The line north of Blackburn was closed to a regular passenger service from September 1962, but remained open for freight, passenger diversions and the occasional DalesRail service. However, in 1994, services between Blackburn and Clitheroe were reinstated after a public campaign. Reopening the line for passengers between Clitheroe and Hellifield has been mentioned in some reports and newspapers to provide connections on the Settle Carlisle line, with the most recent being a business case for the proposal being granted government funds in 2020.
The portion between Bolton and Blackburn Bolton Road was built by the Blackburn, Darwen and Bolton Railway (BD&BR). This company was formed on 27 September 1844,[6] and was authorised on 30 June 1845 to build a line to Blackburn that would connect with the M&BR at Burnden, to the south of Bolton; on 3 August 1846 the route was amended so that the BD&BR could use Bolton station.[7] Construction commenced at Darwen on 27 September 1845, and the line was opened between Blackburn and Sough on 3 August 1847.[8] Difficulties were experienced in the construction of Sough Tunnel, and also of the Tonge Viaduct, which collapsed during construction, due to timber centrings being moved before the mortar had thoroughly set.[9] On 12 June 1848 the remainder of the line between Sough and Bolton was opened.[10] To accommodate the Blackburn trains, Bolton station was enlarged in 1871; and in 1888 a curve at the north end of Bolton station allowed trains to run between the Preston and Blackburn lines without needing to reverse in the station.[11]
The route from Blackburn to Hellifield was also opened in two sections. The Blackburn, Clitheroe and North Western Junction Railway (BC&NWJR) was authorised on 27 July 1846 for a line from a junction with the East Lancashire Railway (ELR) at Daisyfield, east of Blackburn, to a junction with the North Western Railway (NWR) near Long Preston.[12] Construction commenced at Clitheroe on 30 December 1846[8] but was delayed due to the partial collapse of the Whalley viaduct.[13] The line was opened between Blackburn and Chatburn on 21 June 1850,[13] and on the same day, a short branch to the Old Banks lime works at Horrocksford was opened.[14] Trains used the BD&BR station at Blackburn (Bolton Road), running through the ELR station in order to reach it.[15] Initially single track, the line between Daisyfield Junction and Chatburn was doubled in 1872–74.[5]
In March 1847, the BD&BR and the BC&NWJR agreed to amalgamate, becoming the Bolton, Blackburn, Clitheroe and West Yorkshire Railway; the necessary Act received Royal Assent on 9 July 1847. The name was shortened to the Blackburn Railway by a further Act of 24 July 1851.[8] In the meantime, the LYR and ELR entered into a working agreement in April 1850, and they began to operate in ways that whilst mutually beneficial, were to the detriment of the Blackburn Railway; for example, the ELR charged the Blackburn Railway a toll equivalent to six miles for the use of three-quarters of a mile of the ELR's line through Blackburn;[15] and later, LYR services from Manchester to Blackburn were routed via Accrington instead of Bolton.[16] During 1856, two extensions to the Blackburn Railway were proposed: one was to continue the line north from Chatburn to the NWR near Giggleswick (at that time known as Settle); the other would have been from a point to the north of Bolton, between the Croal and Tonge viaducts, to Manchester by way of Radcliffe, Whitefield and Cheetham Hill, and so would have created a line between Bolton and Manchester independent of the LYR. Both of these proposals failed.[17]
On 1 January 1858, the Blackburn Railway became the joint property of the LYR and ELR (this was not authorised by Parliament until 12 July 1858).[17] In 1859, the LYR and ELR themselves amalgamated, the LYR retaining its identity, and so the Blackburn Railway became wholly absorbed by the LYR.[18] From this time, the trains along the former Blackburn Railway lines used the former ELR station at Blackburn.[19]
The NWR was absorbed by the Midland Railway (MR) in 1871, and once the MR began work on its Settle and Carlisle Railway, the LYR decided to resume work on the line north of Chatburn. This was authorised on 24 July 1871, and the 11+1⁄2 miles (18.5km) were estimated to cost £220,000.[19] Construction north of Chatburn was resumed by the LYR in 1873, and was opened as far as Gisburn on 2 June 1879 although it was complete as far as Newsholme; the last section, between Gisburn and Hellifield, opened on 1 June 1880.[20]
Later history
The line between Blackburn and Hellifield was closed to passengers on 10 September 1962 but continued to be used for diversions and for freight, and until 15 August 1964 there was a Saturdays-only train from Manchester to Glasgow which used this route.[21] The line between Blackburn and Bolton remained open, but was reduced to single track operation in two stages as part of major resignalling projects on the East Lancashire line (1973) and Bolton area (1985). The line between Blackburn and Hellifield was slated for complete closure in 1983 along with the closure of the Settle and Carlisle line, however, this proposal was dropped in 1989.[22] After a public campaign, the line between Blackburn and Clitheroe was reopened to regular passenger services in 1994, and a Sunday only service was later reintroduced between Clitheroe and Hellifield.
The towns and villages on the route are the following:
Passenger services from Clitheroe to Rochdale via Blackburn and Manchester Victoria are operated by Northern Trains. On summer Sundays, Northern Trains also operates the DalesRail service, which starts at Blackpool and continues beyond Clitheroe to the Settle–Carlisle line, where it calls at all the stations en route to Carlisle. This service was extended, from mid-September 2013, to cover Sundays throughout the remainder of the year, with trains running as far as Hellifield. It ceased in December 2022 due to a lack of available train crew, but a replacement Saturdays-only service is due to start in June 2024, marketed as the "Yorkshire Dales Explorer" and running up to and from Ribblehead.
The service from Manchester to Clitheroe was designated by the Department for Transport as a community rail service in March 2007. It was announced in March 2007 that major improvements to the line were being proposed[23] by Blackburn with Darwen Council, who unveiled an £8million bid to the Department for Transport and Network Rail. Improvements may include installing double tracks where presently the route was single line, improved signalling giving increased track capacity, enhanced line speed, longer trains at peak times and ultimately putting on more frequent trains to and from Manchester throughout the day.[23] However, the funding for the scheme was eventually rejected in March 2008.[24]
The line between Blackburn and Clitheroe was temporarily closed in November 2008 due to a major refurbishment. The £5million scheme included 11,651 yards (10,654m) of continuous welded rail, 16,000 new concrete or steel sleepers and 40,000 tonnes (44,000 tons) of ballast.[25] Replacement bus services ran between Clitheroe and Blackburn. The line re-opened on 28 November 2008.
In 2009, a scheme called "Pennine Lancashire" proposed new housing, tourist attractions and improved transport links, supported by the Labour Government and Prime Minister of that time. The scheme included enhancements to the Ribble Valley line including:
new signalling
doubling single track lines
increased line-speeds
new rolling stock
extending platform lengths
The scheme was welcomed by the Ribble Valley Rail group, who have campaigned to re-open the line and were very excited at the proposals.[26][27]
Network Rail has carried out £14million of improvements to track & signalling either side of Darwen station in July and August 2015. A six-week engineering blockade saw the existing passing loop there extended by 1-mile (1.6km)) at each end and signalling improvements made to add capacity on the line and allow for service frequencies between Bolton and Blackburn to be doubled to two trains per hour each way throughout the day from December 2017.[28][29] The work was completed on schedule and the line reopened on 24 August 2015.
Possible reopening
66525 at Newsholme with a loaded coal train from Killoch in Ayrshire. This is close to the site of the old Newsholme railway station
The line has been a useful diversionary route for when the West Coast Main Line (WCML) has been closed for repairs and has also seen freight traffic use it.[30] There have been periodic calls for the final section north from Clitheroe to be re-opened to passenger traffic to provide a connection with the Leeds to Carlisle services at Hellifield.[31][32] In 2020, the UK Government announced a £500million fund to enable groups and campaigners to pay for business cases on reopening proposals.[33] The section of line between Hellifield and Clitheroe was in the initial ten proposals that were approved for funding by the government.[34]
The bid by campaigners suggests reopening the stations at Chatburn, Rimington, Gisburn and Newsholme with a provision for trains from Clitheroe to run southwards to Leeds after arriving at Hellifield, rather than continuing north to Carlisle. A newly introduced passenger service would increase services southwards from Clitheroe to half-hourly as opposed to the current level of one service per hour.[35]
Clitheroe is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Ribble Valley, Lancashire, England; it is located 34 miles (55 km) north-west of Manchester. It is near the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for tourists visiting the area. In 2018, the Clitheroe built-up area had an estimated population of 16,279.
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways. It was the third-largest railway system based in northern England.
Liverpool Exchange railway station was a railway station located in the city centre of Liverpool, England. Of the four terminal stations in Liverpool's city centre, Exchange station was the only station not accessed via a tunnel.
Blackburn railway station serves the town of Blackburn in Lancashire, England. It is 12 miles (19 km) east of Preston and is managed and served by Northern Trains.
Ramsgreave and Wilpshire is a railway station on the Ribble Valley Line that serves the villages/suburbs of Ramsgreave and Wilpshire, just north of Blackburn in Lancashire, England. The station is 2+3⁄4 miles (4.4 km) north of Blackburn railway station.
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.
Preston railway station in Preston, Lancashire, England, is an interchange railway station on the West Coast Main Line, half-way between London Euston and Glasgow Central. It is served by Avanti West Coast, Northern Trains and TransPennine Express services, plus Caledonian Sleeper overnight services between London and Scotland. It is also served by the Calder Valley line to Leeds and York, and by branch lines to Blackpool, Ormskirk, and Colne.
Darwen railway station serves Darwen, a town in Lancashire, England. It was opened in 1847 by the Bolton, Blackburn, Clitheroe & West Yorkshire Railway, which was subsequently taken over by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway twelve years later. It is now served by Northern Trains services on the Ribble Valley Line from Rochdale/Manchester Victoria to Blackburn and into Clitheroe.
Bromley Cross railway station, on Chapeltown Road in Bromley Cross, a suburb to the north of Bolton, England, is served by the Northern 'Ribble Valley' line 2+3⁄4 miles (4.4 km) north of Bolton. The station is just south of the point where the double line merges into one.
Bolton Interchange is a transport interchange combining Bolton railway station and Bolton Bus Station in the town of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England. The station is located on the Manchester to Preston line and the Ribble Valley line, and is managed by Northern Trains. The station is 11+1⁄4 miles (18.1 km) north west of Manchester Piccadilly. Ticket gates have been in operation at the station since 2016.
Langho railway station serves the village of Langho in the Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. The station is 5+1⁄4 miles (8.4 km) north of Blackburn.
Burnley Manchester Road is the main railway station in Burnley, Lancashire, England. It is situated on the Calder Valley Line 24+1⁄2 miles (39.4 km) east of Preston, near to the route's junction with the East Lancashire Line.
Castleton railway station serves Castleton in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. It is 8¾ miles (14 km) north of Manchester Victoria on the Caldervale Line operated and managed by Northern.
Hellifield is a railway station on the Bentham Line, which runs between Leeds and Morecambe via Skipton. The station, situated 36 miles 17 chains (58.3 km) north-west of Leeds, serves the village of Hellifield, Craven in North Yorkshire, England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.
Clitheroe railway station serves the town of Clitheroe in Lancashire, England. The station is the northern terminus of the Ribble Valley line / Clitheroe Line operated by Northern Trains and is 10 miles (16 km) north of Blackburn. The station forms part of Clitheroe Interchange, which has won a number of awards.
Whalley railway station serves the village of Whalley in Lancashire, England. The station lies on the Ribble Valley Line 7+1⁄4 miles (11.7 km) north of Blackburn. The station has two platforms, slightly offset from each other. It is unstaffed, with shelters on each platform. Immediately beyond its eastern end, the line crosses the River Calder on a 678-yard (620 m) long, brick viaduct of 48 arches.
Lower Darwen railway station was a railway station that served the village of Lower Darwen, in Lancashire, England.
The Oaks railway station served the community of The Oaks in Bromley Cross, Lancashire, England, from 1850 to 1950.
Network Rail's (NR) strategic route 23 encompassed mainly the English rural railway lines of Lancashire and Cumbria. It excluded the part of the West Coast Main Line (WCML) that bisects the counties. It included the following lines:
Marshall, John (October 1962). B.W.C., Cooke (ed.). "Manchester to Hellifield, part one". The Railway Magazine. Vol.108, no.738. Westminster: Tothill Press. pp.677–682.
Marshall, John (November 1962). B.W.C., Cooke (ed.). "Manchester to Hellifield, part two". The Railway Magazine. Vol.108, no.739. Westminster: Tothill Press. pp.755–763.
Brass, Peter (18 June – 1 July 1997). "The line that refused to give up!". RAIL. No.307. EMAP Apex Publications. pp.34–38. ISSN0953-4563. OCLC49953699.
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