A station on or near this site (to serve the nearby village of Anlaby) was considered by the Hull and Barnsley railway but never built. The halt consisted of 2 25' wooden platforms on the embankment with ramps up from ground level; there were no other facilities, books of tickets were available from local shops. The halt was opened by the LNER to coincide with the introduction of a Hull surburban service on the H&BR and other local branches, many of these being operated by Sentinel steam railcars.

The bridge carrying the line over Wolfreton Lane was demolished in the 1970's and the embankment removed on both sides of the road. Housing occupies the site of the station.

Until very recently the newsagents on Wolfreton Lane was called "Underbridge News", even though the bridge had been demolished around 30 years earlier.

Springhead Halt was known locally as Forty Nine Steps. This name refers to the number of steps one needed to climb to get to the platforms. The 'new' housing development on the site of the embankment is named Forty Steps.

At the foot of the embankment on the north side were a number of railway cottages. They are still there.

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE HULL & BARNSLEY RAILWAY
The Hull Barnsley and West Riding Junction Railway and Dock Company was formed with the backing of Hull Corporation to break the monopoly on dock and rail traffic from Hull; it included a deep water dock (Alexandra Dock) to the east of Hull. The railway never reached Barnsley itself, terminating at Cudworth (junction with the Midland Railway) some four miles short having been vigorously opposed by the NER.

It was one of the last new main lines to be built, construction cost double the estimates, due in part to difficulties in cutting and tunneling through unexpectedly hard chalk in the Yorkshire Wolds near Little Weighton.

Although it was constructed primarily for goods traffic to and from the new dock and the South Yorkshire coalfields, fine villa-style passenger stations were provided but though passenger traffic was sparse.

In 1905 the company name was shortened to the Hull and Barnsley Railway which was absorbed into the NER on 1.1.1923

The line was gradually run down from the early 1930's with all passenger services ceasing in 1955.
Today only the high level goods line around Hull and a short sections serving Drax power station remain in use.

Other web sites: For a more detailed history and maps see Hull & Barnsley Railway Stock Fund web site

To see the other stations on the Hull Barnsley & West Riding Junction Railway click on the station name: Hull Cannon Street, Beverley Road,
Willerby & Kirk Ella, Little Weighton, South Cave, North Cave,
Wallingfen, Sandholme, South Howden &
Kirk Smeaton

The following stations on this line are not featured, if you have information on the present state of these stations and photographs we would like to hear from you. North Eastrington and all stations west to Cudworth