Notes: The line from Bradford to Thornton via Queensbury was opened as a joint venture between the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway and the Great Northern Railway between 1876 and 1878. Once out of Bradford, the line was mostly rural and necessitated the construction of many earthworks, viaducts and tunnels. Its hilly nature earned it the nicknames of 'the Alpine route' or 'the switchback' from its loyal drivers.

Great Horton station had an extensive goods yard and while its passenger services were quite well used, its main business was the transportation of parcels and woolen bales, requiring several trains per day. Even after passenger services ceased in 1955, Great Horton station had a team of full time goods staff and a busy warehouse up to the very end in August 1972.

After leaving Great Horton station going towards Queensbury, the line passed through a very deep cutting, which has now been partly filled in and turned into a public park. To give some indication of just how deep this cutting was, trains using it had to pass under a sewer pipe, which was fitted with smoke deflectors. This pipe is still visible, but is now at the bottom of a crater, about fifteen feet below the current ground level and the sides of the cutting are still about thirty feet high!

To see the other stations on the Halifax - Bradford - Keighley lines click on the station name: Halifax St. Pauls, Pellon,
Halifax North Bridge, Ovenden, Holmfield, Queensbury, Clayton, Horton Park, Manchester Road, St. Dunstan's, Bradford Adolphus Street, Thornton, Denholme, Wilsden, Cullingworth & Ingrow East