Blackpool South to Preston Route / Line
 

Today i was talking to a freind that works at Rainhill about routes to take from Rainhill to Blackpool and it started me thinking about when i was a young boy when i traveled on this line to visit my relatives who live in Lytham St.Annes.

As i used to get of the train at Preston or Lytham and would get picked up here by my uncle and then those days it was a single track for as far as i can remeber so i was wondering if it was still the same.

And aslo i notice from the National Rail Website that these trains now go to Colne and Blackburn so how long have they been going there as as far as i can remeber they only used to go as far as Preston.

I was also wondering if they still use 142 Units on here as these were the norm at one time during the evening you would get a 153 Unit.

I aslo remeber the Loco Hauled train Stopping at Garswood tin the Morning to go to Blackpool these were certanley the good days.

I can't think of any train that stops at Garswood now to go to Blackpool only on a Sunday and your bound to be squahed on 150 or 156.


I may take a trip up there sometime but knowing my luck it will be a 156 unit on the Blackpool South Line.

Originally , the trains ran from Skipton to Preston -then change for Blackpool.

The track from Skipton to Colne was ripped up years ago and now they run from Colne -Burnley -Blackburn- Preston - Blackpool or York - Leeds -Burnley (via copy Pit) -Blackburn- Preston - Blackpool ( think this is an hourly service). Change at Blackburn for a Manchester/Clitheroe service too.

I see so they have joined the two routes together, but what is the common unit to be on this route now 156's or 150's or is it like everything esle where anthing goes.

With exeption of the Liverpool - Wigan Stopping Service where its genrally those awfull 156's but usually on this route you will find one 142 Unit operating.

whooops- think the York / Blackpool service goes to Blackpool north- as do Blackpool / Manchester Airport services

I was talking to one of the guards at the East Lancs this weekend, and it just so happens that he's a driver with Northern and has driven on the Blackpool South line. He regularily drives 142s but I'm not sure which service that's on.

The Class 142
 

G'day the class 142 runs on the Blackpool South to Colne, but are being taken off the line and being replaced by the 150 and 156's.
By the way im a research officer for SELRAP (skipton East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership) based here in Sydney Australia, we are campaining to have the Link between Colne and skipton reopend by 2012 ? as a new trans-pennine rail link for more detail, and details of how to join please go to their web site www.selrap.org.uk loads of realy good pictures + two films to see via You tube.:)

Northern say they are taking themoff that line but its will be the same as with the Liverpool - Wigan Line where there seems to be at least one one there each day.

"What don't Northern Like about 142's as they seem to be the most relible theese daysplus they have painteed enogh of them"

There's also one early morning train which starts at St-Annes-on-Sea and goes to Preston, Stockport then down the Chester line as far as Greenbank. (Although it's shown in the TP Express timetable as a Kirkham & Wesham to Greenbank service) That train has been running since First North Western had the franchise and was at one time run by a EWS owned class 37, now it's either a 156 attached to a 150 or a pair of 156s.