for passengers and if once sleepy villages are to be relieved of ever larger and more menacing juggernauts speeding through their neighbourhoods.

Yes Minister, we do need to Re-open the Woodhead Line, regardless of your current indifference and general lack of foresight on this major transport issue.

P.S. - If any of our readers were passengers on the Tin Bath or have any further information about the event, for better or worse, please feel free to comment below or send us an e-mail at savethewoodheadtunnel@gmail.com and we'll be glad to report.

Department for Transport reply to Woodhead Tunnels future maintainance question

CLICK TO ENLARGE - USE BACK BUTTON TO RETURN

Yesterday we posted a letter from Friends of the Peak District to the Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP. This followed revelations in a letter from the Department for Transport to Angela Smith MP that the government were preparing to "put consultation on the future care and maintainance of the Victorian Woodhead tunnels into abeyance".

Today we publish the response from the Department for Transport, which comes not from Theresa Villiers herself but from the Cities and Regions Policy Manager, Brian Welch.

Your thoughts are of course always welcome and can be submitted using the comments box at the foot of the post.

HAS FUTURE MAINTAINANCE of WOODHEAD TUNNELS CEASED?

News has reached Re-open the Woodhead Line of triangular correspondence between the Secretary of State for Transport, Angela Smith MP and the Friends of the Peak District indicating that talks on future maintenance of the tunnels has ceased.

The correspondence has been prompted by a letter from the Secretary of State for Transport to Angela Smith MP which 'puts consultation on the future care and maintainance of the Victorian Woodhead tunnels into abeyance'. Whilst we do not have a copy of this letter at present, we do hope to be able to acquire such and publish it in due course.

What we do have however is evidence that Friends of the Peak District have seen the letter and have made a representation to the Secretary of State arguing quite rightly that the "Woodhead tunnels represent a massive investment of human and built capital that should not be condemned to decay because there is no immediate use for them".

The full text of their response to the Secretary of State for Transport is reproduced below. We also have a copy the DfT response to it, which makes interesting reading but rather than give readers an information overload I shall make that the subject of tomorrows blog:-

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

AND USE BACK BUTTON TO RETURN

WIN A FREE COPY of AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY of the WOODHEAD ROUTE

Hi Readers,

As an addendum to a previous post from 24rth September 2010 entitled AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY of the WOODHEAD ROUTE I have come across a link via Martin Lewis's website (of Money Saving Expert fame) , of a free to enter competition to win one of six books:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=2818700

If you cut and paste the above link into your browser you will see details of how to enter the competition but don't bother because I've copied and pasted it below, where you will also find a suggested answer:

=========================>>>

E: 31/10 Woodhead (railway) book

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From Railways Illustrated magazine November 2010

Six copies of An Illustrated History of the Woodhead Line to give away. Simply answer this question:

How many Class 76s were converted to air-brake only operation.
I believe the answer is 9 but I am open to contradiction.

HOW TO ENTER: Visit www.ianallanmagazines.com/ricomp and complete the entry form with competition name (Woodhead), your answer and full contact details. Or, send your answer, subscriber number (if applicable), and full contact details on a postcard to

Woodhead book Competition,
Magazine Marketing Dept,
Ian Allan Publishing, Riverdene Business Park,
Molesey Road,
Hersham,
Surrey
KT12 4RG.

=================================>>>

Good luck with your entry. For anyone who has read the book already and would like to send us a review, please feel free and we'll be glad to publish.

NEVER LET THE DfT GRIND YOU DOWN

Just a few lines to let our readers, subscribers and members know that the Re-open the Woodhead Line group intend to formally reply to the DfT response to our open letter

The DfT response was posted on this blog on the 9th October and the full text can be seen by following the above link.

We will of course publish our full response in due course. In the meanwhile here are a few bullet points to shoot across the bows of the Secretary of State.

• The U.K. is legally committed to an 80% cut in CO2 emissions by 2050
• 26% of U.K. emissions are emitted from transport
• Of the three means by which such radical cuts can be effected (behavioural, technological and modal) modal shift ie: transferring traffic to the most energy efficient form of transport, is the one that the DfT has most control of.
• As road traffic is responsible for 92% of total transport emissions, a third of all road journey miles need transferring to rail
• Such a shift will quadruple existing rail traffic levels
• There is therefore an urgent need to open up new rail routes to parallel existing principal corridors

Consequently, Woodhead offers the only realistic chance of creating a new Transpennine corridor to parallel the existing routes from Manchester to Leeds and Sheffield, given that on line 4-tracking is not practicable for either Diggle, Calder Valley or Hope Valley routes.

We therefore believe that the restoration of the Woodhead route is essential.

It is the only practicable option for achieving a step change in Transpennine connectivity and of guaranteeing an effective transport system for the North, given the expectation of an oil depleted future and a genuine attempt to cut CO2 emissions.

As such we regard the DfT do-nothing policy as unfit for purpose when radical action is needed today.

Re-open the Woodhead Line monthly meeting - Thursday 21st October 2010

A late reminder that today is the third Thursday in the month, 21/10/2010 which means that the Re-open Woodhead Line group meeting takes place this evening.



The venue is as per usual - the Labour Club in Chapel Street, Glossop, starting at 7.30 p.m.

The Labour Club, despite its name is politically unaffiliated.

ALL WELCOME

The TIN BATH "EXTRA"

A local treat for steam railway enthusiasts is served up by the Railway Touring Company on Sunday 7th November as the Tin Bath (a reference to a famous Summer Wine episode) leaves Manchester Piccadilly to take in the railways of the South Pennines and the Peak District.

The Tin Bath route encompasses Derbyshire, Lancashire and South Yorkshire visiting some rarely used routes for steam along the way. I have lifted the approximate timings from the Railway Touring Company site and posted below.

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Approximate Timings

Station	Depart	Return
Manchester Piccadilly	10:15	17:55
Romily	10:45	-------
Stockport	-------	18:15
Hathersage	11:25	-------
Sheffield	12:50	-------
Huddersfield	15:00	-------
Bolton	17:30	-------

Sure this is a lazy day trip with a difference and speed is definitately not of the essence.

Nevertheless its meandering course does serve as a reminder to those of us who want to see the Woodhead line re-opened, of the excessive time that it takes passengers along the route of the Manchester-Sheffield-Wath route to travel between two of Britain's major cities or between towns on the route.

Anyone wanting to travel between Glossop and Penistone, for instance, a journey of some 20 miles and which 50 years ago was measured in minutes on a railway timetable, would now be quicker to undertake by bicycle, or perhaps even on foot in this instance!

Is re-opening Stocksbridge line feasible?

CLICK ON MAP TO ENLARGE

Some of you will have missed this article, appearing as it did during the holiday season, so it is reprinted above. It was run by RAIL magazine
( Issue 650, 11 to 24 August 2010, Page 20) and is entitled ' Stocksbridge re-opening feasible? '.

Whilst the article itself is self explanatory, the interest and connection for supporters and followers of Re-open the Woodhead Line, is of course, that this is actually a part of the former Woodhead route, serving Sheffield Victoria.

For those not familiar with the entirety of the route between Manchester and Sheffield , there is a useful topographical map on Wikipedia's Woodhead Line page.

According to their own website, The Don Valley Railway Project, (who are the movers behind the scheme) it all started in September 2003 through the vision of Stocksbridge man, Mr David Goodison. They quickly gained support and involvement from individuals, local authorities, community groups, businesses and their local MP.

If only such support and vision was forthcoming from this side of the Pennines, where all the local authorities and politicians want to build are roads and supermarkets!!

DEPARTMENT for TRANSPORT Replies To the Chair of Re-open the Woodhead Line

Readers of this blog may recall that back in July, having given the new government some time to settle in, our Chairman sent an open letter to the Rt. Hon Philip Hammond, the Secretary of State for Transport, asking that his government "show some foresight and safeguard this route and commit it for future reopening & development".

I am pleased to say that we received a reply to the letter a few weeks ago (from Brian Welch, the Cities and Regions Policy Manager) and having discussed it in the branch meeting, now feel ready for it to appear to a wider audience for general consumption and comment.

For some it is just the usual standard letter that might have been received in the 1980's, for others despite its apparent negativity on initial reading, it still leaves open some prospect for future re-opening. Over to you. Please feel free to comment using the comment box at the foot of the post.

Please note that after viewing the letter you will need to hit the back button to get back to the site as I haven't found a way to open up this particular document in a new window yet.

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CLICK ON LETTER TO ENLARGE

RAILWAYS ACROSS the PENNINES

And now for something completely different...

For those of you who live within commuting distance of Glossop and have a penchant for railway knowledge (or perhaps you know more than the tutor and want a debate!) then here is news of an upcoming course being run by the Glossop Guild, which is entitled:

=================================================

Railways across the Pennines/ Ian Moss, B.Sc., M.Sc.

10 Thursdays: 7, 14, 21, 28 October; 4, 11, 18, 25 November; 2, 9 December; 19.30 - 21.30h
Bradbury Community House, Market Street, Glossop
Fee £60 (Members £55)

At least twelve railways crossed the Pennine watershed- the first opened in 1830; the last in 1893 and more then half of them are still open. Because of the nature of the terrain and because of the likelihood that they would prosper (other areas of equally difficult relief chose to climb rather than embark on earthworks) they provide examples of interesting engineering including six of the country’s longest tunnels.


The course will look at all the lines but will give preference to the oldest (the Cromford & High Peak), the lines of the Midland Railway through the Peak, that which passed near Glossop on its way over Woodhead and the Lancashire & Yorkshire Route from Manchester to Leeds. Each line had a well defined purpose and most of those we consider adequately fulfilled it –and in our own time, with a shift of emphasis those open still do.

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Oddly enough the Guild meetings take place on the same evening as our own Re-open the Woodhead Line do (except ours are only on the 3rd Thursday of each month) and uncannily they meet at Bradbury House which is only yards away from the Glossop Labour Club, which is our current venue!

So if you fancy joining the course give our group a mention and come and have a drink with us afterwards. Better still why not join us if you're not already a member?

Apologies to the Glossop Guild for stealing the image from your website, as well as the text but we are giving you a plug so it seems fair enough. We're all on the same train.

British Transport Film - Electrification of the Woodhead Route

Another time sensitive post folks and one for the historians rather than the futurists.

Just thought I'd mention that there's a rare chance for one of our members/supporters/followers to acquire a VHS tape from 1991 that's currently auctioning on e-bay.

The subject matter is the era of British Railways' modernisation plan and our interest lies in the first of the three short films, which is concerned with the electrification of the Woodhead Route between Manchester and Sheffield.

No it's not mine by the way, nor do I know who the vendor is but what I can tell you is that it was originally released by Railfilms who are also the people behind The Woodhead Route Cab Ride video

The VHS tape consists of three mini films which together are 25 minutes in length and all are in black and white. The remaining info that I can give you is lifted from the item description as follows:

The first film on the tape is 'Signpost', a 1955 British Transport Films production concerned with the electrification of the Woodhead Route between Manchester and Sheffield, one of the first lines to be electrified using overhead wires and seen at the time as a blueprint for the future of Britain's rail network (although the route itself, like so many others, was eventually closed).

The film is only five minutes in length largely because it was intended to be shown on BBC Television on the night the original Modernisation Plan was debated in Parliament - the time slot offered was reduced in length and so the film had to be recut from the original 'Electrification: Manchester - Sheffield'.

Happy bidding and may the most genuinely interested person win rather than the richest. If you are going in with a serious bid then I think you'll need to go a lot higher than the current meagre and measly offer of 99 pence !!!

DINTING SIDINGS SOLD FOR £150,000+

The former Dinting Railway Centre, once Glossop's biggest tourist attraction went up for auction with Bagshaws last Monday the 20th September 2010. The 9 acre site which in the 1970's and 1980's hosted a museum, an engine shed and a miniature railway, not to mention some of the country's most impressive steam trains was given a guide price of a mere £25,000.

Unsurprisingly, such a large site with all its development potential fetched far, far, more, though at six times the guide price perhaps rather more than even people familiar with the area were expecting and certainly exceeding Bagshaws wildest estimate!

According to the press articles the gavel came down at £150,000 and was sold to a firm of Manchester solicitors, though my contact at the auction insists it went for £157,000 and was sold to an insurance company - take your pick.

There are some great photos and a detailed map of the area to be found by following the link to the Bagshaws site. Hurry along before the page is taken down.

CLICK ON ARTICLES BELOW TO ENLARGE

It seems a rather sad outcome but after two decades of decay, neglect and vandalism it's perhaps better that something rather than nothing happens to the area, though the current state of affairs has been a boon for wildlife during a period of endless housebuilding in the Glossop area. One can only hope beyond hope that the new owners are both environmentally conscientious and railway enthusiasts or at the very least have some sensitivity for glories past and the living present.

Consultation evening for railway volunteers

Very time sensitive this one folks. This article is lifted from the Yorkshire Post, in which it states the event (which you can read about below) takes place the following evening - so that will be Tuesday 28th September then. If you're interested best get your skates on


View Larger Map

and check out the Map so you'll know where to head......

Confirmation of the event can be found here on the Penistone Line Partnership website.

Published Date: 26 September 2010

By Jeni Harvey

PEOPLE living in communities close to the Penistone railway line between Huddersfield and Sheffield are invited to a consultation evening tomorrow.

The event, which begins at 7pm at Shepley Library and Information Centre in Marsh Lane, Shepley, aims to find out how volunteers would like to get involved at stations along the Penistone line.

Voluntary organisation the Penistone Line Partnership event, which will be attended by Northern Rail, which manages the stations.

Community rail partnership officer Rowena Chantler, from the Penistone Line Partnership, said: "We would like people to come along not only to tell us what improvements they would like to see, but more importantly what they would like to get involved in and what skills they want to offer or develop to make the most of their local station.

"People tend to think that volunteers on this sort of project will just get involved in gardening or painting benches and, while that sort of work is really important, people who want to volunteers their time for arts and crafts, writing or blogging or helping to design and put up posters are really valuable too.

"Any existing groups who would like to join forces on this project would be most welcome to attend as well as interested individuals."

Last week it was confirmed the East Peak Innovation Partnership will be putting £3,500 in funding towards a "station adoption" scheme.

A spokesman for the Penistone Line Partnership explained: "Adopting the station by the local community provides volunteer opportunities, adds value to what is already there, helps make the station more welcoming and attractive and encourages local people to be more involved in how their local facilities are managed." END

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