History of Ribble Valley Rail

Historical Map Research by B Haworth : Drawn by N Kirby

 

 

For an express link to Whalley Viaduct & Calderstones Branch articles click here _____________________________________ To view the July 1938 Timetable for the Blackburn - Clitheroe - Hellifield line click here

 

Last train from Clitheroe on 10th September 1962   Left: Formal line closure notice

 

. . . . . . and then, 24 years later, . . . . .

In 1981, the Settle to Carlisle railway line was under threat of closure, and by 1986, a huge public protest had gathered pace. It was in December 1986 that Ribble Valley Rail (RVR) was formed with an initial aim to restore passenger services between Blackburn and Clitheroe, and ultimately, onwards to Hellifield to form links with the S & C.

 

RVR organised chartered diesel trains between Preston and Clitheroe to raise public awareness. The special trains, branded as Ribble Valley Rail Days, were very popular, and the fares, that were collected, covered the hire charges.   The local paper, the Clitheroe Advertiser & Times, was very supportive, running many topical stories with a railway theme. Mindful of the public support for the charter trains, RVR members lobbied local and national politicians and anyone else likely to help their cause.

DMU passing through Whalley Station, later to be rebuilt

 

Return to the Top

Return to the RVR Home Page

 

Meanwhile the popular DalesRail trains had been running from the Northwest to Carlisle on summer weekends.   These trains secured the legality of the line as it now had to be included in the Settle & Carlisle line closure public enquiry.   Public opinion guaranteed the future of the S & C, and with it the Ribble Valley line.

First northbound DalesRail train arrives at Hellifield before restoration, the need for which is much in evidence.

 

Before a full service started, Regional Railways ran a Summer Saturday Shopper service between Clitheroe and Preston to test the market     – not surprisingly the market was supportive!
It was eventually decided to restart a Monday to Saturday service on the line with 17 daily trains each way between Clitheroe and Manchester Victoria, which began in May 1989   The DalesRail trains have continued to run on Summer Sundays and with increased popularity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right:   Regional Railways DMU leaving Brownhill Cutting, Blackburn, on a Clitheroe to Manchester Vic. service.   Photo: K. Roberts

 

Eventually an hourly Sunday was added. At first the Sunday services were only on a temporary basis but recently a deal with the Department for Transport and the train operator has guaranteed the Sunday Service in perpetuity.   Note the innovative display of the Sunday Timetable, as designed by the Railway Operator at that time.

 

Today, RVR is still keen to get services restored to Hellifield but is also supporting the call to double the line between Blackburn and Bolton to help increase capacity. They also work closely with the Clitheroe and East Lancashire Line Community Rail Partnerships. The Santa Services. held each year in December, are, in a way, a 'thank you' to all the regular customers, who help to keep the line going, and is regarded in the industry as the ‘right way' to run Santa trains.

 

Return to the Top

Return to the Home Page

 

 

STATION RECONSTRUCTION

Clitheroe Station had been partly rebuilt for the DalesRail service, but was rebuilt again, and finally opened as Clitheroe Interchange Clitheroe Interchange (before enlargement) and the Millennium Clock Photo: C. Carr

“a good servant, who served well” Plaque located outside the Interchange, which is dedicated to the memory of founder member, the late Ron Birch, who did so much to establish RVR, and to restore the service to the Ribble Valley Line.

 

Whalley was rebuilt roughly on its original site. Right: Before Photo: Unknown Far right: . .and after rebuilding Photo: K. Geddes

 

Langho was also rebuilt roughly on its original site.   Right: View of the station late 1950s just after closure on 7th May 1956 with a train continuing the climb up Langho Bank to Wilpshire Photo: K.. Roberts

xLangho just before reconstruction Photo: B. Haworth

 

xLangho after reconstruction   Photo: B. Haworth

 

Return to the Top

Return to the Home Page

 

A replacement for Wilpshire (for Ribchester) Station was built on a site 400 yards south of the original structure and renamed Ramsgreave & Wilpshire   Photo: K. Roberts

A class 153 on a route-familarisation run passes through the new station during its construction

 

Ramsgreave & Wilpshire now completed, with the remains of the former Wilpshire (for Ribchester) Station, white building (now a private residence) just visible in the background, top right, as a Clitheroe-bound train sets off from Platform 2 on 25 January 2005.   Photo: N. Kirby

 

Finally, the official opening of the Ribble Valley Line took place on 24th May 1994 . . . . . with the full service starting on Monday 30th May

Photos courtesy: E. Buckley, W. Briggs, C.Carr, B. Haworth, J. Matthews, K. Roberts

 

Return to the Home Page

A non-traditional view of Downham Village, with its backdrop of Pendle Hill, both of which form frequently-used locations for TV dramas.   Photo: D. Johns	Trough of Bowland and the scenic moorland road linking Clitheroe and Lancaster   Photo: D. Johns
A roof-top view of Clitheroe, as seen from the Castle.   Photo: D. Johns	An expansive view of the Ribble Valley Stocks Reservoir, viewed from Dunsop Fell, OS Map Ref: SD 680 546, 2.5 miles NW of Slaidburn, and looking in the direction of Settle and Hellifield Photo: D. Johns

Return to the Home Page

The Ribble Valley Line is now known as the Clitheroe Line

RVR has close relationships with the Train Operating Company, Northern Rail, and with Network Rail.Regular liaison meetings are held with both organisations, local members of which often attend RVR meetings. Until the abolition of local rail passenger representation RVR also had close links with the North West Rail Passenger Committee through one of its committee members, who had served on the RPC. Right: RVR Chairman Peter Moore Photo: W. Briggs

 

If, once you have viewed the various sections of this website, you would like information about how to join RVR please click here.. Right: Membership Sec. & RVRNews Editor Bill Briggs

Further information about the various roles undertaken by RVR will be found in Friends of Stations

 

Ribble Valley with Pendle Hill dominating the skyline, and the River Ribble in the foreground as viewed from a location adjacent to Ribchester Village School Photo: N. Kirby Return to the Top Return to the Home Page

ENGINEERING FEATURES OF THE RIBBLE VALLEY LINE Whalley Viaduct - the Largest and the Most Prominent Engineering Feature on the Ribble Valley Line The viaduct consists of 48 arches and is 678 yards long. It consumed 7 million bricks, and 436,000 cubic feet of stone during its construction, and cost £35,000 to build. Arches 12 and 13 collapsed during construction, killing three men. Their bodies were kept at the Judge Walmsley pub during the inquiry into the accident. BH Above: Whalley Viaduct - present day Photo: E.Buckley Above: A wintry vista around Whalley Viaduct just a few years ago Photo: J. Matthews Below: Construction of Whalley Viaduct xBrian Haworth writes: The worker, third in from the right hand side of the photograph, is William Robinson, born in 1862. and the grandfather of Camille W. George, who kindly gave me the photograph for my collection. During February 1923. he was off work sick with influenza, but was persuaded to return to work, although not fully recovered. On his first day back, Monday 26th February 1923, he was working on the tracks close to Gannow Junction in appalling weather conditions viz. sleet snow and high winds. On completion of their work, the track gang were making their way on foot back towards Rose Grove when an approaching train caused them to step off the track. Unfortunately, whilst the track gang stepped in one direction, William stepped in the other direction, and on to an adjacent track. He was hit and killed by a train travelling in the opposite direction, not having heard its approach due to the atrocious weather conditions. Below: Refurbishment of Whalley Viaduct in 2001 with sophisticated equipment, a complete contrast to that, which would be used at the time of the opening photograph in this feature Photos below:x C.Carr     Calderstones Branch During the WW1, the military took over the hospital at Calderstones and it became known as Queen Mary’s Military Hospital. A short branch from Barrow Sidings (see map at the top of the page) served the Hospital, and ambulance trains arrived from as far away as Dover & Southampton The largest remaining engineering feature of the Calderstones Branch, the Mitton Road Bridge, which crossed over the rail cutting, has fairly recently been filled in as a road-strengthening measure, leaving the overgrown cutting and a couple of yards of retaining wall as the last visible trace of the former branch. BH

 

Return to the Top

Return to the Home Page