History — Trains Through the Ribble Valley

HISTORY

The Ribble Valley Railway — 1846 to the present day

A Short History

A grand celebration at Clitheroe saw the first sod cut by Lord Ribblesdale on 30 December 1846. Progress was slow but work continued and finally on 22 June 1850 the railway opened between Blackburn and Chatburn. In 1858 the line was absorbed into the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway and with completion up to Hellifield in 1879, through services began on 1 June 1880. From this date Anglo-Scottish trains using the S&C route started connecting at Hellifield instead of Skipton. This was followed eight years later with Midland Railway locomotives being allowed to use the line for their passenger trains from Manchester.

Like many railways it suffered considerable changes of fortune, particularly during the times of the two World Wars. On 10 September 1962 the local passenger service was withdrawn, leaving the Ribble Valley line as mainly freight only with occasional diversionary traffic. Events took a massive turn for the better when, after much pressure and lobbying, a full passenger service was reinstated on 30 May 1994 with four new stations along the way.

During the 30 years with no local trains a few special trains would visit the line but freight was the principal user. The electrification of the West Coast Main Line had from the mid-1970s brought a good variety of slow and unfitted goods trains along the route but this came to an end in May 1983, leaving just the cement traffic to keep the line alive. Although the start of the Dales Rail trains to Carlisle in 1978 did offer some hope for the future — and that has been the case — with the Ribble Valley railway moving well into the 21st century in good shape with regular freight, passenger and diverted trains all coming together to make up the well used, modern and beautiful railway we have today. A real Survivor.

Key Dates

1846First sod cut by Lord Ribblesdale, 30 December

1850Line opens Blackburn to Chatburn, 22 June

1858Absorbed into the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway

1879Completion through to Hellifield

1880Through services begin 1 June — Anglo-Scottish trains connect at Hellifield

1888Midland Railway locos permitted on the line for Manchester passenger trains

1962Local passenger service withdrawn, 10 September

1978Dales Rail trains to Carlisle begin — hope for the future

1983Unfitted and wagonload trains finish in May — only cement traffic remains

1994Full passenger service reinstated 30 May — four new stations opened

Station Closure Poster — Preston Station, 4 August 1988

Station closure poster displayed at Preston Station, 4 August 1988

This station closure poster was displayed at Preston Station on 4 August 1988.

Wilpshire in the 1960s

Steam locomotive 1X32 at Wilpshire station with passenger train, early 1960s

Viewed from the signal box, No. 45012 of 12A Carlisle Kingmoor heads towards Blackburn with a southbound passenger working — early 1960s (K. Roberts)

No. D5255 climbing out of Wilpshire Tunnel with an ICI tank train, April 1968

Climbing out of Wilpshire Tunnel, No. D5255 with an ICI tank train — April 1968 (T. Mercer)

Daisyfield, Blackburn — 1982

Daisyfield signal box at Moss Street crossing as a Preston to Carlisle Dales Rail unit passes, 7 August 1982

Daisyfield signal box, dating from 1873, stands guard at Moss Street crossing as a Preston to Carlisle Dales Rail unit passes on a very wet 7 August 1982