Rawtenstall railway station
Encyclopedia
Rawtenstall railway station serves the town of Rawtenstall
in Lancashire
, England
, and is the northern terminus of the East Lancashire Railway
. It was formerly on the national railway network and also had a connection to Bacup
as well as Bury
and Manchester
.
The Association of Train Operating Companies
have identified that the community of Rawtenstall
on the East Lancashire Railway
Heritage Railway could benefit from services connecting the station to the National Network.
built by the East Lancashire Railway (later incorporated into the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
). The line reached Waterfoot in 1848 and Bacup
in 1852. For most of its life the station was on a through route for passenger services between Manchester
and Bacup via Bury
. After being listed for closure under the Beeching Axe
passenger and freight services to Bacup were withdrawn on 3 December 1966 (up to the last day services were regular at least every half an hour, every fifteen minutes at peak times and on Saturdays) and passenger services to Bury
on 3 June 1972. The station itself was closed in 1980 when a regular coal train was withdrawn by British Rail
. The station was then saved in 1987 by the 'new' East Lancashire Railway
.
Along the platform there is also a small wooden waiting shelter.
There are two platform faces, however only the main one is available for regular passenger services owing to the limitations of the signalling currently provided.
Rawtenstall West signal box survives at the Bury end of the station, next to the gated level crossing. This currently houses the crossing keeper, who works the gates by hand, on the ground. There is no fixed signalling apart from a ground frame to control points for the run-round loop and connection to the second platform, though there is a proposal to install a Manned Barrier Crossing (MCB) in place of the hand-worked gates, which are life expired.
Typically for a heritage railway the East Lancs Railway does not operate throughout the year and whilst it does offer a "local residents discount card" does not offer and does not claim to offer a true public transport facility.
Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall is a town at the centre of the Rossendale Valley, in Lancashire, England. It is the seat for the Borough of Rossendale, in which it is located. The town lies 18 miles north of Manchester, 22 miles east of the county town of Preston and 45 miles south east of Lancaster...
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...
, and is the northern terminus of the East Lancashire Railway
East Lancashire Railway
The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.-Overview:After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991 the service was extended...
. It was formerly on the national railway network and also had a connection to Bacup
Bacup
Bacup is a town within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, England. It is located amongst the South Pennines, along Lancashire's eastern boundary with West Yorkshire. The town sits within a rural setting in the Forest of Rossendale, amongst the steep-sided upper-Irwell Valley, through which the...
as well as Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
and 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...
.
The Association of Train Operating Companies
Association of Train Operating Companies
The Association of Train Operating Companies is a body which represents 24 train operating companies that provide passenger railway services on the privatised British railway system. It owns the National Rail brand. The Association is an unincorporated association owned by its members...
have identified that the community of Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall is a town at the centre of the Rossendale Valley, in Lancashire, England. It is the seat for the Borough of Rossendale, in which it is located. The town lies 18 miles north of Manchester, 22 miles east of the county town of Preston and 45 miles south east of Lancaster...
on the East Lancashire Railway
East Lancashire Railway
The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.-Overview:After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991 the service was extended...
Heritage Railway could benefit from services connecting the station to the National Network.
History
The current station opened in 1846 as part of a line from CliftonClifton, Greater Manchester
Clifton is a small town within the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies in the Irwell Valley in the northern part of the City of Salford....
built by the East Lancashire Railway (later incorporated into 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...
). The line reached Waterfoot in 1848 and Bacup
Bacup
Bacup is a town within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, England. It is located amongst the South Pennines, along Lancashire's eastern boundary with West Yorkshire. The town sits within a rural setting in the Forest of Rossendale, amongst the steep-sided upper-Irwell Valley, through which the...
in 1852. For most of its life the station was on a through route for passenger services between Manchester
Manchester Victoria station
Manchester 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...
and Bacup via 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...
. After being listed for closure under 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...
passenger and freight services to Bacup were withdrawn on 3 December 1966 (up to the last day services were regular at least every half an hour, every fifteen minutes at peak times and on Saturdays) and passenger services to Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
on 3 June 1972. The station itself was closed in 1980 when a regular coal train was withdrawn by British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
. The station was then saved in 1987 by the 'new' East Lancashire Railway
East Lancashire Railway
The East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.-Overview:After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991 the service was extended...
.
The Station Today
The station has been extensively rebuilt by the East Lancashire Railway, as nothing was left of the original buildings at closure. Part of the current station building lies across the former route on towards Bacup. The station has a ticket office and waiting room in the main building. The waiting room contains the original fireplace, and the original seats. The waiting room recently went through a restoration project, to make the station as original as possible. The ticket office is in the centre of the station.Along the platform there is also a small wooden waiting shelter.
There are two platform faces, however only the main one is available for regular passenger services owing to the limitations of the signalling currently provided.
Rawtenstall West signal box survives at the Bury end of the station, next to the gated level crossing. This currently houses the crossing keeper, who works the gates by hand, on the ground. There is no fixed signalling apart from a ground frame to control points for the run-round loop and connection to the second platform, though there is a proposal to install a Manned Barrier Crossing (MCB) in place of the hand-worked gates, which are life expired.
Typically for a heritage railway the East Lancs Railway does not operate throughout the year and whilst it does offer a "local residents discount card" does not offer and does not claim to offer a true public transport facility.