Arriving at Colne Railway Station today, you step onto the platform and immediately sense the town's character. For a station that currently marks the end of the line on the East Lancashire route, its simple, single-platform setup belies a bustling past and an incredibly ambitious future.
Inspired by the sight of the 'Welcome to Colne' sign and the quiet track leading out, we wanted to delve into the fascinating story of this Lancashire terminus.
A Joint History: The Railway Frontier
Colne station's origins date back to a time of booming textile production in East Lancashire. In the mid-19th century, it became a crucial point where two major railway companies met.
1848/49: The Midland Railway arrived first, followed shortly by the East Lancashire Railway (later absorbed by the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, affectionately known as 'the Lanky').
A Joint Station: Colne became a 'Joint Station,' which, while making it a hub, also created operational headaches, often requiring passengers to change trains for through journeys.
A Busy Hub: In its heyday, the station was a hive of activity, boasting a goods shed, an engine shed with turntables, and a large carriage shed. The railway was vital for distributing the cotton and other goods that Colne was built upon.
However, the infamous Beeching Cuts of the 1960s brought a period of decline. The Midland's critical connection to Skipton closed in 1970, and the station was downgraded to an unstaffed halt in 1971. The grand original buildings were sadly demolished in the late 1970s, leaving the pared-down, functional station we see today.
A Welcome from 'Millie' the Mill Girl
Despite the lack of the original grand architecture the station offers a unique and touching tribute to Colne's heritage.
'Millie' stands as a proud, permanent welcome, honouring the thousands of workers whose labour built the town. She is a powerful visual reminder that Colne's identity is inextricably linked to the cotton mills, offering new arrivals a meaningful connection to the local history before they even step into the town centre.
The Future: A 'Game Changer' Reopening
The single track and buffer stop at Colne do not represent the end of ambition. In fact, the station is the focus of one of the North of England's most significant and hopeful rail campaigns.
The Skipton and East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership (SELRAP) is campaigning relentlessly for the reinstatement of the 12-mile connection to Skipton. This route is known as the 'missing link.'
Economic Impact: Reopening this line is seen as a true 'game changer.' It would create a vital East-West Trans-Pennine link, connecting communities and businesses in East Lancashire with those in North and West Yorkshire.
Feasibility: Crucially, a government-commissioned feasibility study has already declared the project 'technically feasible.' The current focus is on building a robust business case to secure funding.
The reinstatement would not only provide direct services to major destinations like Leeds but would also unlock significant opportunities for economic growth, tourism, and easier access to jobs and education across the Pennines.
From its role as a Victorian-era joint station to its current status as the line's terminus and the site of a forward-looking campaign, Colne Railway Station is more than just a place to catch a train to Blackpool. It is a historical marker, a tribute to the past, and a powerful symbol of potential for the future.
Colne is at the end of the line... but it's poised for a new beginning.
I took these pictures with a Nikon d3300 on the 19th August 2022, clicking any of them should open a link in another window to my Colin Green Photography store on Zazzle.
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