On a seemingly ordinary day, August 27, 2022, I stood on the platform of Cottingley Railway Station near Leeds, my Nikon D3300 in hand. The sun was out, the tracks were glinting, and a train approached with a familiar rumble. What was captured in those photographs, however, was not just a snapshot of a working train station, but a moment in time for a place on the brink of change.
Cottingley Railway Station is a modest two-platform stop, a vital link for the communities of Churwell and Cottingley. It was built with function in mind, a no-frills facility with limited shelter and access. Yet, since its opening on April 25, 1988, it has been a quiet success story. Created by the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive and British Rail, it steadily grew its patronage. The annual usage surged from a humble 10,000 in the early 2000s to a remarkable 100,000 before the COVID-19 pandemic. This growth is a testament to its importance to local commuters.
But change is on the horizon. A new, state-of-the-art station, the White Rose Railway Station, is being built just half a mile away on the same Huddersfield Line. The proximity of the two stations makes keeping both unviable, and as a result, Cottingley is scheduled to close. The pictures I took that day feel like a farewell tour, a visual record of a place that will soon become a memory.
The images tell their own story. The signs are clear and functional, guiding passengers to Platform 1 for services to Leeds and Platform 2 for those heading away from the city. The basic shelters, a splash of yellow against the grey platforms, are a stark reminder of the station's utilitarian purpose. Yet, there is a beauty in this simplicity. The footbridge, with its intricate metalwork, stands out, a structure that will thankfully remain as a public right of way even after the station closes.
And then, there are the trains themselves. The photos capture a Trans Pennine Express service pulling into the station, its lights cutting through the shade of the bridge, and another departing, a symbol of the journeys that have begun and ended here for over three decades.
The closure of Cottingley Station is a classic case of progress vs. history. While the new White Rose station will offer improved facilities, better accessibility, and a strategic location to serve the nearby White Rose Shopping Centre and Office Park, it marks the end of an era for Cottingley. The footbridge, a physical and symbolic link between the two communities, will remain, but the trains will no longer stop.
As a photographer, I find myself drawn to these moments of transition. They are reminders that even the most mundane parts of our infrastructure have a story. Cottingley Railway Station is more than just a stop on the line; it's a place that has served a community, enabled countless journeys, and witnessed the rhythms of daily life. Soon, it will fall silent, a ghost station on a busy line.
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