Network Rail Route 23 (North West Rural)
Encyclopedia
Network Rail
's (NR) strategic route 23 encompasses mainly the English rural railway lines of Lancashire
and Cumbria
. It excludes the part of the West Coast Main Line
(WCML) that bisects the counties. It includes the following lines:
Some of these routes and/or services are designated as Community Rail Partnerships (CRP):
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...
's (NR) strategic route 23 encompasses mainly the English rural railway lines of 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...
and Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
. It excludes the part of the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
(WCML) that bisects the counties. It includes the following lines:
- the Settle and Carlisle line from SkiptonSkipton railway stationSkipton railway station serves the town of Skipton in North Yorkshire, England on the Airedale Line. It is operated by Northern Rail and is situated north-west of Leeds....
to CarlisleCarlisle railway stationCarlisle railway station, also known as Carlisle Citadel station, is a railway station whichserves the Cumbrian City of Carlisle, England, and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line, lying south of Glasgow Central, and north of London Euston... - the Cumbrian Coast lineCumbrian Coast LineThe Cumbrian Coast Line is a rail route in North West England, running from Carlisle to Barrow-in-Furness via Workington and Whitehaven. The line forms part of Network Rail route NW 4033, which continues via Ulverston and Grange-over-Sands to Carnforth, where it connects with the West Coast Main...
from CarnforthCarnforth railway stationCarnforth railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Carnforth in Lancashire. The building was designed by architect William Tite and was famously used as the location in the 1945 film Brief Encounter. It is now operated by TransPennine Express.-History:Carnforth station was...
to Carlisle via SellafieldSellafield railway stationSellafield railway station serves the nuclear facility of Sellafield in Cumbria, England. The railway station is a stop on the scenic Cumbrian Coast Line. Some through trains to the Furness Line stop here...
and WorkingtonWorkington railway stationWorkington railway station serves the town of Workington in Cumbria, England. The railway station is a stop on the scenic Cumbrian Coast Line south west of Carlisle. Some through trains to the Furness Line and to Sunderland stop here. It is operated by Northern Rail who provide all passenger train... - the Roses line from PrestonPreston railway stationPreston 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...
to Burnley Manchester RoadBurnley Manchester Road railway stationBurnley 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...
/Hall Royd Junction, and the branch to Burnley CentralBurnley Central railway stationBurnley Central railway station is a station in the town of Burnley, Lancashire and is on the East Lancashire Line. It is managed by Northern Rail, which also provides its passenger service....
and ColneColne railway stationColne railway station serves the Lancashire mill town of Colne which is situated close to Pendle Hill. The station, which is managed by Northern Rail, is the terminus of the East Lancashire Line. Trains from Blackpool South run through Preston and Blackburn to Burnley and Colne.Currently the... - the BlackburnBlackburn railway stationBlackburn 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...
to HellifieldHellifield railway stationHellifield railway station serves the village of Hellifield in North Yorkshire, England.The station is north west of Leeds on the Leeds to Morecambe Line towards Carlisle and Morecambe. The Ribble Valley Line from Blackburn also meets the Leeds to Morecambe Line at Hellifield which is managed by...
line via ClitheroeClitheroe railway stationClitheroe railway station serves the town of Clitheroe in Lancashire, England. The station is the northern terminus of the Ribble Valley Line operated by Northern Rail and is north of Blackburn. The station forms part of the multi-award winning Clitheroe Interchange.- History :The original station...
, part of the Ribble Valley LineRibble Valley LineThe Ribble Valley Line is a railway line that runs from Manchester Victoria through Blackburn to the small market town of Clitheroe in Lancashire. Regular passenger services normally only run as far as Clitheroe, but occasional passenger services run along the line through north Lancashire towards... - the Hellifield (Settle Junction) to Carnforth line via WenningtonWennington railway stationWennington railway station serves the village of Wennington in Lancashire, England. It is situated on the Leeds to Morecambe Line and operated by Northern Rail, who provide all passenger train services. The station was formerly a junction between the lines to Lancaster and Carnforth , but the...
- the Hellifield to Skipton line
- the OrmskirkOrmskirk railway stationOrmskirk railway station is situated in the town of Ormskirk, Lancashire, England. The station is an interchange between Merseyrail services from Liverpool Central and Northern Rail services from Preston...
to Farrington Curve Junction (near Preston) line - the Oxenholme to WindermereWindermere railway stationWindermere railway station is the railway station that serves Windermere in Cumbria, England. It is just south of the A591, about 15 min walk or a short bus ride from the lake. The station is located behind a branch of the Booths supermarket chain, which occupies the site of the original station...
branchWindermere Branch LineThe Lakes Line is the railway line from Oxenholme to Kendal and Windermere, originally part of the Kendal and Windermere Railway.Passenger services are operated by TransPennine Express using modern Class 185 diesel multiple units....
of the WCML - various freight-only branches and chords, including in the Carlisle area
Some of these routes and/or services are designated as Community Rail Partnerships (CRP):
- East LancashireEast Lancashire LineThe East Lancashire Line is a railway line in the Lancashire region of England, which runs between Preston and Colne, through Blackburn, Accrington and Burnley ....
CRP (Preston to Colne service) - West of Lancashire CRP (Southport to Wigan, Ormskirk to Preston)
- Lakes Line CRP (Oxenholme to Windermere)
- Clitheroe Line CRP (ManchesterManchester Victoria stationManchester Victoria station in Manchester, England is the city's second largest mainline railway station. It is also a Metrolink station, one of eight within the City Zone...
to Clitheroe service).