Caldervale Line
Encyclopedia
The Caldervale Line is a railway route in Northern England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 between the cities of Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...

 and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...

 as well as the seaside resort
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...

 of Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...

. It is the slower of the two main rail routes between Leeds and Manchester, and the northernmost of the three main trans-Pennine routes.

The "Caldervale Line" name was given to the route by the West Yorkshire Metro transport authority, as it is primarily within the West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....

 area. It also extends into Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...

 and Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

.

Services

Passenger train services are operated by Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...

 and run on the following pattern:
  • (Selby) - Leeds - Bradford - Halifax - Huddersfield
    Huddersfield
    Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....

     - (Wakefield Westgate)
  • Leeds - Bradford/Brighouse - Rochdale
    Rochdale
    Rochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...

     - Manchester Victoria
  • York
    York
    York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...

     - Leeds - Halifax - Burnley
    Burnley
    Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....

     - Blackpool North


This line, along with the Huddersfield Line
Huddersfield Line
The Huddersfield Line is the name given to one of the busiest rail services on the West Yorkshire MetroTrain network in northern England. Local services are operated by Northern Rail with longer distance services operated by TransPennine Express...

 and York & Selby Lines
York & Selby Lines
The York & Selby Lines is the name given to a group of services in the West Yorkshire Metro area, connecting Leeds with places to its north and east: as well as the Northern Rail local services to York and Selby, the services extend to:...

 is normally merged in national timetables to show a coast-to-coast service.

Services within West Yorkshire are sponsored by West Yorkshire Metro - their tickets (including Metrocards) can be used up to Hebden Bridge between Leeds & Blackpool, and Walsden between Leeds and Manchester.

Timetable changes from December 2008

Northern Rail has implemented changes to Caldervale services from December 2008. Three trains per hour now run between Leeds and Manchester Victoria. The first operates as a stopping service via Bradford Interchange. The second runs via Dewsbury and Brighouse before adopting a similar stopping pattern. The third is a limited-stop service operating via Bradford Interchange, which between Bradford and Manchester calls only at Halifax, Hebden Bridge, Todmorden and Rochdale. This limited-stop service brings the Bradford-Manchester journey time down to one hour.

In addition, some peak services between York and Blackpool North now call at Sowerby Bridge.

The route

Before the 1923 Grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...

 the first section of the line (Leeds - Bradford) was owned by the Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....

 (GNR); and the entire remainder by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...

 (L&YR), apart from the final section of the branch leading into Huddersfield, which was owned by the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...

 (LNWR).

For the section between Halifax and Burnley the line uses the valley of the River Calder
River Calder, West Yorkshire
The River Calder is a river in West Yorkshire, in Northern England.The Calder rises on the green eastern slopes of the Pennines flows through alternating green countryside, former woollen-mill villages, and large and small towns before joining the River Aire near Castleford.The river's valley is...

, thus giving the services their name; it also follows the Rochdale Canal
Rochdale Canal
The Rochdale Canal is a navigable "broad" canal in northern England, part of the connected system of the canals of Great Britain. The "Rochdale" in its name refers to the town of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, through which the canal passes....

 from Todmorden into Manchester. Since the route crosses the Pennines
Pennines
The Pennines are a low-rising mountain range, separating the North West of England from Yorkshire and the North East.Often described as the "backbone of England", they form a more-or-less continuous range stretching from the Peak District in Derbyshire, around the northern and eastern edges of...

, there are many tunnels to negotiate en route.

The route description follows. For the initial section of the route, see Leeds and Bradford Lines
Leeds-Bradford Lines
The Leeds-Bradford Lines services are those included in the West Yorkshire Metro area system of Lines.-Services involved:The services include those on the following Lines:* Caldervale Line* Wharfedale Line* Airedale Line-Places served:...

.

Bradford - Halifax

Many stations on this route have been closed. Stations currently open are in bold. Original places served, and notes on the route:
    • Bowling was named Bowling Junction for its link with the GNR at this point
    • here is Bowling Tunnel 1648 yd (1483m)
    • Low Moor
      Low Moor railway station
      Low Moor railway station was a station situated between Bradford Interchange and Halifax on the Caldervale Line, located close to Low Moor, an area to the south of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It also served the Spen Valley Line to Cleckheaton....

       also a junction with GNR. Station may be reopening in the future.
    • here was a triangular junction for the L&YR line to Dewsbury
      Dewsbury
      Dewsbury is a minster town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds...

    • here are two tunnels: New Furnace Tunnel and Wyke Tunnel
    • Wyke and Norwood Green
      Wyke and Norwood Green railway station
      Wyke and Norwood Green railway station served the villages of Wyke and Norwood Green in West Yorkshire, England.-History:Originally situated a little to the south west and named Pickle Bridge, it was opened in 1850, renamed Wyke in 1852 and moved to the final location in 1896.-External links:*...

    • here is Pickle Bridge junction for the Pickle Bridge Line
      Pickle Bridge Line
      The Pickle Bridge Line is a disused railway route in Northern England that ran between the cities of Huddersfield and Bradford.-History:The line was authorised in 1865 and amended 1873...

       to Huddersfield: now closed, there were two stations, Bailiff Bridge
      Bailiff Bridge railway station
      Bailiff Bridge railway station was built by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway to serve the village of Bailiff Bridge north of Brighouse in West Yorkshire, England.-History:...

       and Clifton Road
      Clifton Road railway station
      Clifton Road was a railway station built by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway to serve the village of Clifton north east of Brighouse in West Yorkshire, England.- History :...

    • Lightcliffe
      Lightcliffe railway station
      Lightcliffe railway station served the village of Lightcliffe in West Yorkshire, England. It was opened in August 1850 and closed on 14 June 1965.-External links:*...

    • here is Lightcliffe Tunnel
    • Hipperholme
      Hipperholme railway station
      Hipperholme railway station served the village of Hipperholme in West Yorkshire, England.-History:Hipperholme railway station was opened by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway on 17 August 1850. The station closed to passengers on 8 June 1953 and to goods in 1966.-Route:- External links :* * * *...

    • here is Beacon Hill Tunnel 1105 yd (995m)
    • Halifax
      Halifax railway station
      Halifax railway station serves the town of Halifax in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Caldervale Line and is west from .The station at Halifax is an example of a single island platform acting as two platforms. Platform 2 heads eastbound, towards Bradford while Platform 1 heads westbound...

    • All the services on the Caldervale line serve Halifax.


On 24 October 1901 as the 6.10 pm down goods train from Low Moor to Leeds to was passing through Bowling Tunnel, the rear section broke loose. It came to a stop in the tunnel and was run into from behind by the 9.05 pm goods train from Low Moor to Laisterdyke. Wreckage partly blocking the up line was then hit by the 9 pm passenger train from Leeds to Manchester. No one was killed but there was extensive damage to rolling stock.

Halifax - Huddersfield

This route was re-opened to passengers in 2000 when Brighouse station was re-opened, and a short length of line relaid to enable trains to reach Huddersfield.
    • Dryclough Junction (where the Huddersfield route leaves the main line)
    • Brighouse
      Brighouse
      Brighouse is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the River Calder, east of Halifax in the Pennines. It is served by Junction 25 of the M62 motorway and Brighouse railway station on the Caldervale Line and Huddersfield Line. In the...

    • Deighton
      Deighton, West Yorkshire
      Deighton is a district of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. It is situated north west of the town centre and lies off the A62 Leeds Road....

       (on the Huddersfield line; Caldervale Line trains do not call there)
    • Huddersfield
      Huddersfield
      Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....


Halifax - Manchester Victoria

Many stations on this route have been closed (or are not served by the Caldervale Line trains): original stations served:
    • here was the triangular junction for the line via Mirfield
      Mirfield
      Mirfield is a small town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is located on the A644 road between Brighouse and Dewsbury...

       to Dewsbury; the former Brighouse station was on this line
    • here is Bank House Tunnel
    • here was Copley station
    • the line now turns west into the Calder valley, joining the original 1840 main line at Milner Royd Junction.
    • Sowerby Bridge
      Sowerby Bridge railway station
      Sowerby Bridge railway station serves the town of Sowerby Bridge in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Caldervale Line west of and west of Leeds.- History :...

    • at Sowerby Bridge heading west the line used to branch off to Ripponden. It was originally intended to continue to Littleborough but ended at Rishworth. Closed to passengers 8 July 1929.
    • here was Luddendenfoot railway station
      Luddendenfoot railway station
      Luddendenfoot railway station served the village of Luddendenfoot in West Yorkshire, England, from 1840 until closure in September 1962. Two fatal accidents occurred close to the station before its closure - the first in 1925 and the second thirty years later in 1955.Branwell Brontë was employed as...

       now closed
    • Mytholmroyd
      Mytholmroyd railway station
      Mytholmroyd railway station serves the town of Mytholmroyd in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Caldervale Line operated by Northern Rail and is situated west of Halifax and west of Leeds...

    • Hebden Bridge
      Hebden Bridge railway station
      Hebden Bridge railway station serves the town of Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, England. The station is on the Caldervale Line, currently operated by Northern Rail from York and Leeds towards Manchester Victoria and Blackpool North...

    • here is Weasel Hall Tunnel
    • here was Eastwood
      Eastwood, West Yorkshire
      Eastwood is a place within the civil parish of Todmorden and Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It lies west from Halifax, roughly equidistant from Todmorden's town centre, which is to the southwest, and Hebden Bridge, which is 2 miles to the northeast, along the...

       station
    • here are: Castle Hill Tunnel; Horsfall Tunnel; and Millwood Tunnel
    • Hall Royd Junction: here the trains on the Blackpool service turn northwestward, following the Calder Valley (see below)
    • Todmorden
      Todmorden railway station
      Todmorden railway station is in West Yorkshire, England, originally in Lancashire. It was built by the Manchester and Leeds Railway and is on the Caldervale Line west of Leeds and north-east of Manchester Victoria....

       here the line takes a southward direction, in the same valley as the Rochdale Canal
    • Walsden
      Walsden railway station
      Walsden railway station serves the village of Walsden, Todmorden in West Yorkshire, England, on the edge of the Pennines.It is served by the Caldervale Line operated by Northern Rail. The station is west of Leeds and north east of Manchester Victoria. Walsden is the last station before the...

      : here the line crosses into the Rochdale District of Greater Manchester
      Greater Manchester
      Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...

    • after Winterbutlee Tunnel follows Summit Tunnel
      Summit Tunnel
      The Summit Tunnel in England is one of the oldest railway tunnels in the world: it was built between 1838 and 1841 by the Manchester and Leeds Railway beneath the Pennines...

      , at 2885 yd (2597 m) the longest on the L&YR lines
    • Littleborough
      Littleborough railway station
      Littleborough railway station serves the small town of Littleborough in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England.It lies on the Caldervale Line 22 km north of Manchester Victoria towards Halifax, Bradford Interchange and Leeds.This is the last station on the...

    • Smithy Bridge
      Smithy Bridge railway station
      Smithy Bridge railway station serves the village of Smithy Bridge and Hollingworth Lake near Rochdale in Greater Manchester, England. The station is on the Caldervale Line 12¾ miles north of Manchester Victoria on the way to Leeds.-Services:...

    • Rochdale
      Rochdale railway station
      Rochdale railway station serves the town of Rochdale in Greater Manchester, England. The Manchester and Leeds Railway opened a station serving the town in the 19th century...

      : junction for two lines: to Bacup
      Bacup
      Bacup is a town within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, England. It is located amongst the South Pennines, along Lancashire's eastern boundary with West Yorkshire. The town sits within a rural setting in the Forest of Rossendale, amongst the steep-sided upper-Irwell Valley, through which the...

       (closed to passengers 16 June 1947) and to Oldham
      Oldham
      Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...

    • Castleton
      Castleton railway station
      Castleton railway station serves Castleton in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. It is 14 km north of Manchester Victoria on the Caldervale Line operated and managed by Northern Rail.-Services:...

      : junction for a line to Bury
      Bury
      Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...

    • Middleton Junction
      Middleton Junction railway station
      Middleton Junction Railway Station was on the Caldervale Line, from 1842 until closure in 1966. It lay within Chadderton. Originally called Oldham Junction, it was opened on 31 March 1842 by the Manchester and Leeds Railway, whose chief engineer was George Stephenson, as part of the branch to...

       junction for two lines: Middleton
      Middleton, Greater Manchester
      Middleton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Irk, south-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester...

       branch; and Oldham
      Oldham
      Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...

       (both closed)
    • Mills Hill
      Mills Hill railway station
      Mills Hill railway station is in the Mills Hill area of Middleton in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. The station is 9 km north of Manchester Victoria on the Caldervale Line...

    • Moston
      Moston railway station
      Moston railway station serves Moston in Greater Manchester, England. It is 4 miles north of Manchester Victoria on the Caldervale Line managed by Northern Rail....

    • Newton Heath
      Newton Heath
      Newton Heath is an urban area of the city of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England. It is east north east of Manchester city centre and has a population of 9,883....

    • Miles Platting
      Miles Platting railway station
      Miles Platting railway station served the district of Miles Platting in Manchester from 1844 until closure on 27 May 1995. The station was opened on 1 January 1844 by the Manchester and Leeds Railway; after amalgamating with other railways, this became the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1847...

    • Manchester Victoria


On 28 February 1902 a Wakefield to Rose Grove goods train broke into two due to a broken coupling, resulting in the rear half eventually crashing at high speed into the front half in Millwood Tunnel. No one was killed but wreckage filled the tunnel right up to the roof.

Summit Tunnel
Summit Tunnel
The Summit Tunnel in England is one of the oldest railway tunnels in the world: it was built between 1838 and 1841 by the Manchester and Leeds Railway beneath the Pennines...

 was the scene of a major fire
Summit tunnel fire
The Summit Tunnel fire occurred on 20 December 1984 on a dangerous goods train passing through the Summit Tunnel on the Greater Manchester/West Yorkshire border, on the rail line between Littleborough and Todmorden, England.-History:...

 in 1984, caused when a freight train
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...

 hauling petrol tankers derailed.

Blackpool route

Trains continue up the Calder valley to Burnley
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....

 and Blackburn; it also runs parallel with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
Leeds and Liverpool Canal
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , it crosses the Pennines, and includes 91 locks on the main line...

 from Burnley. The section from Todmorden to Burnley (often called the Copy Pit line) was opened by the Manchester and Leeds Railway (later L&YR) on 12 November 1849. The East Lancashire Railway (later L&YR) built the Burnley to Preston line, Burnley to Accrington 18 September 1848, Accrington to Blackburn 19 June 1848, and the Blackburn to Preston section on 1 June 1846. Many stations on this route have been closed (or are not served by the Caldervale Line trains): original stations served and other notes on the route:
    • Hall Royd Junction: see above; there are now no stations on the route before Burnley; stations once served, and notes on the route:
    • here was the junction with the original line from Todmorden (to Burnley), forming a triangle (closed 1972 but may be reopened in the near future).
    • Stansfield Hall
      Stansfield Hall railway station
      Stansfield Hall railway station was the second station in Todmorden in West Yorkshire, England. It was situated on the Copy Pit line from 1869 until closure in 1944.-External links:*...

       station opened 1869, closed July 1944
    • here is Kitsonwood Tunnel (290 yards)
    • Nott Wood viaduct
    • Cornholme
      Cornholme
      Cornholme is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It lies at the edge of Calderdale, on the boundary with Lancashire, and in the narrow Calder Valley about northwest of Todmorden....

       station closed to all traffic 26 September 1938
    • Portsmouth
      Portsmouth railway station (West Yorkshire)
      Portsmouth railway station was on the Copy Pit line and served the village of Portsmouth, which was in Lancashire, England, but is now in West Yorkshire. It opened along with the line in 1849 but was closed as an economy measure on 7 July 1958...

       closed 7 July 1958
    • Copy Pit summit (749 ft)
    • Holme Tunnel (265 yards)
    • Holme: closed 28 July 1930
    • Towneley Tunnel (398 yards)
    • Towneley
      Towneley railway station
      Towneley railway station was a station in Lancashire which served the village of Towneley and the nearby Towneley Hall on the eastern edge of Burnley. Opened on 12 November 1849 by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, it was served by local trains on the Todmorden to Burnley line until closure by...

      : serving the nearby Towneley Hall, closed 4 August 1952
    • Burnley Manchester Road
      Burnley Manchester Road railway station
      Burnley Manchester Road is a railway station serving the town of Burnley, Lancashire.-History:On 12 November 1849, the Manchester and Leeds Railway opened a single line branch – doubled in 1860 – from Todmorden to Burnley. The first station in the town, which was at Thorney-bank, was replaced by...

       station: (there are also Burnley Barracks and Burnley Central see below)
    • Gannow Junction where the line joins from Colne, Nelson, Brierfield, Burnley Central and Burnley Barracks
    • Rose Grove
      Rose Grove railway station
      Rose Grove railway station serves the western area of Burnley in Lancashire, England, 11 miles east of Blackburn railway station.The Caldervale Line and the East Lancashire Line join at Gannow Junction near Rose Grove, but there are no direct services between here and Burnley Manchester Road...

       has an island platform with 2 disused bay platforms.
    • here was the Rose Grove Junction for the North Lancashire Loop, an alternative route to Blackburn via Padiham
      Padiham railway station
      Padiham railway station in Station Street, Padiham, Lancashire, England was on a branch line of the East Lancashire Line from Burnley to Blackburn.-History:The line between Padiham and Rose Grove opened in 1875...

      , Simonstone
      Simonstone railway station
      Simonstone railway station was located on the east side of Simonstone Lane, south of Simonstone centre and near Padiham, Lancashire, England. It was on a branch line of the East Lancashire Line, from Burnley to Blackburn.-History:The line between Padiham and Rose Grove opened in 1875...

       and Great Harwood
      Great Harwood railway station
      Great Harwood railway station was located in the south-east side of Great Harwood, Lancashire, England on Station Road, which still remains. The station was on a branch line of the East Lancashire Line from Burnley to Blackburn via Rose Grove, Padiham, Simonstone and Great Harwood.-History:The...

       (closed to passengers 2 December 1957)
    • Hapton
      Hapton railway station
      Hapton railway station serves the village of Hapton west of Burnley Central railway station on the East Lancashire Line operated by Northern Rail. It is unmanned...

    • Huncoat
      Huncoat railway station
      Huncoat railway station serves the village of Huncoat, between Accrington and Burnley in Lancashire. The station is east of Blackburn railway station on the East Lancashire Line operated by Northern Rail.-Services:...

    • Accrington
      Accrington railway station
      Accrington railway station serves the town of Accrington in Lancashire, England. It is a station on the East Lancashire Line 10 km east of Blackburn railway station operated by Northern Rail....

    • here was the triangular junction for the line to Bury
      Bury
      Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...

       (closed 5 December 1966)
    • Church and Oswaldtwistle
      Church and Oswaldtwistle railway station
      Church and Oswaldtwistle railway station serves both the Accrington suburb of Church and the small town of Oswaldtwistle. The station is 9 km east of Blackburn railway station on the East Lancashire Line operated by Northern Rail....

    • Rishton
      Rishton railway station
      Rishton railway station is in the southern part of the village of Rishton, Lancashire, England. The station is 3¾ miles north east of Blackburn railway station...

    • Rishton Tunnel
    • here was the other end of the line from Burnley at Great Harwood Junction
    • Blackburn Tunnel

Blackburn to Preston

This line is described in more detail in East Lancashire Line
East Lancashire Line
The East Lancashire Line is a railway line in the Lancashire region of England, which runs between Preston and Colne, through Blackburn, Accrington and Burnley ....

.
    • Blackburn
      Blackburn railway station
      Blackburn railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Blackburn in Lancashire, England. It is east of Preston and is managed and served by Northern Rail.-Description:The station is served by two lines...

      : junction of the line to Bolton
      Bolton
      Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...

    • Mill Hill
      Mill Hill (Lancashire) railway station
      Mill Hill railway station serves the Blackburn suburb of Mill Hill, 1¼ miles west of Blackburn railway station. It is a island platformed suburban station managed by Northern Rail....

    • Cherry Tree
      Cherry Tree railway station
      Cherry Tree railway station serves Cherry Tree, a suburb of Blackburn. The station is west of Blackburn railway station in East Lancashire. It is within the boundaries of the Blackburn with Darwen unitary authority. It is managed by Northern Rail, who also provide all the passenger services...

    • here was the L&YR/LNWR joint line (the Lancashire Union Joint Railway) to Chorley
      Chorley
      Chorley is a market town in Lancashire, in North West England. It is the largest settlement in the Borough of Chorley. The town's wealth came principally from the cotton industry...

       and the West Coast Route (opened 1 November 1869 and closed to passengers 4 January 1960)
    • Pleasington
      Pleasington railway station
      Pleasington railway station serves the village of Pleasington in Lancashire, England. The station is on the East Lancashire Line 3 miles west of Blackburn railway station...

    • Hoghton
      Hoghton railway station
      Hoghton railway station was a railway station in Lancashire that served the village of Hoghton. It was situated on the East Lancashire Line between Preston and Blackburn. It was closed in 1960, a few years before the Beeching Axe....

    • Bamber Bridge
      Bamber Bridge railway station
      Bamber Bridge railway station serves the area Bamber Bridge to the south of Preston city centre on the A6 and M6 roads.-Description:Its railway station, in common with Lostock Hall, was once much larger and used by many more trains than today...

    • here was a junction for a direct route to Preston, the surviving route continues to Preston via Lostock Hall
      Lostock Hall railway station
      Lostock Hall railway station is 2¾ miles south of Preston City station. It is on the East Lancashire Line and is managed by Northern Rail, who also provide all passenger trains serving it.- Description :...

       where there are further junctions, including one for the former through route to Liverpool
      Liverpool
      Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

      .

Preston to Blackpool

This route is described in more detail in Blackpool Branch Lines.
    • Preston
      Preston railway station
      Preston railway station serves the city of Preston in Lancashire, England and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line.It is served by Northern Rail, Virgin Trains, and TransPennine Express services, plus First ScotRail overnight sleeper services between London and Scotland.-Station layout...

      : the joint LNWR/L&YR station on the West Coast Route
    • Lea Road
      Lea Road railway station
      Lea Road railway station was on the Preston and Wyre Joint Railway in the parish of Lea and Cottam in Preston, Lancashire, England. It opened in 1842, and closed on 2 May 1938....

    • Salwick
      Salwick railway station
      Salwick railway station is situated on the -to-Blackpool railway line in England, 5¼ miles west of Preston, and is managed by Northern Rail...

    • Kirkham and Wesham
      Kirkham and Wesham railway station
      The Lancashire towns of Kirkham and Wesham, in England, are served by one railway station, Kirkham and Wesham. It is managed by Northern Rail, who operate most of the passenger services that call there .-Description:There are two platforms, and fairly obvious signs of the former size of the station...

    • here were junctions: for the direct route to Blackpool; and the coast route via Lytham St Annes on Sea
    • Singleton
    • Poulton-le-Fylde
      Poulton-le-Fylde railway station
      Poulton-le-Fylde railway station serves the town of Poulton-le-Fylde in Lancashire, England. It is managed by Northern Rail, but also served by First TransPennine Express.-History:...

    • here was the junction for Fleetwood
      Fleetwood railway station
      There have been three locations for Fleetwood railway station in Fleetwood, Lancashire, England. The first, from 1840 to 1883, was in Dock Street, opposite Church Street. The second, from 1883 to 1966, was in Queen's Terrace...

       (line closed to passengers 1 June 1970)
    • Layton
      Layton railway station
      Layton railway station is on the Blackpool North to Preston railway line, in Lancashire, England, serving the Blackpool suburb of Layton. It is managed by Northern Rail and is unstaffed.-History:...

       (opened as Bispham)
    • Blackpool North
      Blackpool North railway station
      Blackpool North railway station is the main railway station serving the seaside resort of Blackpool in Lancashire, England. It is the terminus of the main Blackpool branch line from Preston....

       was named Talbot Road


Future

Improvements to the line are proposed as part of Network Rail's
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...

 Northern Hub plans, which would allow for more frequent services on the line. Some services via Bradford would also be extended to , Liverpool and .

station, between Bradford Interchange and Halifax, is due to be re-opened in early 2013. A business case is being developed to re-open station between Halifax and Brighouse.

Todmorden Curve

The Todmorden Curve is a 440 yards (402.3 m) section of track at Hall Royd Junction near Todmorden which was lifted in 1972. Originally Hall Royd Junction was triangular, and the lifted curve allowed services from Burnley to reach Manchester via Todmorden; this is currently not possible directly. Re-instating the curve is now a priority for Lancashire County Council and was ranked as the most important project in their 2010 Rail Improvement Schemes draft report. The government has confirmed that re-instating the link would cost around £7 million and any new rail services would require initial subsidy. Burnley MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

 Kitty Ussher
Kitty Ussher
Katharine Anne "Kitty" Ussher is a British economist and former Labour Party politician.After training as an economist, she was elected Member of Parliament for Burnley from 2005 until 2010, succeeding Peter Pike. Ussher formerly held the position of Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury in Gordon...

 has written to the North West Development Agency to seek assurance that it could find the money. Network Rail has agreed to pay for the final assessment of the plans. This assessment concluded that it could be feasible to reinstate the curve although the original route could not be used as the original curve is deemed to be too sharp. An alternative route has been put forward. If funds can be obtained by early 2012 to carry forward the project, the curve could be back in use by the end of 2013.

On 31 October 2011, the deputy Prime Minister announced this scheme would be given the go ahead, though no time scale has been given.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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