96-555: 53°46′31″N 2°46′03″W / 53.7753°N 2.7674°W / 53.7753; -2.7674 Lea Road railway station ( / ˈ l iː ə / LEE -ə ) 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. Lea Road was located adjacent to the site of the proposed Cottam railway station . Preston and Wyre Joint Railway The Preston and Wyre Railway ( P&WR )
192-513: A branch to Blackpool from Poulton and an authorising act of Parliament, the Preston and Wyre Railway, Harbour and Dock Act 1845 ( 8 & 9 Vict. c. cxxv) was passed on 21 July 1845. The Blackpool branch (to Blackpool North) was built swiftly. During construction the contractor extended the temporary track used for building the line to the sea front to facilitate tipping spoil into the sea. The line opened on 29 April 1846. The company decided that
288-401: A branch to Lytham where there was a small harbour was worthwhile. It was authorised in the act of Parliament of 21 July 1845 to run from a junction three-quarters of a mile west of Kirkham. Construction proceeded swiftly and the branch opened on 17 February 1846. Stations were built at Wrea Green and Moss Side and the line forked to a terminus and a spur to serve the dock. Lytham Junction station
384-535: A connection to the Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway which was authorised on the same day. Also authorised was access to the North Union Railway 's station at Preston. A dock was considered to be essential and the company was authorised to construct docks at Fleetwood with capital of £100,000. The Preston and Wyre Dock Company constructed the dock and the two companies were combined on 1 July 1839, forming
480-474: A flyover approaching Kirkham for the New Line, providing a grade-separated junction. At the end of the 19th century, Blackpool Central station was being reconstructed, with 9,000 feet of platforms being provided; the enlarged station was opening for Easter 1901. In 1903 widening from there to the junction at South Shore was ready. On 1 October 1913 halts were opened at Burlington Road and Gillett's Crossing when
576-576: A half in length and a connecting line was authorised at Lytham, connecting the Blackpool line to the original Lytham branch. Both sections were double track from opening on 1 July 1874. Lytham station on the P&;WR was reduced to goods station status. The single-line link at Kirkham, now by-passed, was retained for the west-facing connection at what became called Kirkham Old Junction, enabling direct running from Lytham towards Poulton. The east-facing curve at Kirkham
672-655: A joint station with the Lancaster company. Mutual running powers at Preston were to be included in the arrangement, and the L&;PJR was to reimburse the NUR’s expenses within a month of the outlays. The L&PJR delayed agreeing as its own Act was not yet secured, but in March 1837 the NUR started building the extension, tunnelling under Fishergate, and then the L&PJR committed to paying £1,500 when it
768-469: A large undetected metallurgical defect in the tyre. On 16 July 1961 a collision took place near Singleton Bank signalbox, between Kirkham and Poulton. An express passenger train from Colne to Fleetwood struck an engineers' ballast train at about 45 mph. The driver and six passengers died in the collision. The ballast train was working in section but irregular operation of single-line working arrangements and misunderstandings of telephone messages led to
864-469: A lease of their line for a longer period than three years, and as the Canal Company had then no power to take a lease of any Railway, one of the conditions of the agreement was, that the two Companies should jointly apply for an Act to confirm the agreement, and to give them what powers were necessary to enable them to execute a formal lease. An Act was obtained in the following session (July, 1843); but upon
960-559: A leased company until it was dissolved on 1 July 1888 under the London and North Western Railway Act 1888 ( 51 & 52 Vict. c. clxxvi) 7 August of that year. A joint committee was appointed by the LNWR and the L&YR to manage the P&WR network. The line was now known as the Preston and Wyre Joint Line. The Preston and Longridge Railway opened in 1840, connecting quarries north east of Preston to
1056-442: A line without making any junction with the Preston and Wyre railway in 1863. In 1871 it was taken into the Preston and Wyre group. Passenger traffic in connection with steamer sailings at Fleetwood continued throughout the 19th century and fishing was important but the huge expansion of Blackpool as a holiday and trippers' destination dominated the P&WR network. There were massive peak flows of traffic on summer Saturdays to and from
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#17328519985411152-500: A more gently curved line from the new Poulton station; the approach to the old Poulton station from the Preston direction was retained for goods purposes, as the town had grown towards that station over the years. A west curve on the new line was opened on 1 July 1899, and a platform called Poulton Curve Halt was opened on it on 1 February 1909, used by a railmotor service between Blackpool and Fleetwood. There were 19 trains each way daily. The approach from Kirkham to Blackpool Central
1248-400: A public service operated from the following day. Five passenger trains ran each way every weekday, of which two had through coaches to and from London; on Sundays, only these "mail" trains ran. Only one train a day conveyed third class passengers. Traffic was disappointing: while Lancaster remained a terminus, its trade alone could not sustain a railway particularly because of competition from
1344-491: A railmotor service was introduced between Blackpool Central and Lytham. The halts were closed on 1 October 1915 but reopened on 1 March 1920, finally closing on 11 September 1939. In March 1932 Waterloo Road station was renamed Blackpool South and Talbot Road became Blackpool North. By this time the North station had 15 platforms, although eight were set apart for excursion traffic outside the overall roof. The Blackpool tramway system
1440-407: A rent to use Butler Street station which was agreed from 13 February 1844. The Lancaster and Carlisle Railway was authorised on 6 June 1844, and the west coast main line was being created. The L&CR directors had an interest in the proper management of the L&PJR. In March 1844 a committee of the L&CR recommended leasing the Canal Company, and through that the L&PJR, but ambiguities in
1536-643: A second disaster would have occurred. The insufficiency of these signals was [previously] pointed out to the Company by Captain Coddington, but his suggestions were not attended to. The grievous scandal motivated a change of management, and yet progress was slow. At last, on 13 November 1848, agreement was reached for the L&CR to take over the management of the Lancaster Canal including the L&PJR, confirmed by Act of 1 August 1849. The outstanding toll payments for
1632-406: A special train and on 16 July to the public. Traffic exceeded expectations: 20,000 passengers were carried in the first month, and in the six summer months of 1841 the total was 108,000. The line was worked by North Union Railway locomotives and rolling stock. The Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway opened on 25 June 1840 The Fleetwood line carried traffic from London to Scotland as there
1728-540: A terminal at Deepdale Street, in Preston. The company was taken over by the Fleetwood, Preston and West Riding Junction Railway in 1847 which planned to connect the Preston and Wyre line to the Longridge line by building a tunnel through high ground. Its ambitious title was justified by a plan to build eastward from the Longridge line to Clitheroe and Skipton that was never built. The new section of line in Preston joining
1824-433: A terminus adjacent to the Lancaster Canal. Maudlands was accessed by crossing the Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway on the level. The L&PJR line was constructed at a level five feet higher than the P&WR line which had to be lifted to make the level crossing. A connection into the southbound L&PJR was made later enabling Fleetwood trains to use the NUR station. The P&WR ran an omnibus between Maudlands and
1920-467: A yearly lease of the line and was unwilling to spend money on improvements without security of tenure. No proper system of safe operation was imposed and in 1848 a rear-end collision took place at Bay Horse station exposing the shortcomings. The situation was regularised at the end of 1848 when the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway took control. By then the London and North Western Railway was exercising oversight of
2016-570: The Blackpool North line brought through trains to and from London and Manchester Airport. The North Union Railway opened a line from Parkside on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway to Preston on 31 October 1838. Before that, a local line had been authorised to connect agricultural districts in the Fylde to a sea harbour in the north-west and the Lancaster Canal at the eastern end. The Fylde, north of
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#17328519985412112-565: The Ribble estuary and straddling the River Wyre , had agricultural land with rich potential, but the roads were poor and there was no harbour for shipping. Peter Hesketh succeeded to the Rossall Hall estate in 1824 and in 1831 acquired royal authorisation to add Fleetwood to his name. He saw that the estate could be developed if a railway connection could be made to Preston and a harbour created in
2208-585: The 1970s and early 1980s the Blackpool South branch, as it had become, was singled, and the quadruple track between Preston and Kirkham was reduced to double track. During a long period of decline, the Blackpool North line became a medium-level branch from Preston, and the Blackpool South line a local shuttle subsidiary of that, from Kirkham. The Fleetwood line is no more. For some time local opinion formers have demanded better services, and electrification of
2304-549: The Bay Horse station, where the present collision occurred, there is simply a small stick at top, and the flag not being held down in any way, blows about freely, and can scarcely be perceived when the wind blows up or down the line. On Monday, when I was at the Bay Horse station, it was a remarkably fine bright day, and having directed the signal to be hoisted. I walked away from it to ascertain at what distance it could be seen. I had scarcely got 200 yards when, turning round by chance, I
2400-507: The Canal Company is legally in possession, but they assert that they are so only as yearly tenants. The Canal Company, on the other hand, not content to remain in that position, have applied to the Court of Chancery for an injunction to compel the Railway Company to fulfil their original agreement, and grant a formal lease in accordance with it. In this position matters would now have been but for
2496-532: The Canal and to the Lancaster and Preston Railway Companies, and they state their readiness to abide by the decision of a court of law as to what amount of toll they should pay, or to refer that question to the decision of the Railway Commissioners, or to the arbitration of any disinterested parties. It results from the preceding explanation, that the Lancaster and Carlisle Company are now running their trains over
2592-626: The Directors of the L&PJR and the Lancaster Canal Company, by which the latter Company were to become lessees of the Railway for 21 years. It was agreed that the whole of the line, works, working stock, &c., were given up to the Canal Company on the 1st September, 1842. Since that time the Canal Company have remained in possession, and have continued to maintain and to work the line. As the Railway Company, however, had no power in 1842 to grant
2688-542: The Fleetwood line was cut back to Wyre Dock. The New Line from Kirkham closed on 6 September 1965, although it was used for excursion trains until 13 February 1967. In 1970 the Euston-Blackpool services, which had hitherto travelled via Lytham, were diverted to the North station. In January 1974 this station was rebuilt on the site of the former excursion platforms, on a smaller scale to suit modern requirements. The south to west connection at Kirkham, which used part of
2784-554: The House, to whom the Bill was referred, refused to entertain the application unless it was accompanied by a revision of the tolls upon the line, which, having been authorized in 1837, were much higher than those of the more modern lines. The Company preferred remaining without a direction to consenting a revision of their high tolls, and withdrew the Bill. Finally, the Lancaster and Carlisle Company gave notice that they would run their own trains over
2880-487: The L&CR trains having run over the Lancaster-Preston line from 22 September 1846 to 31 July 1849, which had been retained but not handed over, amounted to £83,616. The end of the L&PJR as a legal entity came when an amalgamation act (with the L&CR) was passed on 13 August 1859. L&PJR shareholders received nearly £102 of L&CR ordinary stock for each £100 of L&PJR. With effect from 1 August 1859
2976-411: The L&CR, and formal transfer to the LNWR took place in 1859. As the railway network of Great Britain developed, a line connecting the north-west of England to Scotland was suggested by Joseph Locke in 1835. The North Union Railway was authorised in 1834, taking up unused powers to build a line to Preston from the south. This aroused considerable interest in Lancaster where a railway connection
Lea Road railway station - Misplaced Pages Continue
3072-533: The L&PJR line under contract, acquired the L&PJR locomotive fleet and took over the locomotive working. The Bolton and Preston Railway built a line from Bolton to Chorley and Hargreaves was working the line. The NUR considered the B&;PR a hostile competitor and collaboration between the B&PR and the L&PJR exacerbated bad feeling from the NUR. The Bolton and Preston Railway had intended to build throughout to Preston which would have duplicated much of
3168-547: The LNWR took a 900-year lease of the L&CR, guaranteeing a minimum dividend of 8%; thus the L&PJR system passed to the LNWR. The Preston to Carlisle section of the West Coast Main line was electrified on the 25kV overhead system; it was energised on 25 March 1974. A full electrically operated train service started on 6 May 1974. On 7 May HM the Queen travelled the route and 'drove' the train from Preston to Lancaster. Today
3264-518: The Lancaster Canal whose packet boats had operated since 1833. They were more comfortable than railway carriages and heated in winter. The canal company lowered its fares when the railway opened and the canal ran close to Garstang, the only other sizable intermediate settlement. The boats were drawn by two horses at a canter. In 1836, before construction of either line, the NUR had offered to extend its line northward from its intended terminus at Butler Street to Dock Street where it would acquire land for
3360-415: The Lancaster and Preston Railway, not only without the consent of the actual possessors, but in defiance of their opposition, and that till the differences still pending between the proprietors of that line and their lessees are decided, neither party will feel much interested in or will go to much expense to maintain the efficiency of the Railway. The Railway Company throw the whole onus of any deficiency upon
3456-424: The Longridge line to the Preston main line station by crossing from Maudland Bridge to the Preston and Wyre line west of the main line and reversing and using the P&WR connection on to the main line. The Longridge line built its own connection southwards, opening for passengers and goods on 1 June 1885. The main line was doubled as far as Burn Naze by 10 August 1846. The embankment between Burn Naze and Fleetwood
3552-479: The NUR Preston station. Passengers travelling through were charged a supplement of 6d, but some left the train at Dock Street and walked to Butler Street to rejoin the same train. The L&PJR terminus at Dock Street was little more than a siding with buffer stops and a short, low timber platform. Access to Fishergate was by way of a cinder path and a flight of steps. The B&PR station was ready early in 1842. It
3648-509: The NUR route and given it a shorter route from Preston to Manchester. In a change of plan, it now intended to make a junction with the NUR Euxton and reach Preston over the NUR. Its original intention to have a station at Preston remained, and in a further heightening of tension, the B&PR agreed to build the station there for the use of the L&PJR. The L&PJR used its basic Dock Street station and some trains continued to Butler Street,
3744-407: The NUR station for connecting passenger trains. The dock and railway companies were amalgamated by an act of Parliament, the Preston and Wyre Railway and Harbour and Preston and Wyre Dock Consolidation Act 1839 ( 2 & 3 Vict. c. liv) of 1 July 1839 but work on the dock was deferred, although a wharf, pier and lighthouses were constructed. The single line railway opened on 15 July 1840 for
3840-564: The North Union Railway, had come into being and was friendly to the L&CR, condoning the use of the Preston station. Meanwhile L&PJR trains operated independently from the original Lancaster station to Preston Dock Street. The management of the line was extremely sub-divided and ineffective, summarised by Captain Laffan of the Board of Trade : In July, 1842, an agreement was made between
3936-453: The Preston and Wyre Joint Railway was authorised, along with provision for a connecting line at Lytham. The Lytham branch made a sharp divergence about three-quarters of a mile west of Kirkham. An act of Parliament, the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (New Works and Additional Powers) Act 1873 ( 36 & 37 Vict. c. clxxix) of 21 July 1873 authorised a cut-off line, a little under a mile and
Lea Road railway station - Misplaced Pages Continue
4032-503: The Preston and Wyre Railway near Maudlands with a level crossing of the Lancaster line opened on 14 January 1850. The FP&WRJR was short of money and suspended operating the Longridge line for three weeks in 1852. The Preston and Longridge company resumed control in 1856, and later that year the FP&;WRJR took over again. It opened a station at Maudland Bridge on 1 November 1856. For some time goods and mineral wagons were transferred from
4128-433: The Preston and Wyre Railway, Harbour and Dock Company. Peter Hesketh Fleetwood founded the town of Fleetwood in 1836. The line ran from a terminus at Dock Street on the southern part of the promontory that forms Fleetwood. It continued south in a straight line for two miles across tidal marshes known as Cold Dubbs where it was to be carried on embankment. The intention was to reclaim the marshes which would be contained by
4224-546: The West Coast Main Line was built in 1850 when the Preston and Longridge Railway was opened. Its station was at Maudland Bridge and its line continued westwards to join the P&WR, enabling Longridge traffic to reach Fleetwood, and making an additional flat crossing of the WCML. In 1885 the flat crossings were removed, the Longridge line making an ordinary southwards junction, which the P&WR already had made. Fleetwood Dock
4320-464: The arrangement but failed to get the complement of locomotives ready in time. The NUR discovered that the L&PJR track was of poor quality and considered that its locomotives were being damaged in running over it; there was evidently friction in day-to-day operation too. The NUR gave six months’ notice in June 1841 to terminate the locomotive arrangement. John Hargreaves who was working freight traffic on
4416-415: The companies were harmed. As Greville and Holt put it, having paid its share in the making of the connecting line, the L&PJR was certainly not going to pay tolls for using it. The L&PJR had failed to agree an engine working policy until the last moment. The NUR offered to manage the locomotive fleet but the L&PJR had to acquire its share of locomotives. At the last minute the L&PJR agreed to
4512-458: The consequences of that Act. As the Act of Parliament embodying the Company specified that all vacancies in the direction were to be filled up by the remaining Directors, and as only one Director remained, it was contended that the Company had no powers to elect a new body of Directors. The Company, acting under this impression, applied to Parliament for powers to elect a new direction, but the committee of
4608-420: The embankment but engineering difficulties were encountered during construction and several sections of timber trestle viaduct were substituted. The line continued to Poulton and Kirkham and arrangements were made on market days to stop trains at Salwick and Lea Road between Kirkham and Preston. There seems to have been no stations at these locations. The Preston station was Maudlands at Leighton Street,
4704-422: The express train being signalled through the section, so it was running under clear signals. Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway The Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway opened its twenty-mile line in 1840 in Lancashire , England. The company was not commercially successful. When the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway opened in 1846, the L&PJR became part of a busy trunk railway. It had never had
4800-415: The formal lease being drawn up, in accordance with the conditions of the agreement, the Railway Company refused to ratify it unless certain additional conditions were introduced to which the Canal Company refused to accede. The Canal Company have retained possession of the line, and regularly fulfilled the condition of their agreement, paying every year the stipulated rent. The Railway Company acknowledge that
4896-474: The government. There was a serious accident on 1 July 1893, when a light excursion train returning from Blackpool to Stockport became derailed at speed on Poulton curve. The speed limit on the curve was 6 mph, and the train considerably exceeded that speed. On 3 November 1924 the 4:40 pm express passenger train from Liverpool Exchange to Blackpool derailed, when a tyre on the engine failed. Three traincrew and fourteen passengers were killed. There had been
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#17328519985414992-440: The illuminations at the end of 1928 but a crankshaft failed on 9 December and it was out of use until 27 March 1929. It was then in use for three weeks until 18 April when it was finally withdrawn and later scrapped. It had only operated for 30% of available days. Quite apart from the reliability issues, it was calculated that the operating cost savings were not sufficient to justify the capital cost of wider introduction. Blackpool
5088-479: The industrial towns of Lancashire, Yorkshire and elsewhere. The railway carried local pleasure journeys by holidaymakers during their stay, and Blackpool to Fleetwood was a prominent route, served by a frequent railmotor service in the early 20th century. After 1960 the railways' near-monopoly of passenger transport to Blackpool declined steeply, and Blackpool Central station was closed and the site sold for development. A revival started in 2018 when electrification of
5184-466: The intervention of a third party. In February, 1844, the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway Company proposed to purchase the portion of the canal between Lancaster and Kendal, and the Canal Company's interest in the Lancaster and Preston Railway. To this the Canal Company were willing to accede, and in the spring of 1844 the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway Company obtained their Act, with powers to make that purchase. The two Companies, however, could not agree upon
5280-464: The lease of the L&PJR were discovered frustrating the plan. Further attempts to regularise matters were also unsuccessful. From 22 September 1846 the L&CR opened its line from Kendal to Lancaster, and its trains ran on to Preston without formal authorisation. The Lancaster station was a through station and the line by-passed the L&PJR terminus. By this time the London and North Western Railway , formed by amalgamating several networks including
5376-477: The line between Preston and Kirkham was quadrupled, opening in the year 1889. The Preston & Wyre Railway terminus in Blackpool (Talbot Road) was completely rebuilt and enlarged from 1896. The main platforms had a total length of 3,600 feet and the excursion platforms 6,300 feet; they were fully opened in the Spring of 1898. The original alignment of the Fleetwood main line passed Poulton at some distance, so that
5472-490: The line from Preston to Blackpool North was implemented. This was commissioned in time for new passenger services to operate from 16 April 2018. There are (2020) three through trains to and from London in the timetable and a half-hourly service to Manchester. The service from Blackpool South is typically hourly. As of Midsummer 2022, the BBC are reporting that plans to re-open the railway from Poulton to Fleetwood have been approved by
5568-402: The line, and that they would pay whatever the law should declare to be a legal rate of toll to such parties as should be entitled to receive it. In pursuance of this notice they have run their own trains over this line since the opening of their own, but they have paid no toll. They keep a regular account of the amount of their traffic which passes over the line, and deliver a copy of it monthly to
5664-448: The main line at Preston was then included in the leasing relationship, and by the Lancashire and Yorkshire and London and North Western Railways (Preston and Wyre Railway, Harbour and Dock Vesting) Act 1849 ( 12 & 13 Vict. c. lxxiv), the Preston and Wyre Railway was vested in the two railways, a two-thirds share in the L&YR and one third in the LNWR. The P&WR continued as
5760-476: The money to provide substantial track equipment or proper signalling arrangements. Most of the line is in use today as part of the West Coast Main Line railway and has been electrified. None of the L&PJR stations are still in use. A chaotic situation developed in which the company did not have a legal board of directors and the Carlisle company ran unauthorised trains over the line. The Lancaster Canal Company had
5856-407: The nascent resort of Blackpool and Lytham that opened in 1846. At that time the line was leased by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and later the London and North Western Railway took a share in the lease which was later converted to outright ownership. The Preston and Wyre Railway continued to be jointly owned as the Preston and Wyre Joint Railway . The Blackpool and Lytham Railway built
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#17328519985415952-440: The original Lytham branch, was closed in 1967, and the retained connection to Poulton old goods station was closed in 1968; the west curve on the new line at Poulton was closed in 1972. The passenger service between Fleetwood and Poulton ceased on 1 June 1970. The line remained open to chemical works at Burn Naze, but beyond that, Fleetwood and the docks were no longer rail-served. The entire branch from Poulton closed in 1992. In
6048-445: The public safety now that it forms part of one of the great chains of railway communication with the North. There is but one signal at each station, so that it is impossible to tell to which line of rails it applies, and that one signal consists simply of a small red flag hoisted to a staff. At some of the stations an attempt is made to keep the flag square with the line by fixing to it small cross sticks, but at others, and particularly at
6144-400: The quay and the expense could not be justified. Fleetwood terminus and the line from Wyre Dock were closed on 18 April 1966. The former Wyre Dock station was renamed Fleetwood, but the passenger service between here and Poulton ceased on 1 June 1970. The rapid and huge development of Blackpool as a holiday and trippers' destination continued in the latter decades of the nineteenth century, and
6240-408: The quay at Fleetwood for transfer from boat trains to the steamers, and traffic developed greatly. The old station was closed as the new station better served the promenade for passengers not transferring to the steamers. Some fishing vessels used Fleetwood from 1860, but in 1892 a trawler fishing fleet was established by a Grimsby firm and the town became the largest fishing port on the west coast and
6336-450: The railways meant that it was impossible to sustain the former levels of train service, and of infrastructure. Blackpool Central station was closed at the end of the 1964 Illuminations period, on 2 November, and the site was sold; trains on the coast line terminated at Blackpool South, and a few years later they were only shuttle services to and from Kirkham. The Fleetwood to Blackpool passenger service had finished in 1964. On 18 April 1966,
6432-599: The sheltered estuary of the River Wyre. The harbour became Fleetwood, although at the time there was no settlement. On 3 July 1835 an act of Parliament, the Preston and Wyre Railway and Harbour Act 1835 ( 5 & 6 Will. 4 c. lviii) was passed authorising the Preston and Wyre Railway and Harbour Company with authorised capital of £130,000. Another act of Parliament, the Preston and Wyre Railway and Harbour Act 1837 ( 7 Will. 4 & 1 Vict. c. xxviii) of 5 May 1837 authorised
6528-483: The south-west. A goods depot was built beyond the passenger station. The deviation was doubled in 1875. The Blackpool branch was doubled by an act of Parliament, the Preston and Wyre Railway, Harbour and Dock Act 1865 ( 28 & 29 Vict. c. xxii) of 26 May 1865, paid for by the companies in proportion. On 17 May 1861, an act of Parliament, the Blackpool and Lytham Railway Act 1861 ( 24 & 25 Vict. c. ix)
6624-411: The station was not conveniently located. When the Blackpool branch was opened in 1846, it left the Fleetwood line by a sharp curve, and there was a west curve, enabling Blackpool to Fleetwood direct running. The alignment was obviously unsatisfactory, and on 28 March 1896, a new loop line by-passing Poulton by a loop was opened, enabling a station better located for the town. The Blackpool branch left by
6720-471: The stopping train ahead, but a collision at 8 mph took place; one person was killed and several injured. Captain Laffan made a site inspection during the Board of Trade inquiry. He reported that he found that the signals at the stations were of the rudest description, and that though they might have sufficed for the traffic when this Railway was only a small local line, they are utterly insufficient to provide for
6816-491: The tenants in possession who are charged with the maintenance and repairs, and the tenants in possession will not lay out money upon works from which they may soon be dispossessed. Such a state of things must necessarily endanger the safety of the public using this line. On 21 August 1848, a northbound express train ran into the rear of a stopping train at Bay Horse, a passenger station on the L&PJR about five miles south of Lancaster. The express had arrived at Preston late, and
6912-436: The terms, and the purchase has therefore never been completed. In the spring of 1846 the L&PJR directors prepared an agreement for the amalgamation of the two Companies. This latter agreement was made by the Directors of the Lancaster and Preston Railway, but the shareholders refused to ratify it, and all the officers of the Company, and all the Directors but one resigned in consequence. It is probable that they did not foresee
7008-670: The third largest in Britain, with heavy fish traffic sent by rail. In 1895 the first Club Carriage was run between Blackpool Central and Manchester, membership of the club was restricted to first-class season ticket holders who also paid a membership fee. Elaborately furnished carriages were built and for many years returned from Manchester to Blackpool each evening by the 5.10 pm and 5.55 pm residential expresses. At one time they conveyed slip portions that were detached at Kirkham. A lesser-known L&YR residential train for East Lancashire business men ran non-stop from Lytham to Rose Grove , slipping
7104-508: The three rear coaches at Blackburn . On 1 May 1901 the first L&YR corridor and dining car express was introduced between Fleetwood and Leeds via Manchester, connecting with the Belfast steamer. Belfast steamer sailings from Fleetwood continued until the improvement of the Heysham service in 1928. The summer service to Douglas, Isle of Man lasted until 1961, when heavy repairs were required to
7200-411: The tramway to Cleveleys. The arrangement continued until 1949. In 1928 a four-car diesel passenger train was installed on the Preston to Blackpool Central via Lytham service, starting on 25 July. The train was a conversion of an electric train that had been used at Bury . In September 1928 it was withdrawn for installation of a stronger bogie under the power unit. The train was put back into service for
7296-431: Was adjacent to Maxwell House and sometimes known by that name. It was a terminus, accessed from the north, and could not be used for through trains. The NUR feared that B&PR plans to duplicate the route from Euxton to Preston station might be revived. When the B&PR made its connection at Euxton, it relied on running over the NUR to get to Preston, and the NUR exploited the opportunity to charge high tolls. The B&PR
7392-529: Was an extraordinary phenomenon of British seaside holidays, and for decades the railways had struggled to handle the volume of passengers, and the number of train movements, although this was highly seasonal. Nevertheless, road motor coaches began to handle the traffic in increasing numbers after 1945, as distances from the Lancashire and West Yorkshire industrial towns were not great. The decline in railway business in an era of scepticism about financial loss-making on
7488-409: Was an important connection. When completed the station comprised a handsome building. The company made its Preston terminus at Dock Street near the Lancaster Canal, but the site had no other accommodation. The rails were of the parallel form, (that is, not fish-bellied). Larch sleepers were used on embankments and stone block sleepers elsewhere. The line was opened ceremonially on 25 June 1840 and
7584-455: Was authorised at the outset, but work only started in 1869 and was soon stopped. The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway took over construction and it opened in 1878. The short branch to Wyre Dock was L&YR property. The L&YR and the LNWR had powers to operate steamer services to Belfast , Londonderry and the Isle of Man and operated through boat trains. On 15 July 1883 a new station opened on
7680-456: Was built to connect Preston , on the London and North Western Railway West Coast Main Line , with the port of Fleetwood , at the mouth of the River Wyre . It opened in 1840. An associated company built the dock leading to the company, changing its name to the Preston and Wyre Railway, Harbour and Dock Company . Passenger business was more buoyant than expected, and the company built branch lines to
7776-472: Was closed in 1874. The Blackpool and Lytham line was doubled in 1876. The Preston terminus of the Preston and Wyre Railway at Maudlands was close to a canal basin, but a connecting line was built to the North Union Railway's Preston station. Interconnection with other railways was important and so the Maudlands connection was retained for goods purposes but its passenger use ended in 1844. A flat crossing with
7872-475: Was completed. The NUR completed the extension in December 1839 and £1,500 was duly paid. When the L&PJR opened seven months later, the NUR said the payment did not get the L&PJR free use of the line to Butler Street, nor use of the station. This had been on offer, but not taken up, and did not form part of the agreement. Although this appears to have been L&PJR error, it felt aggrieved and relations between
7968-520: Was delivered by being hauled through the streets of Lytham by horses, because of the lack of a railway connection. An intermediate station was built at South Shore. The resort of St Annes did not yet exist. In 1871 the independent status of the line was reviewed because of financial difficulties, and by an act of Parliament, the Lancashire and Yorkshire and London and North Western Railways (Blackpool and Lytham Railway, &c.) Act 1871 ( 34 & 35 Vict. c. lxiv) of 29 June 1871, amalgamation with
8064-409: Was founded in 1885, and the line to Fleetwood was opened on 14 July 1888, running in a segregated alignment for much of the way. As the coastal strip between Blackpool and Fleetwood became developed, the L&YR and LNWR sought powers to build a branch line to Cleveleys, but instead came to an agreement under which the tramway was connected with the railway at Fleetwood. Goods wagons were worked over
8160-566: Was known as the "New line" or the "Marton line". In winter ordinary passenger trains used the Lytham route, but in summer the traffic on the New Line was heavy. For some years the slip portion of the 5.10 pm from Manchester ran from Kirkham to Blackpool Central by this route, arriving ahead of the main train. New platforms were opened on the line at Waterloo Road, close to South Shore. The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (Various Powers) Act 1899 ( 62 & 63 Vict. c. lxxxv) of 13 July 1899 authorised
8256-579: Was no through railway line. Trains to Fleetwood to and a steamer to Ardrossan and train for the onward journey took about 27 hours. The route ceased to be significant in 1848 with the opening of the Caledonian Railway , providing a through railway route. In 1844 seaside excursions were run to Fleetwood from Manchester and it became apparent that the emerging resort of Blackpool was an attraction. Hoteliers arranged road connections to their town from Poulton. The Preston and Wyre Railway decided to build
8352-463: Was passed authorising the Blackpool and Lytham Railway, the future Blackpool South line. The line was ready by autumn 1862. Leisure traffic was expected to be the main income, and the winter months would be quiet and so the opening was delayed until 6 April 1863. The line did not connect to the Lytham branch of the Preston and Wyre Railway, nor at Blackpool, so the line was isolated. The company operated its own trains and had two locomotives. At least one
8448-500: Was provided at the junction on the main line but it closed in 1853. Lytham portions of trains were detached and attached there until 1874. The Manchester and Leeds Railway ran excursions over the line and amalgamation was agreed. The Preston & Wyre Railway was leased by the M&;LR from 3 August 1846. The M&LR was renamed the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway the following year. The London and North Western Railway, that operated of
8544-455: Was ratified by the Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway Act 1843 ( 6 & 7 Vict. c. iv) on 3 April 1843. The lease charge was £30,000 per annum. The detached B&PR station at Maxwell House continued to be used by the Lancaster trains, but when the B&PR was absorbed by the NUR in 1844, the station passed to the NUR who refused to use the station. The canal company had to negotiate
8640-432: Was roundabout, running via Lytham, and a new direct line was authorised by the Lancashire and Yorkshire and London and North Western Railways Act 1896 ( 59 & 60 Vict. c. cxxxiv) of 20 July 1896. It opened on 21 April 1903 for goods traffic, and to all trains on 30 May 1903. It saved five miles on the journey: it ran from a grade-separated junction at Kirkham North Junction to a junction near Blackpool South Shore, and it
8736-402: Was sent forward after a stopping train. The time interval system of train control was in operation. The stopping train was carrying out station duties, when the express train approached at 40 mph. The sole means of warning the driver of the obstruction in the station was a red flag hoisted on a pole, but the flag was indistinct and not seen. The speed of the express was reduced when the driver saw
8832-400: Was seriously weakened and was amalgamated with the NUR in 1843. The L&PJR was also weakened by the friction and its dependency on the hostile NUR. In 1842 it sought a purchaser, either the B&PR which was in financial difficulties or the NUR, which declined. On 14 July 1842 the Lancaster Canal Company agreed to take a 21-year lease of the L&PJR, effective from 1 September 1842 which
8928-403: Was surprised at not seeing the flag. I returned to ascertain the cause, and on getting nearer perceived that in fluttering to the wind it had wrapped itself so tightly round the staff that, at a short distance, it could not be distinguished from it. Had another express train been coming round the neighbouring curve just then, and another local train been standing in the station, it is probable that
9024-465: Was thought highly desirable. At a public meeting on 12 April 1836 it was agreed to build a line between Lancaster and Preston. The NUR connection from Wigan to Preston did not open until 1838. Lancaster would not wait for the NUR line to Preston to be ready, and on 5 May the Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway Act 1837 ( 7 Will. 4 & 1 Vict. c. xxii) was authorised by Parliament. Share capital
9120-407: Was to be retained as the up line and a single line, some distance from the original, following a two-mile deviation around the shore was built as the down line opening on 13 January 1851. Problems with the embankment and timber trestle sections caused the original line's abandonment at the same time. The deviation line was a single line that ran to Dock Street in Fleetwood, but entered the station from
9216-461: Was £250,000. Construction was expected to be straightforward and the return on investment was anticipated to be 10%, revised to 18% before opening. The line was twenty miles (32 km) long and the engineer was Joseph Locke. The Lancaster terminus was to be on South Road, south of the Lancaster Canal adjacent to Railway Street. At this stage any route northwards was uncertain and the canal
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