Pontefract Monkhill railway station

Pontefract Monkhill is the busiest railway station in the market town of Pontefract, in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Pontefract Line, 14 miles (23 km) south-east of Leeds. The station is managed by Northern Trains, which also provides train services along with Grand Central. The other stations in the town are Pontefract Tanshelf and Pontefract Baghill.

Pontefract Monkhill
A Class 153 diesel multiple unit at platform 2, July 2006
General information
Location	Pontefract, City of Wakefield, England
Coordinates	53.6988°N 1.3040°W / 53.6988; -1.3040
Grid reference	SE460227
Managed by	Northern Trains
Transit authority	West Yorkshire Metro
Platforms	2
Other information
Station code	PFM
Fare zone	3
Classification	DfT category F1
History
Opened	1 April 1848
Passengers
2019/20	0.293 million
2020/21	78,436
Interchange	1,240
2021/22	0.229 million
Interchange	3,670
2022/23	0.198 million
Interchange	4,381
2023/24	0.211 million
Interchange	6,480
Location
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Rail services in Pontefract

History

The station in July 1987

The lines to Leeds, via Castleford and Wakefield Kirkgate, separate immediately west of the station, which was opened by the Wakefield, Pontefract & Goole Railway (one of the constituent companies of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway) in April 1848.^[1] The branch to Castleford (Cutsyke) & Methley Junction was completed the following year (on 1 December) and a pair of short curves were subsequently constructed from the eastern end to link up with the Swinton & Knottingley Joint line following its opening in the spring of 1879. One of these was used by passenger trains between Leeds & Pontefract Baghill until 1964, although it has since been lifted.

The Wakefield to Goole passenger service was withdrawn on 2 January 1967,^[1] although trains to and from Goole continued, running instead to Castleford & Leeds. The line remained open to carry coal to the power stations to the east of Knottingley. Services on the Wakefield to Knottingley route were reinstated on 11 May 1992.

Facilities

Platform 1

The station is unstaffed and no longer has permanent buildings, other than standard waiting shelters. There is an automated ticket machine on the Leeds-bound platform. There are digital information screens and timetable posters on both platforms, along with a customer help point on platform 1. Step-free access is only available from the car park to platform 1, as platform 2 (towards Knottingley and Goole) can only be reached via the footbridge (which has stairs).^[2]

Services

The station is served by two train operating companies:

Northern Trains:^[3]

• On Mondays to Saturdays, there is a generally half-hourly service between Leeds and Knottingley. In the Leeds direction, alternate trains run via Castleford or Featherstone and Wakefield Westgate. Some trains via Castleford are extended to/from Goole.
• On Sundays, the service is hourly; trains also run alternately via Castleford and Wakefield to Leeds, but no services operate past Knottingley to Goole.

Grand Central:^[4]

• There are four southbound services to London King's Cross and two northbound services to Bradford Interchange on weekdays
• On Saturdays, there is one fewer northbound service; there is no service on Sundays.

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Glasshoughton		Northern Trains Pontefract Line		Knottingley
Pontefract Tanshelf
Doncaster		Grand Central West Riding		Wakefield Kirkgate