Created 10-May-13
Modified 8-Mar-24
Following withdrawal of the X12 service (q.v.) on 7th November 1980, the link between Halifax and Manchester was maintained by an extension of the local 223 and 224 Leeds to Halifax via Cleckheaton services operated by Yorkshire Woollen District. It is not clear whether this new service started immediately following the demise of the X12, the best information I have is that the services had changed by January 1981.
Initially most journeys on Monday to Saturday were on the 223, which ran via Gomersal Hill Top, but the Sunday service and a couple of journeys from Manchester operated as 224s. The frequency was essentially every two hours except Sundays when they were less frequent.
A new timetable introduced on 1st December saw all journeys to Oldham and Manchester worked as 224s, which at the same time were diverted to serve Scholes (near Cleckheaton). This timetable also shows passengers having to change buses at Halifax - reports from those who used the service indicate that they didn’t always connect!
The extended 224 was replaced by a reborn X12 in October 1985.
© David Beilby
