Preston and Wyre Joint Railway
Encyclopedia
- Preston & Wyre Railway and Harbour Company, formed in 1835
- Preston & Wyre Dock Company, formed in 1837
The Dock Company was vested jointly between the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
(LNWR) – one third – and the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
– two thirds – on 28 July 1849 to become the PWJR.
The railway was originally built to connect Preston on the LNWR 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...
with the port of Fleetwood
Fleetwood
Fleetwood is a town within the Wyre district of Lancashire, England, lying at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 26,840 people at the 2001 Census. It forms part of the Greater Blackpool conurbation. The town was the first planned community of the Victorian era...
at the mouth of the River Wyre
River Wyre
The River Wyre is a river in Lancashire, United Kingdom, which flows into the Irish Sea at Fleetwood. It is approximately 28 miles in length...
. In 1861 the Blackpool and Lytham Railway (B&LR) was opened; this was included in the Joint Railway, amalgamated in 1871. A branch from Poulton-le-Fylde
Poulton-le-Fylde
Poulton-le-Fylde is a market town in Lancashire, England, situated on the coastal plain called the Fylde. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 18,264. There is evidence of human habitation in the area from 12,000 years ago and several archaeological finds from Roman...
to a station at Talbot Road, Blackpool, completed the 45 miles (72km) of track.
The following stations exist or have existed on the line:: closed 2 May 1938: closed 2 May 1938; reopened .. – junction for the Lytham (B&LR) line; and the "Blackpool direct" line to Blackpool South station (line now closed; most of the trackbed is now part of the M55 motorway
M55 motorway
The M55 is a motorway in Lancashire, England, which can also be referred to as the Preston Northern Bypass. It connects the seaside resort of Blackpool to the M6 at Preston. It is 11.4 miles in length.-Route:...
and Yeadon Way, Blackpool.)
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- Wrea GreenWrea Green railway stationWrea Green railway station was on the Blackpool South to Kirkham line. It served the village of Wrea Green, in Lancashire, England, and closed in 1961.The station opened in 1846...
: closed (1961) - Moss SideMoss Side railway stationMoss Side railway station is on the Blackpool South to Preston line, in Lancashire, England. It is located in Moss Side, a hamlet where the B5259 road crosses the railway at a level crossing...
- LythamLytham railway stationLytham railway station is on the Blackpool South to Preston railway line, in Lancashire, England.The conurbation of Lytham St Annes is served by three stations: Lytham, and St Annes...
- Ansdell and FairhavenAnsdell and Fairhaven railway stationAnsdell and Fairhaven railway station is on the Blackpool South to Preston railway line in Lancashire, England. In the past, it has also been known as Ansdell Station, Ansdell’s Gate station, and Ansdell’s Halt....
- St AnnesSt Annes-on-the-Sea railway stationSt Annes-on-the-Sea railway station serves the town of St Annes-on-Sea in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Blackpool South to Preston railway line 3¼ miles south-southeast of Blackpool South....
- two halts here were at Burlington Road and Gillets Crossing: both closed during WWII and permanently 1 January 1949
- Squires GateSquires Gate railway stationSquires Gate railway station is on the Blackpool South to Preston branch line, in Lancashire, England. It is the nearest station to Blackpool International Airport...
- Blackpool Pleasure BeachBlackpool Pleasure Beach railway stationBlackpool Pleasure Beach railway station is on the Fylde Coast branch line from Kirkham to Blackpool South, in Lancashire, England. It is across the road from the Blackpool Pleasure Beach complex and provides regular train connections to and from Blackpool and...
- Blackpool SouthBlackpool South railway stationBlackpool South railway station is a single platform stop at the end of the Fylde coast branch line from Kirkham, in Lancashire, England. It is unmanned and has an hourly service daily, except winter Sundays....
: was originally Waterloo Road - Blackpool CentralBlackpool Central railway stationBlackpool Central was the largest railway station in the town of Blackpool in the county of Lancashire, England. When it closed in 1964, it became the station with the highest number of platforms ever to close, comprising 14 platforms...
: closed 1964
- Wrea Green
- continuation of main line from Kirkham:
- Singleton; closed 1932
- Poulton-le-FyldePoulton-le-Fylde railway stationPoulton-le-Fylde railway station serves the town of Poulton-le-Fylde in Lancashire, England. It is managed by Northern Rail, but also served by First TransPennine Express.-History:...
: junction for line to Blackpool North:- LaytonLayton railway stationLayton railway station is on the Blackpool North to Preston railway line, in Lancashire, England, serving the Blackpool suburb of Layton. It is managed by Northern Rail and is unstaffed.-History:...
: was named Bispham - Blackpool NorthBlackpool North railway stationBlackpool North railway station is the main railway station serving the seaside resort of Blackpool in Lancashire, England. It is the terminus of the main Blackpool branch line from Preston....
was Talbot Road station
- Layton
- continuation of main line from Poulton-le-Fylde; this section is closed to traffic:
- Thornton for CleveleysThornton for Cleveleys railway stationThornton–Cleveleys was a small-sized railway station which served the two English Lancashire towns of Thornton and Cleveleys, but was situated in the centre of Thornton. Located on the now disused line between and , the station also had a shunting yard for the making-up of freight trains for and...
serving ThorntonThornton, LancashireThornton is a village on the Fylde, in Lancashire, England, about four miles north of Blackpool and two miles south of Fleetwood. It is in the Borough of Wyre...
and CleveleysCleveleysCleveleys is a town on the Fylde Coast of Lancashire, England, about 4 miles north of Blackpool and 2 miles south of Fleetwood...
: between here and Bispham (see above) was a curve (now closed) on which stood Poulton Curve Halt - Burn Naze haltBurn Naze Halt railway stationBurn Naze Halt railway station served Burn Naze in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, England, between 1908 and 1964. The platforms are still in existence but heavily overgrown with vegetation...
- Fleetwood Wyre Dock serving FleetwoodFleetwoodFleetwood is a town within the Wyre district of Lancashire, England, lying at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 26,840 people at the 2001 Census. It forms part of the Greater Blackpool conurbation. The town was the first planned community of the Victorian era...
: here was goods branch to Wyre Dock. Terminus from 1966 to 1970. Closed in 1970. - FleetwoodFleetwood railway stationThere have been three locations for Fleetwood railway station in Fleetwood, Lancashire, England. The first, from 1840 to 1883, was in Dock Street, opposite Church Street. The second, from 1883 to 1966, was in Queen's Terrace...
serving FleetwoodFleetwoodFleetwood is a town within the Wyre district of Lancashire, England, lying at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 26,840 people at the 2001 Census. It forms part of the Greater Blackpool conurbation. The town was the first planned community of the Victorian era...
: closed in 1966. Terminus transferred to Fleetwood Wyre Dock.
External links
- Blackpool And Fylde Rail Users' Association
- Local plan suggesting that line be reopened to Fleetwood
- Poulton and Wyre Railway Society are working towards restoring passenger services to Fleetwood, follow the link for more information.