Blackpool North railway station
Encyclopedia
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
.
The station was opened in its present form in 1974, and succeeded a previous station a few hundred yards away on Talbot Road which had first opened in 1846 and had been rebuilt in 1898. The present station is based on the 1938 concrete canopy which covered the entrance to the former excursion platforms of the old station.
Blackpool North was on the InterCity
network until 2003 when Virgin Trains
withdrew HST
and Voyager
services to London Euston
and Birmingham
. Former local franchise holder First North Western
ran services from Blackpool to London Euston, but these were soon discontinued. Passengers must now change at for InterCity
connections.
Blackpool's other station, Blackpool South
, is situated in the south of the town, with services towards and , and does not connect to Blackpool North.
As Blackpool
is a popular tourist resort
, with its famous Pleasure Beach and beaches, there are many measures put in to prevent fare evasion, including automated barrier checks as well as the conductors on the train. The station is approximately half a mile along Talbot Road from the Blackpool tramway
.
(who would use dual-mode electric/diesel trains) and Grand Central Railway (using Mark 3 coaches hauled by diesel locomotives).
and First TransPennine Express
.
First TransPennine Express
also operate a single daily service at 09.14 to via , , and . There is also a 22.45 service from to Blackpool North.
First TransPennine Express
also operate a daily service to on Sundays only at 17.30, via , , and that attaches to the same service originating from .
All First TransPennine Express
services are operated by Class 185 Desiro
units.
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...
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 the terminus of the main Blackpool branch line from 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...
.
The station was opened in its present form in 1974, and succeeded a previous station a few hundred yards away on Talbot Road which had first opened in 1846 and had been rebuilt in 1898. The present station is based on the 1938 concrete canopy which covered the entrance to the former excursion platforms of the old station.
Blackpool North was on the InterCity
InterCity (British Rail)
InterCity was introduced by British Rail in 1966 as a brand-name for its long-haul express passenger services ....
network until 2003 when Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
withdrew HST
High Speed Train
There are three types of trains in Britain that have been traditionally viewed as high speed trains:* Advanced Passenger Train - Tilting trains which never entered into regular revenue-earning service....
and Voyager
British Rail Class 220
The Class 220 Voyager are a class of diesel-electric high-speed multiple-unit trains built by Bombardier Transportation in 2000 and 2001....
services to London Euston
Euston railway station
Euston railway station, also known as London Euston, is a central London railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden. It is the sixth busiest rail terminal in London . It is one of 18 railway stations managed by Network Rail, and is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line...
and Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. Former local franchise holder First North Western
First North Western
First North Western was a train operating company in the United Kingdom serving North West England. It operated from 1997 to 2004.The company when first privatised was known as North Western Trains and was owned by Great Western Holdings, a partnership between Great Western's management, First...
ran services from Blackpool to London Euston, but these were soon discontinued. Passengers must now change at for InterCity
InterCity (British Rail)
InterCity was introduced by British Rail in 1966 as a brand-name for its long-haul express passenger services ....
connections.
Blackpool's other station, 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....
, is situated in the south of the town, with services towards and , and does not connect to Blackpool North.
As 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...
is a popular tourist resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
, with its famous Pleasure Beach and beaches, there are many measures put in to prevent fare evasion, including automated barrier checks as well as the conductors on the train. The station is approximately half a mile along Talbot Road from the Blackpool tramway
Blackpool tramway
The Blackpool tramway runs from Blackpool to Fleetwood on the Fylde Coast in Lancashire, England, and is the only surviving first-generation tramway in the United Kingdom. The tramway dates back to 1885 and is one of the oldest electric tramways in the world. It is run by Blackpool Transport as...
.
History
The first station opened on 29 April 1846 as Talbot Road, and was first rebuilt in 1898. The rebuilt station consisted of two parallel train sheds and a terminal building, in Dickson Road between Talbot Road and Queen Street. Platforms 1 to 6 were located in the sheds, with a larger island between platforms 1 and 2 to accommodate taxis. In addition, there was effectively, in all but name, a separate station at the east end of Queen Street, with open "excursion" platforms 7 to 16, used only in summer. In 1974 the main station was demolished, replaced by the current station based on the former excursion platforms.Electrification
On 25 November 2010 it was announced that the lines between Preston and Blackpool would be electrified, along with the line between Manchester and Preston.Future services
The Department for Transport has announced that Blackpool will again have through services to London after the new InterCity West Coast franchise starts at the beginning of 2013 and once the Blackpool-Preston line is electrified. It is intended that this service would operate every two hours. Meanwhile, applications to operate London-Blackpool through trains, even without the line being electrified, have been lodged by open-access operators Alliance Rail HoldingsAlliance Rail Holdings
Alliance Rail Holdings is a proposed train operating company in the United Kingdom and is finalising its development plans for the operation of new rail services on a number of routes through its subsidiaries Great North Western Railway Co Ltd and Great North Eastern Railway Co Ltd...
(who would use dual-mode electric/diesel trains) and Grand Central Railway (using Mark 3 coaches hauled by diesel locomotives).
Services
The station is served by Northern RailNorthern 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...
and First TransPennine Express
First TransPennine Express
First TransPennine Express is a British train operating company. It is a joint operation between First Group and Keolis . It operates regular passenger services in northern England, including services linking the west and east coasts across the Pennines...
.
- Northern Rail operates as follows:
- 1tph to YorkYork railway stationYork 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...
via , , , 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...
), , and . These services are operated by Class 158 Express SprinterBritish Rail Class 158British Rail Class 158 Express Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train, built for British Rail between 1989 and 1992 by BREL at its Derby Works. They were built to replace many locomotive-hauled passenger trains, and allowed cascading of existing Sprinter units to replace elderly 'heritage' DMUs...
units.
- 1tph to York
-
- 1tph to Liverpool Lime StreetLiverpool Lime Street railway stationLiverpool Lime Street is a railway station serving the city centre of Liverpool, England. The station lies on a branch of the West Coast Main Line from London Euston, and on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network...
via , and , with a few extensions to . These services are operated by Class 150 SprinterBritish Rail Class 150The British Rail Class 150 "Sprinter" diesel multiple units were built by BREL from 1984-87. A total of 137 units were built in three main subclasses, replacing many of the earlier first-generation "Heritage" DMUs.- Background :...
units and Class 156 Super SprinterBritish Rail Class 156The British Rail Class 156 Super Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train . 114 of these units were built from 1987 to 1989 by Metro-Cammell at its Washwood Heath Works in Birmingham...
units.
- 1tph to Liverpool Lime Street
-
- 1tph to Manchester Victoria via , , , and , with a daily extension to , , and . This extension is the only service operated by Northern to call at Manchester Oxford RoadManchester Oxford Road railway stationManchester Oxford Road Railway Station is a railway station in the city of Manchester, England. The station is located at the junction of Whitworth Street West and Oxford Street, on an elevated line between Deansgate and Piccadilly stations....
and Manchester Piccadilly, all other services to Oxford RoadManchester Oxford Road railway stationManchester Oxford Road Railway Station is a railway station in the city of Manchester, England. The station is located at the junction of Whitworth Street West and Oxford Street, on an elevated line between Deansgate and Piccadilly stations....
and Piccadilly stations are operated by First TransPennine ExpressFirst TransPennine ExpressFirst TransPennine Express is a British train operating company. It is a joint operation between First Group and Keolis . It operates regular passenger services in northern England, including services linking the west and east coasts across the Pennines...
. These services are operated by Class 180 AdelanteBritish Rail Class 180The Class 180 is a type of British diesel multiple unit train built by Alstom between 2000 and 2001 for use on then-new express services by First Great Western . They were built at Washwood Heath in Birmingham and are part of the Coradia 1000 family along with the Class 175. FGW stopped using the...
units.
- 1tph to Manchester Victoria via , , , and , with a daily extension to , , and . This extension is the only service operated by Northern to call at Manchester Oxford Road
- First TransPennine Express operates as follows:
- 1tph to Manchester AirportManchester Airport railway stationManchester Airport railway station is the railway station that serves Manchester Airport and is built into the airport's terminal buildings. The station was opened together with the second airport terminal in 1993.- Description:...
via , , , , and .
- 1tph to Manchester Airport
First TransPennine Express
First TransPennine Express
First TransPennine Express is a British train operating company. It is a joint operation between First Group and Keolis . It operates regular passenger services in northern England, including services linking the west and east coasts across the Pennines...
also operate a single daily service at 09.14 to via , , and . There is also a 22.45 service from to Blackpool North.
First TransPennine Express
First TransPennine Express
First TransPennine Express is a British train operating company. It is a joint operation between First Group and Keolis . It operates regular passenger services in northern England, including services linking the west and east coasts across the Pennines...
also operate a daily service to on Sundays only at 17.30, via , , and that attaches to the same service originating from .
All First TransPennine Express
First TransPennine Express
First TransPennine Express is a British train operating company. It is a joint operation between First Group and Keolis . It operates regular passenger services in northern England, including services linking the west and east coasts across the Pennines...
services are operated by Class 185 Desiro
British Rail Class 185
The Class 185 Pennine Desiro is a diesel multiple-unit passenger train of the Desiro type built by Siemens in Germany for the British train operating company First TransPennine Express.51 units were acquired, representing an investment of £250 million....
units.
External links
- Blackpool & Fylde Rail Users’ Association—Blackpool North, accessed 17 October 2007