Honley residents call for change at ‘neglected’ train station 'in dire need of an upgrade'
Residents say they are “embarrassed” to greet visitors travelling by train to Honley Station and believe it to be “by far the most neglected of all the stations on the Penistone Line”
Last updated 30th Sep 2025
A Honley community group says the state of their ‘neglected’ local train station is driving train users away.
The ‘Ask Honley’ group explained that residents have set out the factors which deter them from using their local railway station, when responding to a survey carried out in winter 2024/25. These included: its neglected condition; inaccessibility; absence of seats, toilet facilities and car parking; narrow platform; no shelter from harsh weather; and feeling unsafe when using the station at night due to its isolated location.
Residents say they are “embarrassed” to greet visitors travelling by train to Honley Station and believe it to be “by far the most neglected of all the stations on the Penistone Line” and “in dire need of an upgrade”. This contrasts with the “proudly, well-kept village” of Honley, that the community cares for, a spokesperson for the group explained.
Following an near-miss incident where a rucksack on a student’s back was hit by a train in 2016, it was said that the station would be getting a transformation. However, the group says that this never came to fruition due to a lack of resources despite local organisations coming together to draw up plans.
Kirklees Council has secured £48m for improvements to the Penistone Line through the government’s Levelling Up Fund. The group says it would be a “cruel irony” if none of this cash is used to give Honley a safe, accessible and welcoming station.
The group’s spokesperson continued: “The answer is not to continue the neglect, forcing people into cars and condemning Honley Station, which has served a growing community for 150 years, to a further decline or even closure. Investment in the improvements will undoubtedly be followed and matched by a strong community response to adopt and look after Honley Station as has happened at other stations on the Penistone Line.”
A spokesperson for Northern Rail said: “We understand why people are unhappy with the current state of Honley station and are working to make improvements.
“After undertaking a deep clean, we will look to repaint the station. We will also continue to work with the local community, local authority and other partners to address other concerns which have been raised.”
We asked Kirklees Council whether it agreed that Honley station is in need of a revamp and if there are plans to use any of the funding secured as part of the Penistone Line scheme to make improvements.
Councillor Moses Crook, Deputy Leader of Kirklees Council and Cabinet Member for Housing and Transport said: “The government’s £48m investment into the Penistone Line will deliver improvements to rail services and stations along the route.
“We are committed to working closely with the rail industry to improve access and passenger facilities, so they better meet the needs of our communities.
“This is more than just investment in our railways – it’s an investment in our environment, our communities and our region and will make a real difference to residents living along the Penistone Line route and across Kirklees.
“It’s an exciting time for Kirklees with our new Transport Strategy recently adopted and as the transport network benefits from major investment as part of the council’s wider vision to create better connected, healthy, vibrant towns and villages – as well as Network Rail’s multi-billion-pound Trans Pennine Route Upgrade, which is currently underway.”