"Little" North Western Railway

North Western Railway

Company type	Early railway enterprise
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	June 26, 1846 (1846-06-26)
Fate	Leased and incorporated into Midland Railway
Headquarters	England, United Kingdom
Area served	North-west England, Yorkshire, Lancashire
Products	Railway transport services

The North Western Railway (NWR) was an early railway enterprise located in north-west England, commonly referred to as the "Little" North Western Railway to differentiate it from the larger London and North Western Railway (LNWR).

Initially leased and subsequently incorporated into the Midland Railway (MR), the NWR's tracks were partially integrated into the MR's Settle and Carlisle main line, which connected London to Scotland.

The primary route of the NWR extended from Skipton in the West Riding of Yorkshire to Morecambe on the coast of Lancashire, providing the company with access to the west coast in an area largely controlled by a competing company.

A segment between Lancaster and Morecambe was among the first to be electrified using overhead lines during the early 20th century.

Currently, about two-thirds of the line located in North Yorkshire is still in use, mainly serving local passenger traffic, while much of the former Lancashire portion has been transformed into a combined cycleway and pedestrian path.

Formation

The North Western Railway was established through the North Western Railway Act 1846 (9 & 10 Vict. c. xcii) on 26 June 1846, authorizing construction of a railway stretching from on the Leeds and Bradford Extension Railway to on the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway. This route was designed to facilitate travel between Yorkshire and Scotland.

A branch line originating at Clapham, Yorkshire provided a connection to Lancaster, linking with an affiliated railway company.

Morecambe Harbour and Railway

The Morecambe Harbour and Railway Company was formed under the Morecambe Harbour and Railway Act 1846 (9 & 10 Vict. c. clxxxiv) on 16 July 1846, with plans to develop a harbour on Morecambe Bay, near the village of Poulton-le-Sands, along with a railway extending to a newly established station at . This single-track railway commenced operations on Whit Monday 12 June 1848, initially utilizing a provisional station at Morecambe that reportedly offered "every possible accommodation" for travelers.

On 18 December 1849, a short connecting curve was inaugurated between Lancaster Green Ayre station and on the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway.

Although this company merged with the NWR shortly after its creation, it remained legally distinct until its full absorption by the Midland Railway on 1 June 1871.

The development of the harbour and railway stimulated growth around Morecambe Bay, incorporating Poulton-le-Sands along with adjacent localities such as Bare and Torrisholme, ultimately contributing to the formation of the town of Morecambe.

Construction

The initial 'main line' section between and Ingleton opened on 31 July 1849. However, work on the segment from Ingleton to Low Gill was suspended due to an economic downturn, prompting a strategic shift toward developing the branch line to Lancaster.

The stretch eastward from to became operational on 17 November 1849; it was extended further to by 2 May 1850 and connected with (which linked with the Skipton line) by 1 June 1850. During this period, a horse-drawn bus service operated between Wennington and Clapham to bridge this incomplete section.

Following completion of the Morecambe-to-Skipton route, the Clapham-to-Ingleton segment was closed after only ten months because of uncertainties surrounding completion of the Low Gill branch.

Originally constructed as a single track, the -to- portion was doubled by 1850 and extended through to Skipton by 1853. The Morecambe-to-Lancaster segment remained single track until it was doubled in 1877, while Lancaster-to-Hornby was not doubled until 1889. The connecting curve between Lancaster stations never underwent doubling.

From 1 June 1852 onward, operations of the NWR were managed by the Midland Railway (MR). On 1 January 1859, both NWR and Morecambe Harbour and Railway (MH&R) were leased to MR; ultimately, NWR was fully incorporated into MR on 30 July 1874.

The Ingleton Branch

Following delays caused by competition, the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway, managed by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR), resumed construction of the previously abandoned Ingleton-to-Low Gill route in 1857. Passenger services commenced on 16 September 1861 at LNWR's dedicated Ingleton station. At first, the Midland Railway and LNWR stations were situated at opposite ends of a viaduct, necessitating passengers to walk between them; by 1862, LNWR trains had begun running through to the Midland station.

The Settle-Carlisle Line

Persistent disputes between the MR and LNWR over control of the Ingleton Branch prompted the MR to develop its own Settle-to- line, which opened on 1 May 1876. This segment became part of MR's primary route from to , extending further to via the Glasgow and South Western Railway. As a result, the NWR route between Skipton and was elevated to main line status and continues to be used occasionally for inter-city diversions.

Other Connecting Lines

The Furness and Midland Joint Railway inaugurated a connection from on the to , linking with both the Furness Railway and the 's Lancaster and Carlisle Railway, with passenger operations beginning on 6 June 1867.

The Lancaster and Carlisle Railway established a branch from Hest Bank to connect with the near Morecambe station, opening on 13 August 1864. Nevertheless, passenger services utilized separate stations: initially , then from 1886 onward, .

The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway extended its line through to join the at as of 1 June 1880.

Extension to Heysham

Heysham Harbour, constructed by the Midland Railway in 1904 as a replacement for its Morecambe harbour, was accessed via a branch from the line. This branch entered contractor use on 12 November 1898 and began passenger operations on 1 September 1904. The junction formed a triangular layout just east of the main line from Hest Bank.

Electrification

The Lancaster–Morecambe–Heysham route was a pioneer in overhead electrification, with electrification from Heysham to Morecambe completed on 13 April 1908, subsequently extended to by 1 July, and reaching by 14 September. The system operated at 6.6 kV and 25 Hz frequency, powered by a facility at Heysham station.

After a temporary reversion to steam traction starting on 11 February 1951 during upgrades converting the system to operate at 6.6 kV and 50 Hz, full electric services resumed on 17 August 1953 with power supplied from a substation at Green Ayre. An experimental cantilever-style overhead structure was installed along a short section of track.

Closures

Passenger services on the Ingleton Branch ended on 30 January 1954; however, it remained open for freight and occasional excursion trains until its final closure on 26 July 1966.

The segment between Wennington and Morecambe was closed to passengers on 2 January 1966 as part of the Beeching Axe cuts. An alternative route remains operational via the former Furness and Midland Joint Railway to , then continuing along the former Morecambe Branch Line, now integrated into the Leeds to Morecambe Line.

Freight traffic along the Lune Valley route ceased on 4 June 1967, except for short sidings near Heysham and Lancaster that remained until March 1976.

A significant portion of the dismantled Caton-to-Morecambe trackbed has been preserved as a combined cycleway and pedestrian path; near Lancaster city centre, the Greyhound Bridge spanning the River Lune has been repurposed for road traffic.

The Morecambe-to-Heysham branch was closed for passenger use on 4 October 1975 but reopened on 11 May 1987 to serve Isle of Man ferry passengers. Since Morecambe station’s relocation in 1994, this branch has operated as a single track connecting solely to platform 2.

External links

• RAILSCOT: North Western Railway