Having recorded most of the important events that have taken place in the past history of the town, it will not be out of place now if we take a general survey of the town and its conditions in the present.

In the present year (1928) the area of Normanton is about 1,228 acres, with a population estimated at 17,250.   Its rateable value to the poor rate is £60,121, its assessable value to the general district rate is £54,731, a rate of a penny in the pound realizes about £229.  

There are about 3,800 assessments in the town, and 3,500 dwelling houses, and it is interesting and noteworthy to learn that 790 of the dwelling houses are owned by the people who occupy them. This surely reflects some credit on a town whose population is made up almost wholly of working class people.  

The local affairs of the town are managed and administered by an Urban District Council consisting of twelve members and the various necessary officials. For local electoral purposes the town is divided into three wards, namely:- Normanton Ward, Normanton Common Ward and Woodhouse Ward. The present sitting members are:- 

for the Normanton Ward,
Messrs. G.S. Butler, R. Young, W.J. Beard and F. Burnley;
for the Normanton Common Ward,
J. Byrne, C.W. Potts, Mrs. M. Sanderson and A. Clarke;
for the Woodhouse Ward,
F.W. Tattersall, H. Hall, G.O. Sylvester, and Mrs. A. Bentley.

J.W. Martin, Clerk; W.F. Copp, Surveyor; Dr. McKie, Medical Officer; W.G. Hawkins, Chief Rating Officer and Collector; W. Baxter, Sanitary Inspector; F. Doughty, Librarian; M. Weighill, Road Foreman.

Almost the whole of the working population are engaged in mining and railway works with a few in agriculture. With regard to industrial matters in Normanton the situation is unique, for whilst the bulk of the working population are employed at the surrounding collieries, none of those collieries are within the boundaries of the township. The same may be said of the railway, for a large portion of the property and works owned by the L.M. & S railway company, connected with Normanton station, is situated within the township of Altofts. Yet Normanton for more than half a century has always been a station of some importance, and by the courtesy of Mr.J. Randle, the present station-master, I have been able to collect a few facts and figures which may be of interest to the railwaymen of Normanton and also the other inhabitants of the town.  

Normanton station became an important station for traffic in 1845, and from then until the grouping of the British railways into four large groups in 1921, it was an important exchange depot where a large amount of traffic was exchanged by the Midland, North Eastern and L & Y Railway Companies.  

About the year 1855 the Post office authorities installed offices on Normanton station, where a staff of postal workers were employed, and Normanton station became an important depot for the exchange of mails travelling to and from all parts of the country. This continued down to about 30 years ago.  

The geographical position of Normanton is roughly central between London and Edinburgh, and when the Midland Company put on their fast express trains between London and Scotland, the "Scotchman" stood in Normanton station 30 minutes each day while the passengers dined in the station dining rooms. This continued until 1894, when the introduction of dining saloons on the trains rendered a stoppage at Normanton unnecessary.  

At the present time the number of workmen and officials permanently employed in the various grades at Normanton station amount to 900 men. The number of trains passing through and in and out of Normanton, average 400 for each day of 24 hours, whilst the number of wagons exchanged in normal times amount to no less than 18,000 per week. The grouping of the railways has naturally obviated the exchange of certain traffic, still Normanton, being on the main line between North and South, is and is likely to remain a station of some importance.