Notes: The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway opened a line connecting Halifax, Bradford and Keighley between 1874 and 1879. The three lines met Queensbury station which was rebuilt in a triangular layout in 1890. 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.

Ovenden station had no goods facilities and the buildings were constructed cheaply from wood as passenger expectations were not great. It is therefore ironic that it is the only station building to survive on this route, outliving the stone-built stations. There were two facing timber platforms with the main station building on the down side at the end of steep approach road. The single-storey rectangular building with a pitched slate roof incorporated the ticket office, waiting room and toilets. There was a two-storey stone stationmaster's house at the south end of the building set back from the platform. Passenger access was along the approach road or down a steep path from Old Lane, opposite the booking office. There was also a path down to the north end of the up platform. The up platform was provided with a timber waiting shelter with a hipped slate roof opposite the main building. Around the turn of the twentieth century a signal box was provided on the up platform, opposite the station building. This box had been closed and was demolished by the early 1930s.

At some time, probably in the late 1930s, the up platform was reduced in length by removal of the north end, almost up to the waiting shelter. The remainder of the platform was later replaced in concrete.

Although the station closed in 1955, the line through Ovenden remained in use until 27 June 1960 for trains which had to reverse at the next station, Holmfield, in order to use the goods facilities on the short Halifax High Level branch to St. Paul's station which had closed to passengers on 1 January 1917.

After track-lifting, the station site was purchased by W H Hooper (Metals) Ltd in 1964 as a base for their scrap metal business. The firm specialised in buying and selling large items of scrap such as redundant steam engines and brewery plant. Today the station site is still a scrap yard trading as Station Motors, car and vehicle dismantlers.

Tickets from Michael Stewart. Bradshaw from Nick Catford, Route map drawn by Alan Young.

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