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Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway

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Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Company typeRailway company
IndustryRail transport
PredecessorManchester and Leeds Railway and others
Founded1847
Defunct1 January 1922
FateMerged with London and North Western Railway
SuccessorLondon and North Western Railway (later part of London, Midland and Scottish Railway)
Headquarters
Manchester
,
United Kingdom
Area served
Northern England, Irish Sea and North Sea routes
ProductsRail transport, maritime transport

The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) stood as a prominent British railway enterprise prior to the 1923 railway Grouping. Established in 1847 through the consolidation of several lines, it ranked as the third-largest rail network in northern England, following the Midland and North Eastern Railways.

With a fleet of 1,650 steam locomotives, the L&YR was recognized as the most intensively trafficked railway system across the British Isles, boasting a higher locomotive density per mile than any other operator. Its 738 signal boxes managed tightly spaced junctions, averaging one signal box every 3½ miles. The distance between any two neighboring stations never exceeded 5½ miles. Additionally, the railway offered 1,904 passenger services, which occupied 57 pages in the Bradshaw timetables—outnumbered only by the Great Western, London and North Western, and Midland Railways.

The L&YR was at the forefront of mainline electrification efforts and also operated maritime routes across both the Irish Sea and North Sea. This made it the largest shipowner among British railway companies.

On 1 January 1922, it merged with the London and North Western Railway; this newly formed entity subsequently became the principal component of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923.

History

Incorporated in 1847 by the Manchester and Leeds Railway Act (No. 3) 1847 (10 & 11 Vict. c. clxiii), the L&YR originated from a merger of several significant railways, chiefly the Manchester and Leeds Railway, which had been established in 1836.

Constituent companies

The following railways were integrated into the L&YR, with dates indicating their parliamentary incorporation or when their mergers took effect:

Joint operations

The L&YR jointly managed several joint railway lines and stations in partnership with other companies, including:

Ownership stakes were typically equally divided unless specified otherwise. Moreover, the L&YR owned a one-third share in the Dearne Valley Railway, with the remainder held by private investors.

Network structure

The railway system was composed of multiple branch lines and alternative routes, operationally segmented into three divisions:

  • Western Division: covering routes from Manchester to Blackpool and Fleetwood; Manchester to Bolton, Wigan, Southport, Liverpool; including a direct line to Liverpool;
  • East Lancashire or Central Division: connecting Manchester with Oldham, Bury, Rochdale, Todmorden, Accrington, Burnley, Colne; featuring a LNWR link at Stockport facilitating London-bound traffic;
  • Eastern Division: extending from Todmorden to Halifax, Bradford, Leeds, Huddersfield, Wakefield, Normanton, Goole, Doncaster.

Only a single route crossed the Pennines to link the Eastern and Central Divisions. This line included several extensive tunnels, most notably the 2,885-yard Summit Tunnel near Rochdale along with six additional tunnels each exceeding 1,000 yards in length.

Manchester Victoria station

Manchester Victoria ranked among the country's largest stations, spanning an area of with 17 platforms totaling in length. Following the grouping era, platform 11 was joined to platform 3 of the neighboring LNWR Manchester Exchange station to form Britain’s longest platform at between ramps. Presently, the station accommodates two Metrolink tram platforms, two bay platforms, and four through platforms beneath Manchester Arena—which now occupies much of the original site. The historic Hunts Bank station frontage and building remain intact and well maintained.

Electrification

The L&YR pioneered mainline electrification in the United Kingdom. In Liverpool, it implemented the fourth rail system originally developed for London’s underground railways at 600 V DC; this was later converted to a third rail configuration. The suburban Liverpool electrified network covered :

  • From Liverpool Exchange to : inaugurated on 22 March 1904
  • Liverpool to via two routes: electrified in July and December 1906 respectively
  • Southport to : electrified in 1909
  • Aintree to : electrified in 1913

In 1912, Dick, Kerr & Co.’s Preston works sought to trial electric trains intended for a Brazilian contract by electrifying the Bury to Holcombe Brook line using a 3.5 kV DC overhead system at their own cost. Following successful trials, public operations commenced on 29 July 1913; L&YR acquired this equipment in 1916.

By 1913, L&YR resolved to electrify the Manchester–Bury route employing a 1.2 kV DC third rail system to rival electric trams. Electric motor coaches began service in April 1916; however steam locomotives continued until August due to wartime delays at Horwich Works. Although plans for electrifying the Manchester–Oldham–Shaw and Royton lines emerged in 1920, these were never realized. Conversion of the Bury–Holcombe Brook line from overhead to third rail started in 1917 with third-rail electric trains running from March 1918 onward.

Livery

At the outset, L&YR locomotives were painted in a deep green shade, adorned with brass and copper fixtures, complemented by black and white lining. By 1876, the color scheme transitioned to a lighter green; freight locomotives alternated between black and light green until 1883, when all reverted to black. Passenger engines featured red and white lining, while goods locomotives bore red lining exclusively.

Passenger carriages initially displayed teak finishes before shifting to light brown in 1875, followed by progressively brighter hues. Starting in 1881, the lower panels were coated in a 'lake colour.' Between 1896 and 1914, the upper panels adopted a buff tone, the lower sections a purple-brown, with dark brown ends; roofs were commonly painted dark grey or red oxide.

Until 1902, wagons remained unpainted except for their black iron fittings; subsequently, they were painted dark grey. The original emblem was replaced by the letters "LY" during 1902–03. Brake vans were consistently black, whereas specialized wagons had distinctive colors—red for gunpowder, white for fish transport, and pale blue for butter.

Notably, the football team from the L&YR Carriage and Wagon works at Newton Heath later evolved into what is now known as Manchester United F.C..

Post-grouping history

On 25 March 1921, an agreement was reached between L&YR and LNWR to merge. However, before this could be finalized, the Railways Act 1921 mandated their consolidation on 1 January 1923 alongside other railways such as the Midland Railway and Caledonian Railway. The Act permitted voluntary mergers prior to 1923; accordingly, L&YR and LNWR executed their plan early, dissolving both entities on 1 January 1922 to create a new London and North Western Railway. Of its twenty directors, six originated from L&YR. Subsequently, the 1923 Grouping incorporated this enlarged LNWR into the new London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). Former L&YR executives assumed significant management positions within LMS, and its previous routes became integral to LMS's Central Division.

Investment by LMS in former L&YR lines was limited due to overlap with ex-LNWR or ex-Midland routes within the network. After Nationalisation in 1948, efforts toward rationalisation and modernisation took place. The L&YR network largely remained intact; however, several lines—mainly in the former East Lancashire division—were either closed or repurposed:

  • Bury to Manchester (converted to Manchester Metrolink operation in 1992)
  • Bury to Clifton Junction, closed in 1966
  • Bury/Radcliffe to Bolton, ceased operation in 1970
  • Bury to Rochdale, closed for regular passenger services in 1970; partially preserved as part of the East Lancashire Railway heritage line
  • Bury to Accrington/Bacup, ended regular passenger traffic in 1966; partly maintained as the East Lancashire Railway heritage line
  • Bury to Holcombe Brook, fully closed in 1963
  • Rochdale to Bacup, completely closed in 1967
  • Rochdale to Manchester via Oldham (known as The Oldham Loop), converted for Manchester Metrolink
  • Blackburn to Burnley via Padiham (The North Lancs or Great Harwood Loop), closed in 1964
  • Blackburn to Chorley, shut down in 1960
  • Preston to Southport, ceased operations in 1964
  • Preston to Longridge, closed as early as 1930
  • Southport to Altcar, terminated service in 1952

The routes today

Currently, most of the former L&YR lines are operated by Northern. Manchester Victoria station has been reconstructed into a simpler layout while preserving its original terminal building. The Caldervale Line, under the designation of West Yorkshire Metro, largely follows former L&YR tracks and is also operated by Northern.

Accidents and incidents

  • On 4 September 1860, the Helmshore rail accident occurred when a detached rear section of an L&YR excursion train collided with a train traveling in the opposite direction, resulting in 11 fatalities and 77 injuries.
  • The Burscough Junction Station Crash took place on 15 January 1880 along the Liverpool to line, causing nine deaths.
  • A collision between a passenger train and a goods train near Mosesgate on 27 October 1880 led to multiple injuries and extensive damage to both carriages and wagons.
  • Due to a signal misinterpretation, an excursion train collided with a West Lancashire Railway passenger service at on 3 August 1896, causing one death and seven injuries.
  • Mechanical failure triggered a derailment at Waterloo station on 15 July 1903, resulting in seven fatalities and injuries to 116 passengers.
  • An express passenger train struck a light engine on 22 October 1903 at , caused by an error from the signalman; this accident resulted in one fatality.
  • On 21 April 1905, a collision between an LNWR empty stock train and a passenger service at caused two deaths; driver fatigue was a contributing factor to the signal being overrun.
  • The Hall Road rail accident at Blundellsands on 27 July 1905 involved two L&YR electric passenger trains colliding due to human error, which led to 20 fatalities and 48 injuries.
  • A shunted locomotive fouled the main line at Hindley & Blackrod Junction on 22 January 1909, causing a collision that killed one person and injured thirty-three.
  • The Charlestown Curve derailment occurred on 21 June 1912 after track failure, causing four deaths and twelve injuries.
  • On 28 October 1913, a divided freight train caused derailment at .
  • An express passenger train ran past signals and collided with an empty stock train at on 18 March 1915, resulting in four fatalities and thirty-three injuries.
  • Subsidence caused the collapse of a viaduct at Penistone on 2 February 1916; fortunately, the locomotive crew escaped without harm.
  • At Pendlebury, Lancashire, a divided freight train derailed after its rear section was pushed downhill by a banking locomotive.
  • The Lostock Junction collision near Bolton on 17 July 1920 happened when a signal was passed at danger, leading to four deaths and one hundred forty-eight injuries.

Locomotives

Originally based at Miles Platting, Manchester, the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway's locomotive manufacturing facility moved to Horwich in 1889.

During its years of operation, the L&YR managed locomotive maintenance across approximately sixty depots, some of which were shared or owned by other railway companies. By the early twentieth century, there were thirty-two depots: twenty-seven fully owned by L&YR, three jointly operated with the LNWR, and two belonging to other railways. Each depot was assigned a specific code number:

  1. Newton Heath
  2. Low Moor
  3. Sowerby Bridge
  4. Leeds
  5. Mirfield
  6. Wakefield
  7. Normanton
  8. Barnsley
  9. Knottingley
  10. Goole
  11. Doncaster (Great Northern Railway)
  12. Hull (North Eastern Railway)
  13. Agecroft
  14. Bolton
  15. Horwich
  16. Wigan
  17. Southport
  18. Sandhills
  19. Aintree
  20. Bury
  21. Bacup
  22. Accrington
  23. Rose Grove
  24. Colne
  25. Lower Darwen
  26. Hellifield
  27. Lostock Hall
  28. Chorley
  29. Ormskirk
  30. Fleetwood (jointly with LNWR)
  31. Blackpool Talbot Road (jointly with LNWR)
  32. Blackpool Central (jointly with LNWR)

Surviving stock

Coaching vehicles from the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) dating back to 1878 are still in existence, including Directors Saloon No. 1, which is privately preserved at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Trust oversees the care of several coaches at this location, such as the six-wheeled, five-compartment third-class carriage No. 1507, the Blackpool Club Car No. 47, the six-wheeled four-compartment first-class carriage No. 279, and Brake third-class No. 1474.

A number of L&YR carriages that were sold to the Barry Railway Company have also been preserved, including an 1882 birdcage brake van. A dynamometer car can be found at the Midland Rail Centre located in Butterley.

A substantial quantity of covered goods vans from L&YR stock remains intact; some were repurposed by Cadbury for operations at Bournville. Furthermore, a brake van is preserved at the Kent & East Sussex Railway, and a Covered Carriage Truck van body is maintained by Cambrian Heritage Railways in Oswestry.

Shipping

The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway possessed the largest fleet of ships among pre-grouping railway companies. In 1902, it purchased the Drogheda Steam Packet Company for £80,000, followed by acquiring the Goole Steam Shipping Company in 1905.

By 1913, L&YR owned a total of 26 vessels with two additional ships under construction, along with five jointly owned ships in partnership with the London and North Western Railway. The company’s steamers operated routes connecting Liverpool with Drogheda, Hull, and Zeebrugge, as well as linking Goole to major continental ports such as Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Hamburg, and Rotterdam. Jointly owned vessels served routes between Fleetwood, Belfast, and Derry.

See also

Bibliography

  • Coates, Noel (1997) 150 Years of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, Hawkshill Publishing,
  • Earnshaw, Alan (1992) The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway: Then & Now, Ian Allan,
  • Haigh, A (1978) Railways in West Yorkshire, Dalesman Books,
  • Nock, O.S. (1969) The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway – A Concise History, Ian Allan,


Further reading

External links

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