The East Lancashire Line (Preston to Colne)

The East Lancashire Line links Preston, the junction with the West Coast Main Line, with the market town of Colne, home of the annual Rhythm and Blues Festival one of the largest of its kind in the world.

Preston is the administrative centre of Lancashire with a good range of shops, cafes, bars and pubs. Many events take place in the Guild Hall and Charter Theatre throughout the year and the National Football Museum at Deepdale is a short bus ride away. Preston can easily be reached from most parts of the UK and then it is a simple change onto the local train to Colne.

Passing through the suburbs of Preston you soon come to Bamber Bridge. The former 1846 station building has been faithfully restored and is now the base for the South Ribble Pensioners Association. Cherry Tree station is close to Witton Country Park the base for many outdoor activities throughout the year. Very soon the train arrives at the cathedral town of Blackburn where you will find the largest undercover market in the North West and an interesting museum and art gallery.

The line passes through Accrington, home of the famous Accrington Stanley football team and the Haworth Art Gallery with its collection of Tiffany glass then onto Burnley and its famous Weavers Triangle which is close to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

We now approach Pendle with the new Interchange at Nelson and Colne the home of the annual Rhythm and Blues Festival.

With so much to see and do why not buy an East Lancashire Day Ranger and hop on and off the train and Transdev buses to visit them?

Click on the interactive map to find out more about the Community Rail lines of Lancashire.

Each April the Office of the Rail Regulator publishes figures showing how many passengers use every station. Click HERE to look at the latest figures (2008/09) for stations on the East Lancashire Line.

‘People’s backyards are much more interesting than their front gardens, and houses that back on to railways are public benefactors’ – John Betjeman (1906 – 1984)

Last updated 02.09.10