Ribble Valley Line
Encyclopedia
The 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 Yorkshire
town of Hellifield
, where it joins the Settle – Carlisle
line. The line passes over the distinctive 48 span Whalley Viaduct.
The line between Blackburn and Hellifield was closed to passengers in 1962 but continued to be used for diversions and for freight. After a public campaign, the line between Blackburn and Clitheroe was re-opened to regular passenger services in 1994 and subsequently an infrequent service was introduced between Clitheroe and Hellifield.
The towns and villages on the route are:
Passenger services from Clitheroe
to Manchester
via Blackburn are operated by Northern Rail
. On summer Sundays Northern Rail 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
.
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 by Blackburn with Darwen
Council, who unveiled an £8 million bid to the Department for Transport
and Network Rail
. Improvements may include installing double tracks where presently the route is 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. However, the funding for the scheme was eventually rejected in March 2008.
The line between Blackburn and Clitheroe
was temporarily closed in November 2008 due to a major refurbishment. The £5 million scheme included 11,651 yards of continuous welded rail, 16,000 new concrete or steel sleeper
s and 40,000 tonnes of ballast
. Replacement bus services ran between Clitheroe
and Blackburn. The line re-opened on the 28 November 2008.
The Clitheroe Advertiser and Times
, the Ribble Valley's local newspaper, recently published an article explaining a very bright future for the Ribble Valley Line. The Government and Prime Minister Gordon Brown
, have backed the scheme, called 'Pennine Lancashire', which will see new housing, tourist attractions and improved transport links. The Government have included in this scheme:
The scheme has been welcomed also by the Ribble Valley Rail
group, who have campaigned to re-open the line and are very excited at the proposals.
Clitheroe
Clitheroe is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. It is 1½ miles from the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for tourists in the area. It has a population of 14,697...
in 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...
. Regular passenger services normally only run as far as Clitheroe, but occasional passenger services run along the line through north Lancashire towards the Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
town of Hellifield
Hellifield
Hellifield is a village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England . The village once was an important railway junction on the Settle-Carlisle Railway between the Midland Railway and the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, but Hellifield railway station is now a shadow of...
, where it joins the Settle – Carlisle
Settle-Carlisle Railway
The Settle–Carlisle Line is a long main railway line in northern England. It is also known as the Settle and Carlisle. It is a part of the National Rail network and was constructed in the 1870s...
line. The line passes over the distinctive 48 span Whalley Viaduct.
The line between Blackburn and Hellifield was closed to passengers in 1962 but continued to be used for diversions and for freight. After a public campaign, the line between Blackburn and Clitheroe was re-opened to regular passenger services in 1994 and subsequently an infrequent service was introduced between Clitheroe and Hellifield.
The towns and villages on the route are:
- ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
- BoltonBoltonBolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
- Hall i' th' WoodHall i' th' WoodHall i' th' Wood is an early 16th century manor house in Bolton, Greater Manchester . It is a Grade I listed building and is currently used as a museum by Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council. The original building is timber framed and has a stone flagged roof; there were later additions to the...
- Bromley CrossBromley CrossBromley Cross is a suburb of the unparished area of South Turton in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the southern edge of the West Pennine Moors....
- EntwistleEntwistle, LancashireEntwistle is a village in the Blackburn with Darwen unitary authority in Lancashire in the north west of England.Its name derives from the Old English ened and twisla which means a river fork frequented by ducks. The name was recorded as Hennetwisel in 1212, Ennetwysel in 1276 and Entwissell in 1311...
- DarwenDarwenDarwen is a market town and civil parish located within Lancashire, England. Along with its northerly neighbour, Blackburn, it forms the Borough of Blackburn with Darwen — a unitary authority area...
- Blackburn
- RamsgreaveRamsgreaveRamsgreave is a civil parish in the Ribble Valley district , in Lancashire, England. The parish is located on the northern edge of Blackburn although it is just outside the Blackburn with Darwen unitary district, and although the south and east of the parish is suburban, the parish also includes a...
and WilpshireWilpshireWilpshire is a village and civil parish in the county of Lancashire, England. It is north of Blackburn, and forms part of the town's urban area, although it is in the Ribble Valley local government district... - LanghoLanghoLangho is a small rural village north of Blackburn in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire, England. It is part of the parish of Billington and Langho. The village is linked with Blackburn and Clitheroe by the A666 road and is served by Langho railway station on the Ribble Valley Line. To the north,...
- WhalleyWhalleyWhalley is a large village in the Ribble Valley on the banks of the River Calder in Lancashire, England. It is overlooked by Whalley Nab, a large picturesque wooded hill over the river from the village....
- ClitheroeClitheroeClitheroe is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. It is 1½ miles from the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for tourists in the area. It has a population of 14,697...
Passenger services from Clitheroe
Clitheroe
Clitheroe is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. It is 1½ miles from the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for tourists in the area. It has a population of 14,697...
to Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
via Blackburn are operated by Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
. On summer Sundays Northern Rail also operates the DalesRail service, which starts at Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
and continues beyond Clitheroe to the Settle - Carlisle line, where it calls at all the stations en route to Carlisle
Carlisle railway station
Carlisle 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 service from Manchester to Clitheroe was designated by the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
as a community rail
Community rail
In the United Kingdom, a community rail line is a local railway which is specially supported by local organisations. This support is usually through a Community Rail Partnerships – comprising both the railway operator, local councils and other community organisations – or sometimes by...
service in March 2007. It was announced in March 2007 that major improvements to the line were being proposed by Blackburn with Darwen
Blackburn with Darwen
Blackburn with Darwen is a unitary authority area in Lancashire, North West England. It consists of Blackburn, the small town of Darwen to the south of it, and the surrounding countryside.-Formation:...
Council, who unveiled an £8 million bid to the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
and Network Rail
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...
. Improvements may include installing double tracks where presently the route is 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. However, the funding for the scheme was eventually rejected in March 2008.
The line between Blackburn and Clitheroe
Clitheroe
Clitheroe is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. It is 1½ miles from the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for tourists in the area. It has a population of 14,697...
was temporarily closed in November 2008 due to a major refurbishment. The £5 million scheme included 11,651 yards of continuous welded rail, 16,000 new concrete or steel sleeper
Railroad tie
A railroad tie/railway tie , or railway sleeper is a rectangular item used to support the rails in railroad tracks...
s and 40,000 tonnes of ballast
Track ballast
Track ballast forms the trackbed upon which railway sleepers or railroad ties are laid. It is packed between, below, and around the ties. It is used to facilitate drainage of water, to distribute the load from the railroad ties, and also to keep down vegetation that might interfere with the track...
. Replacement bus services ran between Clitheroe
Clitheroe
Clitheroe is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. It is 1½ miles from the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for tourists in the area. It has a population of 14,697...
and Blackburn. The line re-opened on the 28 November 2008.
The Clitheroe Advertiser and Times
Clitheroe Advertiser and Times
The Clitheroe Advertiser and Times is a weekly newspaper published every Thursday for readers in the area of Clitheroe in the Ribble Valley, east Lancashire....
, the Ribble Valley's local newspaper, recently published an article explaining a very bright future for the Ribble Valley Line. The Government and Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
, have backed the scheme, called 'Pennine Lancashire', which will see new housing, tourist attractions and improved transport links. The Government have included in this scheme:
- new signaling
- doubling single track lines
- increased line-speeds
- new rolling-stock
- extending platform lengths
The scheme has been welcomed also by the Ribble Valley Rail
Ribble Valley Rail
Ribble Valley Rail is the name the group of volunteers that care for the Hellifield, Clitheroe and Blackburn section of the Ribble Valley Line. They were formed in 1986, hoping they would have services running all the way to Hellifield, but so far have services running only to Clitheroe...
group, who have campaigned to re-open the line and are very excited at the proposals.