In today’s post, I’m finally getting around to ticking off some more stations that I’ve never visited before! This time, I decided to head over to West Yorkshire and explore the short branch line between Leeds and Ilkley. It’s a line I’ve wanted to explore for a while, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to make the most of my £2 Northern Flash Sale tickets and combine a day out with my Every Station challenge. I had a really enjoyable time travelling around the line, and one of the biggest highlights for me was finally getting the chance to travel on a Class 333. I’ve seen these trains countless times in photographs and online, but there’s something completely different about actually stepping onboard and experiencing one for yourself!

My day started at Leeds after travelling up from Chester on one of my £2 Northern tickets. From there, I began my journey towards Ilkley, stopping off along the way to visit stations that I’d never previously had the chance to explore. It was another one of those days where I could simply enjoy being out, travelling by train, discovering somewhere new and, of course, adding a few more stations to my ever-growing total. So, let’s get started and see what I found along the Leeds to Ilkley line!

From Leeds, I headed towards my first stop of the day onboard 331005, and it actually felt quite nice being back on some familiar trains, especially as we have these units running back home around Liverpool! My original plan for the day was to explore the line between Ilkley and Bradford Interchange as well, but after having a think, I decided to leave that for another day and make the most of exploring the Leeds to Ilkley route instead. It gives me another reason to come back to West Yorkshire in the future, and I’m sure I’ll get around to ticking off those stations too!

From Menston, I caught my next train, and this was one I had been particularly looking forward to trying — the Class 333! Having seen these units in photographs and videos so many times, it was great to finally get the chance to actually travel on one for myself. I’ve always thought they have quite a distinctive look, especially from the front, and I believe they’re sometimes nicknamed the “Fish Bowl” or “Bubble” trains because of their large curved front windows. It was another little railway moment that made the trip even more enjoyable for me.

I stayed onboard through Guiseley, which was my next station visit, before continuing further up the line towards Ben Rhydding. It was really nice being able to sit back and enjoy the journey while taking in a part of the network that was completely new to me. With more stations to tick off and another new train type finally experienced, the day was already turning into a really enjoyable little railway adventure.

It’s been really nice to finally get back out there visiting some new railway stations, travelling along lines I’ve never explored before and getting the chance to experience trains that I’ve only previously seen in photographs. I’ve really enjoyed having the freedom to explore somewhere completely new and, as an added bonus, I’ve also managed to visit two bus stations during my recent adventures, which I’ll be sharing here on the blog over the next few days. So there’s plenty more to come!

From Guiseley, I continued my journey further up the line towards Ben Rhydding, another station to add to my ever-growing Every Station challenge. When I arrived, I have to say that Ben Rhydding didn’t quite have the same appeal for me as some of the other stations I’d visited earlier in the day. Personally, I much preferred Menston and Guiseley, which I found to be more interesting and enjoyable places to visit. That said, every station has its own character, and part of the fun of this challenge is discovering those differences for myself.

I had a short wait at Ben Rhydding before catching my next train towards Burley-in-Wharfedale, which, much like Ben Rhydding, wasn’t one of my favourite stations of the day. It’s a fairly simple two-platform station, with a footbridge connecting the platforms and basic shelters that, to me, look more like bus shelters than railway waiting areas! That said, it was another new station for me and one more to tick off the Every Station challenge. Burley-in-Wharfedale was my penultimate stop before continuing further up the line towards Ilkley, which I was looking forward to as the final destination of this little adventure. Interestingly, the railway line once continued beyond Ilkley towards Skipton, but this section was closed in the 1960s as part of the widespread railway closures associated with the Beeching era, meaning Ilkley is now the end of the line.

Having arrived at Ilkley from Leeds, I had around 50 minutes here before my train back towards Bradford, giving me a little bit of time to have a look around and take in the area. As I mentioned earlier, my original plan was to continue exploring the stations between Ilkley and Bradford Forster Square, but I decided to leave those for another day and instead use the time to check out the bus stations at both Ilkley and Bradford. I’ll definitely be back here again in the future, as I still have plenty more stations to visit in this part of West Yorkshire, so this certainly won’t be my last trip to Ilkley!

One thing I found particularly interesting was the small bus station and interchange located alongside Ilkley railway station. It’s quite a compact setup, but it works well as a connection between the buses and trains, and it reminded me a little of the smaller interchanges I’ve come across at places such as Wigan and Windermere. It was a nice little bonus to discover during my visit and gave me something else to explore before continuing my journey. With Ilkley ticked off, it was time to head back down the line towards Bradford and see what the rest of the afternoon had in store.

Final word: Another station ticked off, another little adventure completed and I’ll definitely be back!