Accrington railway station
Encyclopedia
Accrington railway station serves the town of Accrington
in Lancashire
, England
. It is a station on the East Lancashire Line
10 km (6¼ miles) east of Blackburn railway station
operated by Northern Rail
.
It is also served by Caldervale Line
express services between Blackpool North
, York
and Leeds.
in 1859. Taken into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
during the Grouping
of 1923, the line then passed on to the London Midland Region of British Railways
on nationalisation in 1948.
The station was formerly a major junction on the ELR, with the line to Bury
and Salford
diverging southwards from that towards Blackburn & Preston at the western end of the station, just before the impressive viaduct that carries the line over the town centre. This was for many years a busy commuter route carrying regular trains from Skipton
and Colne to Manchester Victoria, but it fell victim to the Beeching Axe
in the sixties and closed to passengers on 5 December 1966. Few traces of this route remain today, the formation through the town (including part of the notorious 1 in 40 Baxenden Bank) having been built over.
When Sectorisation
was introduced, the station was served by Regional Railways
until the Privatisation of British Rail
ways.
The station is currently (early 2011) undergoing a major rebuild, as part of a project to create a model of sustainable energy use for a railway station. This redevelopment is costing £
2 million, of which £500,000 is funded by the European Union's
Interreg IVB
programme. The previously existing ticket office has been demolished, and is being replaced by a new build designed by SBS Architects and constructed, where possible, with local materials including recycled stone. The building uses a rainwater harvesting system, photovoltaic cells and solar hot water generation panels on the new tower.
(westbound) and Leeds/York
(eastbound) on the Caldervale Line. This now also runs hourly on Sundays since the May 2009 timetable change.
These call at Blackburn
, Preston
, Poulton-le-Fylde
& Blackpool North
westbound and Burnley Manchester Road
, Hebden Bridge
, Halifax
, Bradford Interchange, New Pudsey
, Leeds, Cross Gates
, Garforth
, East Garforth
, Micklefield
, Church Fenton
(2-hourly) and York
eastbound.
On the East Lancashire Line, Monday to Saturday daytimes, there is an hourly service from Accrington to Blackpool South
(westbound) and Colne
(eastbound). There was also a solitary Mon-Fri morning commuter service from Colne to Manchester Victoria that formerly called here, along with a corresponding return working during the evening. This was however withdrawn at the May 2009 timetable change (it was diverted to run to instead).
There is a two-hourly service in each direction on Sundays. These call at all stops (except Salwick), including the major stations of Preston, Blackburn and Burnley Central.
Accrington
Accrington is a town in Lancashire, within the borough of Hyndburn. It lies about east of Blackburn, west of Burnley, north of Manchester city centre and is situated on the mostly culverted River Hyndburn...
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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is a station on the East Lancashire Line
East Lancashire Line
The East Lancashire Line is a railway line in the Lancashire region of England, which runs between Preston and Colne, through Blackburn, Accrington and Burnley ....
10 km (6¼ miles) east of Blackburn railway station
Blackburn railway station
Blackburn 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...
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...
.
It is also served by Caldervale Line
Caldervale Line
The Caldervale Line is a railway route in Northern England between the cities of Leeds and Manchester as well as the seaside resort of Blackpool...
express services between Blackpool North
Blackpool North railway station
Blackpool 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....
, York
York railway station
York railway station is a main-line railway station in the city of York, England. It lies on the East Coast Main Line north of London's King's Cross station towards Edinburgh's Waverley Station...
and Leeds.
History
The station was opened in 1848 by the East Lancashire Railway, which amalgamated with the Lancashire and Yorkshire RailwayLancashire 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...
in 1859. Taken into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
during the Grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
of 1923, the line then passed on to the London Midland Region of British Railways
London Midland Region of British Railways
The London Midland Region was one of the six regions created on the formation of the nationalised British Railways and consisted of ex-London, Midland and Scottish Railway lines in England and Wales. The region was managed first from buildings adjacent to Euston Station and later from Stanier...
on nationalisation in 1948.
The station was formerly a major junction on the ELR, with the line to Bury
Bury Bolton Street railway station
Bury Bolton Street railway station is a railway station in Bury, Greater Manchester.- History :It was formerly the main station serving the town, with links north to Ramsbottom, thence via Stubbins Junction either to Rawtenstall and Bacup or to Haslingden and Accrington; and south to Radcliffe...
and Salford
Salford Central railway station
Salford Central railway station is a railway station in Salford, Greater Manchester in the North West of England just over the River Irwell from Manchester city centre. It is very close to Manchester's Spinningfields district and the area behind the House of Fraser department store, Deansgate...
diverging southwards from that towards Blackburn & Preston at the western end of the station, just before the impressive viaduct that carries the line over the town centre. This was for many years a busy commuter route carrying regular trains from Skipton
Skipton railway station
Skipton 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....
and Colne to Manchester Victoria, but it fell victim to the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
in the sixties and closed to passengers on 5 December 1966. Few traces of this route remain today, the formation through the town (including part of the notorious 1 in 40 Baxenden Bank) having been built over.
When Sectorisation
British Rail brand names
British Rail was the brand image of the nationalised railway owner and operator in Great Britain, the British Railways Board, used from 1965 until its breakup and sell-off from 1993 onwards....
was introduced, the station was served by Regional Railways
Regional Railways
Regional Railways was one of the three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982 that existed until 1996, 3 years after privatisation. The sector was originally called Provincial....
until the Privatisation of British Rail
Privatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
ways.
Buildings and structures
The station has two side platforms, flanking the twin-track railway line. Other than two small shelters (one on each platform) there is no protection from the elements; indeed the whole impression is one of a basic halt. It offers disabled access via ramps adjacent to the platforms.The station is currently (early 2011) undergoing a major rebuild, as part of a project to create a model of sustainable energy use for a railway station. This redevelopment is costing £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
2 million, of which £500,000 is funded by the European Union's
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
Interreg IVB
Interreg
Interreg is an initiative that aims to stimulate cooperation between regions in the European Union. It started in 1989, and is financed under the European Regional Development Fund...
programme. The previously existing ticket office has been demolished, and is being replaced by a new build designed by SBS Architects and constructed, where possible, with local materials including recycled stone. The building uses a rainwater harvesting system, photovoltaic cells and solar hot water generation panels on the new tower.
Services
There is an hourly service from Accrington to Blackpool NorthBlackpool North railway station
Blackpool 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....
(westbound) and Leeds/York
York railway station
York railway station is a main-line railway station in the city of York, England. It lies on the East Coast Main Line north of London's King's Cross station towards Edinburgh's Waverley Station...
(eastbound) on the Caldervale Line. This now also runs hourly on Sundays since the May 2009 timetable change.
These call at Blackburn
Blackburn railway station
Blackburn 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...
, Preston
Preston railway station
Preston 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...
, Poulton-le-Fylde
Poulton-le-Fylde railway station
Poulton-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:...
& Blackpool North
Blackpool North railway station
Blackpool 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....
westbound and Burnley Manchester Road
Burnley Manchester Road railway station
Burnley 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...
, Hebden Bridge
Hebden Bridge railway station
Hebden Bridge railway station serves the town of Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, England. The station is on the Caldervale Line, currently operated by Northern Rail from York and Leeds towards Manchester Victoria and Blackpool North...
, Halifax
Halifax railway station
Halifax railway station serves the town of Halifax in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the Caldervale Line and is west from .The station at Halifax is an example of a single island platform acting as two platforms. Platform 2 heads eastbound, towards Bradford while Platform 1 heads westbound...
, Bradford Interchange, New Pudsey
New Pudsey railway station
New Pudsey railway station is in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, on the Caldervale Line from Leeds City to Bradford Interchange, Halifax, Huddersfield, Manchester Victoria, and Blackpool North...
, Leeds, Cross Gates
Cross Gates railway station
Cross Gates railway station serves Cross Gates, an area in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the York and Selby Lines, operated by Northern Rail east of Leeds railway station...
, Garforth
Garforth railway station
Garforth railway station serves the town of Garforth, near Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the York and Selby Lines and North TransPennine routes. Garforth is east of Leeds....
, East Garforth
East Garforth railway station
East Garforth railway station serves Garforth in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the York and Selby Lines, operated by Northern Rail east of Leeds. The station was opened by Metro on 1 May 1987, to serve the new housing developments in the area.The station is an unstaffed halt, and has wooden...
, Micklefield
Micklefield railway station
Micklefield railway station serves the village of Micklefield, near Garforth in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the York and Selby Lines, operated by Northern Rail, east of Leeds....
, Church Fenton
Church Fenton railway station
Church Fenton railway station serves Church Fenton in North Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the former York and North Midland Railway main line from York to Normanton, just under from York.- History :...
(2-hourly) and York
York railway station
York railway station is a main-line railway station in the city of York, England. It lies on the East Coast Main Line north of London's King's Cross station towards Edinburgh's Waverley Station...
eastbound.
On the East Lancashire Line, Monday to Saturday daytimes, there is an hourly service from Accrington to Blackpool South
Blackpool South railway station
Blackpool 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....
(westbound) and Colne
Colne railway station
Colne 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...
(eastbound). There was also a solitary Mon-Fri morning commuter service from Colne to Manchester Victoria that formerly called here, along with a corresponding return working during the evening. This was however withdrawn at the May 2009 timetable change (it was diverted to run to instead).
There is a two-hourly service in each direction on Sundays. These call at all stops (except Salwick), including the major stations of Preston, Blackburn and Burnley Central.