Rochdale–Bacup line

Last updated

Contents

The Rochdale–Bacup line was a branch railway line which ran between Rochdale in Lancashire and Bacup in Lancashire via seven intermediate stops, Wardleworth, Shawclough and Healey, Broadley, Whitworth, Facit, Shawforth, and Britannia.

History

Opening

It opened in two stages, from Rochdale to Facit in 1870, and from Facit to Bacup in 1881.

Closure

Passenger trains were withdrawn from the line in 1947, although the section from Rochdale to Facit remained open to goods trains until 1963 and to Whitworth until 1967.

See also

Related Research Articles

Bacup Human settlement in 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, 3.5 miles (5.6 km) east of Rawtenstall, 6.4 miles (10.3 km) north of Rochdale, and 7 miles (11 km) south of Burnley. At the 2011 Census, Bacup had a population of 13,323.

East Lancashire Railway Heritage railway in north-west England

East Lancashire Railway is a 12+12-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.

Borough of Rossendale Borough and non-metropolitan district in Lancashire, England

Rossendale is a district with borough status in Lancashire, England, holding a number of former mill towns centred on the valley of the River Irwell in the industrial North West. Rossendale combines modest size urban development with rural villages and is immediately south of Burnley, east of Blackburn and north of Bolton, Bury, Manchester and Rochdale, centred 15 miles (24 km) north of Manchester.

Castleton, Greater Manchester Human settlement in England

Castleton is an area of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England, 1.2 miles (1.9 km) south-southwest of Rochdale town centre and 8 miles (13 km) north-northeast of the city of Manchester.

Whitworth, Lancashire Human settlement in England

Whitworth is a town and civil parish in Rossendale, Lancashire, England, amongst the foothills of the Pennines between Bacup, to the north, and Rochdale, to the south. It had a population of 7,500 at the 2011 Census.

Rochdale railway station Railway station and tram stop in Greater Manchester, England

Rochdale railway station is a multi-modal transport hub in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. It consists of a Northern-operated heavy rail station on the Caldervale Line, and an adjoining light rail stop on Metrolink's Oldham and Rochdale Line. The original heavy-rail element of the station was opened by the Manchester and Leeds Railway in 1839 0.5 miles (0.80 km) to the south of Rochdale town centre. The Metrolink element opened in February 2013. Further changes to the station are planned as part of the Northern Hub rail-enhancement scheme.

Bury Knowsley Street railway station

Bury Knowsley Street is a former railway station in Bury.

River Spodden River in North West England

The River Spodden is a watercourse in North West England, one of two major tributaries of the River Roch. It rises in the Lancashire South Pennine hills north of Whitworth and flows south through what is now known as the Whitworth Valley to Rochdale, Greater Manchester, where the river merges with the River Roch. Nestled within the picturesque wooded valley is Healey Dell Nature Reserve.

Rawtenstall railway station

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

A671 road

The A671 is a road in the North West of England, that runs between Oldham, Greater Manchester and Worston, near Clitheroe, Lancashire. Major towns on the route include Rochdale and Burnley. The road is approximately 35 miles (56 km) long. Between Burnley and the A59, the A671 has primary status.

Wardleworth railway station

Wardleworth railway station served the township of Wardleworth in Rochdale, in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale in Greater Manchester, England, from 1870 until closure in 1947. It was on the Facit Branch between Rochdale and Facit, which was extended to Bacup in 1881. The station was quite well placed for Rochdale town centre and so, in addition to the branch trains, a few other services from Manchester terminated here. Between here and Rochdale station was the Roch Valley Viaduct, now demolished.

Facit railway station

Facit railway station served Facit near Whitworth, Rossendale, Lancashire, England, from 1870 until closure to passengers in 1947 and freight in 1963.

Britannia railway station English railway station from 1881 to 1917

Britannia railway station served Britannia near Bacup, Lancashire, England, from 1881 until closure in 1917. The station was just to the west of the summit of the line, which was also the highest point on the entire Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (LYR) system.

Bacup railway station English railway station from 1852 to 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.

Stacksteads railway station

Stacksteads railway station served Stacksteads near Bacup, Rossendale, Lancashire, England from 1852 until the line closed in 1966. The station was just to the west of Blackwood Road, with the island platform spanning the River Irwell.

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. 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 length, including 14 crossings of the River Irwell alone, plus many over and underbridges, embankments and cuttings, and tunnels at Thrutch Gorge 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 1/8 mile Newchurch No. 1 Tunnel and 1/4 mile Newchurch No 2 Tunnel.

Roch Valley Viaduct was built in the 1860s in Rochdale, Greater Manchester and carried the Rochdale to Bacup railway line between Rochdale and Wardleworth stations.

Healey Dell Viaduct

.

Britannia, Lancashire Human settlement in England

Britannia is a suburb of Bacup in the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, England. It lies on the course of two major roads and has a school and a nature reserve. Rochdale is to the south. Inchfield Moor in West Yorkshire is to the east.

Broadclough 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