Preston and Longridge Railway

Preston and Longridge Railway

Company type	Private company
Industry	Railway transport
Founded	1836
Fate	Acquired by Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and London and North Western Railway (joint ownership from 1867)
Headquarters	Preston , England
Area served	Lancashire, England
Products	Transport of stone, passenger and freight rail services

The Preston and Longridge Railway (P&LR) was a branch line located in Lancashire, England. Originally constructed to transport stone from quarries using horse-drawn wagons, it formed a component of a broader scheme intended to link the Lancashire coastline with Yorkshire. Although this extensive plan was never fully completed, the railway provided passenger services until 1930 and continued carrying freight until 1967.

Early history

The Preston and Longridge Railway Company was founded under the authority of the Preston and Longridge Railway Act 1836 (6 & 7 Will. 4. c. cxxii) with the objective of building a tramway connecting Tootle Heights Quarry in Longridge to Preston. The line, spanning 6½ miles (10½ km) and featuring a single track, commenced operations on 1 May 1840. Passenger facilities were rudimentary and located at , , and within Preston, Lancashire.

Wagons were drawn by horses uphill from Preston toward Longridge, while gravity assisted their descent to Ribbleton; horses then hauled them the remaining two miles (3 km) to Deepdale. The locally quarried Longridge ashlar sandstone gained widespread use in prominent regional structures such as Lancaster Town Hall, Bolton Town Hall, Preston railway station, and Liverpool Docks.

Development

In 1846, the Fleetwood, Preston and West Riding Junction Railway (FP&WRR) was established with an ambitious objective: to connect Fleetwood on Lancashire’s coast with Leeds and Bradford in Yorkshire. The plan involved linking the existing Preston and Wyre Joint Railway to the Longridge line at Preston, before constructing a new route passing through , Ribchester, Hurst Green, and Clitheroe to reach Skipton. This route would then join the proposed Leeds and Bradford Extension Railway. This connection aimed to offer passengers from Lancashire access to spa towns such as Harrogate and scenic destinations like Bolton Abbey, while travelers from Yorkshire could reach coastal resorts including Fleetwood and Blackpool. Freight ambitions included transporting cattle from Craven Valley along with stone from quarries around Clitheroe and Longridge. Additionally, nearby institutions like Stonyhurst College stood to gain improved transportation for both supplies and students.

The was leased by FP&WRR and upgraded for steam locomotive operation, with the inaugural steam service running on Whit Monday in 1848.

In 1850, a double-track extension was constructed east of , passing beneath northern Preston through the Miley Tunnel to connect with the Preston and Wyre Joint Railway near its original terminus at . This extension initially served exclusively freight traffic.

Construction began on the Grimsargh-Skipton line with excavation activities near Hurst Green but ceased after FP&WRR collapsed in 1852. As part of settling unpaid rent, the Preston and Longridge Railway acquired FP&WRR’s locomotives and rolling stock.

A reorganized FP&WRR bought the line in 1856 and introduced passenger services through Miley Tunnel alongside new stations at and . Consequently, the original terminus closed for passenger use but continued handling goods traffic.

By 1866, efforts to extend into Yorkshire were renewed amid fears that the rival Midland Railway might take control of the line to gain access into Preston. Instead, it was acquired by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR). From 1867 onward, ownership was jointly held by L&YR and the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) under the terms of the Lancashire and Yorkshire and London and North Western Railways Act 1896 (59 & 60 Vict. c. cxxxiv).

In 1885, Maudland Bridge Station ceased operations; however, passenger trains continued directly onto the adjoining LNWR main line leading into Preston railway station, thereby providing connections to other routes for the first time.

Whittingham Hospital branch

A private branch line extending northward from to Whittingham Asylum, located two miles away, was inaugurated in June 1889. This line facilitated the free transportation of supplies, personnel, and visitors using repurposed goods brake vans. Up to twelve daily trains operated, coordinating with passenger services at Grimsargh station.

The locomotives servicing this hospital branch were predominantly industrial models, with the exception of the former London, Brighton and South Coast Railway no. 357, named Riddlesdown. This engine was acquired from British Railways in February 1948 for a sum of £745.

Though passenger services on the main branch ceased in 1930, the hospital line continued functioning for many years afterward. Its timetable was arranged to synchronize with bus connections at Grimsargh. Ultimately, this branch was closed on 29 June 1957.

Decline

Proposals emerged in both 1918 and 1924 to extend the railway from Longridge through the valleys of the Loud and Hodder rivers into Yorkshire; however, these plans never came to fruition.

By 1930, competition from bus transportation significantly diminished passenger numbers, prompting the cessation of passenger services on the line. Nevertheless, freight operations to Longridge persisted until November 1967.

Freight continued to be carried to the Courtaulds factory at Red Scar until the final diesel class 25 locomotive ran on 8 February 1980. The Gamull Lane bridge at was subsequently dismantled. The remaining Y-shaped connection between the West Coast Main Line and coal yards at Deepdale Street remained operational until its closure in the 1990s, although tracks were left intact.

Remains

The railway track passing through Miley Tunnel still exists but has become heavily overgrown.

The former railway corridor between Blackpool Road and Red Scar in Preston has been transformed into a combined cycle and pedestrian path, with intentions to extend this route to Grimsargh.

In Longridge, a blocked tunnel portal beneath Higher Road leading toward Tootle Heights Quarry is designated as a Grade II listed building. Additionally, station structures at and are still standing.

In 2003, the Preston City Link Canal Trust put forward a proposal to reopen a section of the Lancaster Canal near the site of the former Maudland Bridge railway station, including consideration for restoring the Longridge line up to Deepdale or Ribbleton as part of that development.

By 2010, negotiations commenced with light rail manufacturer Trampower UK regarding utilizing a segment of the old route as a tram demonstration line—from Miley Tunnel portal through to Ribbleton—with aspirations to eventually extend service from M6 Junction 31A into Preston city centre.

References

• Aubertin, C. (2006) "Solving a Victorian Problem", Steam World, 232 (October), p. 26-31
• Biddle, G. (1989) The Railways Around Preston — A Historical Review, Scenes from the Past: No. 6, Foxline Publishing,
• Bowtell, H.D. (1988) Lesser Railways of Bowland Forest and Craven Country - and the dam builders in the age of steam, Platewell Press,
• Gilbert, A.C. and Knight, N.R. (1975) Railways around Lancashire, Manchester Transport Museum Society,
• Hilbert, M. (1998) "Coal To Deepdale No More", Traction magazine 42, April 1998.
• Hunt, D. (2003) The Wharncliffe Companion to Preston — An A to Z of Local History, Wharncliffe Books, Barnsley, .
• Mitchell, L., Hopkins, B. and Newman, C.  , Lancashire County Council and Egerton Lea Consultancy, July 2006, accessed 15 June 2007.
• Parker, N. (1972) The Preston and Longridge Railway, Oakwood Library of Railway History No. 30, Lingfield: Oakwood Press
• Pattinson, M. (Ed.) (1999) Longridge — The Way we Were, Hudson History of Settle,
• Potter, T. (1993) Reflections on Preston, Wilmslow: Sigma Leisure,
• Suggitt, G. (2003, revised 2004) Lost Railways of Lancashire, Countryside Books, Newbury,
• Till, J.M. (1993) A History of Longridge and its People, Carnegie Publishing, Preston,
• Welch, M.S. (2004) Lancashire Steam Finale, Runpast Publishing, Cheltenham,

External links

• Villages surrounding the Ribble Valley — Longridge
• A Historical Overview of Longridge
• Preston Station: Past and Present – featuring the Longridge line with both contemporary and archival photographs
• British Railways in 1960 – Coverage of the Longridge Branch
• British Railways in 1960 – Details on the Deepdale Branch
• 'Tunnel Visions' – An interactive resource focused on Miley Tunnel