Rawtenstall to Bacup Line

Last updated

The Rawtenstall to Bacup railway line opened in two stages, from Rawtenstall to Waterfoot in 1848, and from Waterfoot to the Bacup terminus in 1852. There were stations at Rawtenstall, Cloughfold, Stacksteads and Bacup. The line was doubled in 1880, at the same time as the line from Bacup to Rochdale was also opened (closed 1947). Passenger and freight services operated until the Beeching cuts in 1966, the last passenger train running on 5 December 1966 and the track being lifted in 1969.


As the Irwell valley is quite narrow the line had many engineering features in its 5-mile (8.0 km) length, including 14 crossings of the River Irwell alone, plus many over and underbridges, embankments and cuttings, and tunnels at Thrutch Gorge (The Glen) in Waterfoot. Most of the bridges have been demolished or infilled in the years since closure. A foot and cycle path now follows much of the route including the 18-mile (200 m) Newchurch No. 1 Tunnel and 14-mile (400 m) Newchurch No 2 Tunnel.

However, there are proposals to reopen the line as part of the Governments strategy to reopen old rail lines in the country which have been closed in the 1960s or later cuts under British Rail. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bacup</span> Town in Lancashire, England

Bacup is a town in the Rossendale Borough in Lancashire, England, in the South Pennines close to Lancashire's boundaries with West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester. The town is in the Rossendale Valley and the upper Irwell Valley, 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Rawtenstall, 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Rochdale, and 7 miles (11 km) south of Burnley. At the 2011 Census, Bacup had a population of 13,323.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Lancashire Railway</span> Heritage railway in north-west England

The East Lancashire Railway is a twelve-and-a-half-mile (20 km) heritage railway line in North West England which runs between Heywood, Greater Manchester and Rawtenstall in Lancashire. There are intermediate stations at Bury Bolton Street, Burrs Country Park, Summerseat and Ramsbottom, with the line crossing the border into Rossendale serving Irwell Vale and Rawtenstall. Before closure, the line terminated at Bacup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borough of Rossendale</span> Borough and non-metropolitan district in Lancashire, England

Rossendale is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Bacup and its largest town is Rawtenstall. It also includes the towns of Haslingden and Whitworth. The borough is named after the Rossendale Valley, the upper part of the River Irwell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calder Valley line</span> Railway line in England

The Calder Valley line is a railway route in Northern England between the cities of Leeds and Manchester as well as the seaside resort of Blackpool. 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 East Lancashire Railway operated from 1844 to 1859 in the historic county of Lancashire, England. It began as a railway from Clifton via Bury to Rawtenstall, and during its short life grew into a complex network of lines connecting towns and cities including Liverpool, Manchester, Salford, Preston, Burnley and Blackburn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rossendale Valley</span> River valley in Lancashire, England

The Rossendale Valley is in the Rossendale area of Lancashire, England, between the West Pennine Moors and the main range of the Pennines. The area includes the steep-sided valleys of the River Irwell and its tributaries, which flow southwards into Greater Manchester. The rivers cut through the moorland of the Rossendale Hills, generally characterized by open unwooded land, despite the ancient designation of "forest".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rawtenstall</span> Town in Rossendale, Lancashire, England

Rawtenstall is a town in the borough of Rossendale, Lancashire, England. The town lies 15 miles north of Manchester, 22 miles east of Preston and 45 miles south east of Lancaster. The town is at the centre of the Rossendale Valley. It had a population of 23,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clifton railway station (Greater Manchester)</span> Railway station in Greater Manchester, England

Clifton railway station is a railway station in Clifton, Greater Manchester, England which was formerly called Clifton Junction. It lies on the Manchester–Preston line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bury Bolton Street railway station</span> Heritage railway station in Bury, Greater Manchester

Bury Bolton Street railway station is a heritage railway station in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. Located on the East Lancashire Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School</span> Grammar school in Waterfoot, Rossendale, Lancashire, England

Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School (BRGS) is a selective co-educational academy grammar school in Waterfoot, Rossendale, Lancashire, England. The school is named after the two main towns either side of Waterfoot, Bacup and Rawtenstall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterfoot, Lancashire</span> Human settlement in England

Waterfoot is a historic mill town and civil parish in the Borough of Rossendale between Rawtenstall and Bacup in Lancashire, England. The B6238 road from Burnley meets the A681 road, and Whitewell Brook the River Irwell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rawtenstall railway station</span> Heritage railway station in Rawtenstall, England

Rawtenstall railway station serves the town of Rawtenstall in Lancashire, England, and is the northern terminus of the East Lancashire Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newchurch, Lancashire</span> Human settlement in England

Newchurch or Newchurch in Rossendale is a village within the borough of Rossendale in Lancashire, England. It is around one mile east of Rawtenstall and half a mile north of Waterfoot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bacup railway station</span> Railway station in England (1852–1966)

Bacup railway station served the town of Bacup, Rossendale, Lancashire, England, from 1852 until closure in 1966 and was the terminus of two lines; one from Rawtenstall and the other from Rochdale.

Waterfoot railway station served Waterfoot, Rossendale near Rawtenstall, Lancashire, England from 1848 until the line closed in 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stubbins railway station</span> English railway station from 1846 to 1972

Stubbins railway station served the village of Stubbins, Rossendale, Lancashire, England. Opened by the East Lancashire Railway in 1847 on their line from Bury Bolton Street into Rossendale, it was situated next to the junction of the lines toward Accrington and to Rawtenstall and Bacup, but only had platforms on the latter route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cloughfold</span> Human settlement in England

Cloughfold is a small hamlet in between the towns of Rawtenstall and Waterfoot in Rossendale, Lancashire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stacksteads</span> Human settlement in England

Stacksteads is a village between the towns of Bacup and Waterfoot within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, England. The population of this Rossendale ward at the 2011 census was 3,789. Stacksteads includes a mountain bike trail called Lee Quarry which had originally been a working quarry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadclough</span> Human settlement in England

Broadclough – historically Broad Clough – is a village located to the north of Bacup, previously having been a part of the old borough of Bacup and now with Rossendale borough of Lancashire and part of the Greenclough Ward. It is part of the Rossendale and Darwen constituency, with Jake Berry having been the Member of Parliament since 2010. Like much of Bacup, Broadclough is rapidly becoming a commuter area for cities and towns such as Manchester, Burnley, Accrington, Preston, Blackburn, Rochdale.

References

  1. "Valley rail link hopes boosted by new government study". 9 December 2017.