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Bolton And Preston Railway
All photographs of this railway in date order.
![A Pendolino being dragged south on 28 September 2008 past the site of the former Royal Ordnance Factory at Euxton, Lancs (also known as ROF Chorley). The large factory stood to the left of the tracks with office and administrative facilities to the right. The location boasted its own station, opened in 1938 as Chorley ROF Platform and renamed Chorley Halt by 1942. The station was closed by 1963 and subsequently demolished after the majority of the site had been redeveloped for housing and commercial use. Island platform remains can be seen to the right of the tracks on the weed covered mound.<br>
<br><br>[John Mcintyre 28/09/2008]](/images/20000/20909.jpg "Chorley Halt")
![A pair of Voyagers emerging from under the wires of the WCML at Euxton Junction on 28 September and joining the route to Manchester via Chorley and Bolton. The service would normally have continued south down the WCML but was diverted via Manchester and Crewe due to engineering works. Euxton Junction had been singled some years ago but in 2006 double track running onto the Chorley line was restored.<br><br>[John McIntyre 28/09/2008]](/images/20000/20923.jpg "Euxton Junction")
![View towards Lostock and Bolton as a Manchester service departs from Horwich Parkway with 150150 coupled behind a 156 unit.<br><br>[Mark Bartlett 02/10/2008]](/images/20000/20906.jpg "Horwich Parkway")
![A brand new station opened in 1999 Horwich Parkway was originally unstaffed but this ticket office and waiting room was subsequently opened. Beyond the car park the Bolton Wanderers Reebok Stadium can be seen.<br><br>[Mark Bartlett 02/10/2008]](/images/20000/20907.jpg "Horwich Parkway")
![Northern Rail 156s call at Chorley on 16 November. On the right is a service to Buxton via Manchester while on the left is a service for Blackpool. The photograph is taken from the site of the former level crossing.<br><br>[John McIntyre 16/11/2008]](/images/21000/21474.jpg "Chorley")
![FTPE 185 115 heading for Blackpool North at Rylands Crossing, Chorley, on 16 November 2008.<br><br>[John McIntyre 16/11/2008]](/images/21000/21484.jpg "Chorley")
![Virgin <I>Thunderbird</I> rescue locomotive 57303 <I>Alan Tracy</I> on a Pendolino drag heading for Preston at Rylands Crossing on 16 November. View is south towards Chorley station.<br><br>[John McIntyre 16/11/2008]](/images/21000/21522.jpg "Chorley")
![A First TransPennine class 185 looking even brighter than normal as it catches the low Autumn sun heads towards Chorley on 16 November 2008 with a service for Manchester Airport.<br><br>[John McIntyre 16/11/2008]](/images/21000/21540.jpg "Chorley")
![A Manchester Airport bound First TransPennine Express service is seen passing the site of the planned Buckshaw Parkway station which has now received the full funding to see the area developed as a transport hub. A part of the extensive local housing development can be seen in the backgound<br><br>[John McIntyre 07/08/2009]](/images/24000/24968.jpg "Buckshaw Parkway")
![This road sign has been in place for over 3 years, although the station to which it is pointing has not yet been built! The extensive housing and industrial development on the site of the former Royal Ordnance Factory at Euxton/Chorley has been scheduled to have a new railway station for some time, but only in the first days of August 2009 was the final funding obtained to make the station a reality. The former ROF Admin Block to the left of the photograph is now an outstation of Runshaw College, Leyland. This along with the large number of houses on the adjoing estate should make this an attractive park and ride site for those travelling to Manchester and to the north.<br><br>[John McIntyre 07/08/2009]](/images/24000/24969.jpg "Buckshaw Parkway")
![A First Trans-Pennine Express service for Manchester Airport leaves the WCML at Euxton Junction and heads to Manchester via Chorley and Bolton on 7 August 2009. The road in the foreground is the A49 former trunk road which passes under the WCML through a two part bridge. The older part (dating from the opening of the railway?) is known as Pack Saddle Bridge and is so narrow that traffic has to be controlled by traffic lights. It has also suffered from being struck on several occasions by road vehicles due to restrictions on height as well as width.<br><br>[John McIntyre 07/08/2009]](/images/25000/25044.jpg "Euxton Junction")
![A Northern Rail Hazel Grove to Preston service passes Adlington station at speed on the afternoon of 16 October 2009. Standing behind the yellow line is not so easy at this station due to the narrowness of the platforms.<br><br>[John McIntyre 16/10/2009]](/images/25000/25818.jpg "Adlington")
![Looking south from the road bridge at Adlington station on 16 October 2009. The narrowness of the platforms, especially at the south end, is quite unusual. To stand behind the yellow line involves keeping very close to the fence, something that is advisable with the speed of the trains that do not call here.<br><br>[John McIntyre 16/10/2009]](/images/25000/25825.jpg "Adlington")
![View north at Blackrod, between Chorley and Bolton, where there was a triangular junction with the line to Horwich station and the Horwich works of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway. Class 150 unit number 272 calls at the station on 2 March with a service for Hazel Grove. The signal box (still in use) can just be made out through the footbridge and stands next to the northern part of the old triangle. The southern junction to Horwich may have been to the right of the goods shed. The rapid expansion of railways in this part of the world in the mid to late 19th century is well reflected in the names carried by this station between 1841 and 1888 which were Horwich Road, Horwich and Blackrod, Horwich Junction, Horwich and Blackrod Junction and finally Blackrod.<br><br>[John McIntyre 02/03/2010]](/images/27000/27961.jpg "Blackrod")
![View west at Lostock Junction sees 156466 dropping down from Westhoughton to join the line from Preston and Chorley and run to Bolton. When the station reopened in 1988 (as plain Lostock) the platforms were only reinstated on the Preston line. <br><br>[Mark Bartlett 26/06/2010]](/images/29000/29542.jpg "Lostock Junction")
![When Lostock Jcn was originally open the station building sat in the 'V' of the junction with four platforms. These were swept away after closure and on reopening only the Chorley line platforms were reinstated. 150146 climbs away from the junction on the L&YR built link to Wigan via Westhoughton passing the site of the removed platforms.<br><br>[Mark Bartlett 26/06/2010]](/images/29000/29668.jpg "Lostock Junction")
![A sizeable group of Saturday passengers heading for Bolton and Manchester at Lostock station wait to join Sprinter 150275. In this view towards Bolton the extensive railway land that has now been used for car parking, and which on a weekday would be full, can be seen as can the junction with the Westhoughton and Wigan line trailing in from the right. <br><br>[Mark Bartlett 26/06/2010]](/images/30000/30019.jpg "Lostock Junction")
![A Preston to Manchester and Hazel Grove service runs in to Lostock station past some of the new housing developments that made it viable to reopen the station after a long period of closure. 150275 is the unit in use in this view towards Chorley and Preston. <br><br>[Mark Bartlett 26/06/2010]](/images/30000/30022.jpg "Lostock Junction")
![On 31 July 2010 ex-LMS Pacific no 6201 <I>Princesss Elzabeth</I> coasts along the straight at Buckshaw Village between Chorley and Euxton Junction with the <I>Cumbrian Mountain Express</I>. DMU 150146 on a Preston to Hazel Grove service is about to pass the special, which was running slightly early at this point and was being slowed down due a conflicting movement at Euxton Junction.<br>
<br><br>[John McIntyre 31/07/2010]](/images/30000/30279.jpg "Buckshaw Parkway")
![After several false starts work is finally underway on the new Buckshaw Parkway station on the former Royal Ordnance Factory site between Euxton Junction and Chorley, seen here on 16 March 2011. In addition to the industrial units there are now over 1800 houses off to the left with more being built. To the right is part of Runshaw College. Further info about the station and village itself is available on the web. [See image 20909]<br><br>[John McIntyre 16/03/2011]](/images/33000/33222.jpg "Buckshaw Parkway")
![A Northern DMU service heads east towards Chorley on 29 April <br>
2011, passing the site of the new Buckshaw Parkway station. Due to be completed in early October, the new station will be adjacent to the site of the former Chorley Halt [see image 20909]. Work started here early in 2011 and has progressed from the north side of the line (left) where the station building and car park will be located, to the south side, where an access road has been constructed and fencing erected. <br><br>[John McIntyre 29/04/2011]](/images/33000/33909.jpg "Buckshaw Parkway")
![Progress at the new Buckshaw Parkway station on 25 July 2011. The footbridge and lift towers are now in place and some of the concrete platform slabs have been laid. The FTPE service passing the site will split at Preston with the leading class 185 going on to Edinburgh and the rear unit to Barrow-in-Furness. [See image 33909]<br><br>[John McIntyre 25/07/2011]](/images/35000/35049.jpg "Buckshaw Parkway")
![Platform level view west from platform 2 at Buckshaw Parkway on opening day 3 October 2011 after the first services to Manchester and Blackpool have departed.<br><br>[John McIntyre 03/10/2011]](/images/6000/6098.jpg "Buckshaw Parkway")
![With passengers boarded, the 0658 to Manchester Victoria is the first train to depart from the new station at Buckshaw Parkway on 3 October 2011.<br><br>[John McIntyre 03/10/2011]](/images/6000/6254.jpg "Buckshaw Parkway")
![The first train to call at the new Buckshaw Parkway station was 150269 on the 0619 Blackpool North to Manchester Victoria on 3 October 2011. With representatives of Network Rail, the train operator Northern, local radio and a group of photographers, passengers boarding were outnumbered - but at 0658 in the morning and with a little uncertainty over the opening of the station it was hardly surprising. (The balance was restored for the following service.) [See news item]<br>
<br><br>[John McIntyre 03/10/2011]](/images/35000/35860.jpg "Buckshaw Parkway")
![A service for Manchester Victoria departs from Lostock station and is about to cross Lostock Junction on 22 October 2011. The train has come from Blackpool North and travelled from Preston via Chorley. The line joining from the right is from Wigan and Westhoughton. <br>
<br><br>[John McIntyre 22/10/2011]](/images/36000/36147.jpg "Lostock Junction")
![A TransPennine service to Manchester Airport calls at Lostock station on 22 October 2011. Immediately beyond the platforms is the junction with the line from Wigan via Westhoughton joining from the right. [See image 29542] for the view towards the station from the junction.<br><br>[John McIntyre 22/10/2011]](/images/45000/45938.jpg "Lostock")
![A First TransPennine service to Manchester Airport passes the site of Rylands crossing in Chorley in November 2011. When this was a foot crossing it was the scene of several near misses. The crossing has now been replaced by a footbridge and provides an ideal spot for photography.<br><br>[John McIntyre 06/11/2011]](/images/36000/36312.jpg "Chorley")
![A First TransPennine Express Class 185 on a service to Manchester Airport enters Chorley as it leaves the deep cutting on the north side of the town on 31 March 2012. Beneath the photographer is Chorley Tunnel and in the background is Rivington Pike on the West Pennine Moors.<br><br>[John McIntyre 31/03/2012]](/images/38000/38232.jpg "Chorley")
![Approaching Buckshaw Parkway station on 4 August 2012, First TransPennine 185145 heads for Manchester Airport.<br><br>[John McIntyre 04/08/2012]](/images/39000/39863.jpg "Buckshaw Parkway")
![FTPE 185115 passing Buckshaw Parkway on 29 December 2012 heading for Manchester Airport. The site of the former ROF station was just behind the train with the ammunition production to the right and the administration buildings to the left. A mixture of housing, retail, offices and warehousing now covers much of the 928 acre site. [See image 20909]<br><br>[John McIntyre 29/12/2012]](/images/41000/41590.jpg "Buckshaw Parkway")
![A pair of Virgin Voyagers passing Buckshaw Parkway heading west to rejoin the WCML at Euxton Jct on 14 July 2013. The train was diverted via Manchester whilst engineering work took place on the WCML during a 9 day closure.<br><br>[John McIntyre 14/07/2013]](/images/53000/53641.jpg "Buckshaw Parkway")
![Britannia Pacific 70013 <I>Oliver Cromwell</I> hauls the second leg of the train commemorating the 45th anniversary of the <I>15 Guinea Special</I> from Manchester to Carlisle through Buckshaw Parkway station on 11 August 2013. Known to many as 1T57 - the reporting code used by the original train and also by this charter. [See image 26044]<br><br>[John McIntyre 11/08/2013]](/images/44000/44174.jpg "Buckshaw Parkway")
![A TransPennine service from Manchester Airport to Edinburgh Waverley calls at Chorley on 7 September 2013. The forthcoming electrification of the Chat Moss route from Manchester to the WCML at Golborne Junction will result in these services being diverted that way from December.<br><br>[John McIntyre 07/09/2013]](/images/44000/44521.jpg "Chorley")
![The <I>Cumbrian Mountain Express</I> on 7 September 2013 was hauled by A4 no 60009, <I>Union of South Africa</I>. The tour is seen on the outward leg from Crewe to Carlisle via Stockport, Manchester Victoria, Bolton, Leyland, Blackburn and the S&C approaching Chorley.<br><br>[John McIntyre 07/09/2013]](/images/44000/44526.jpg "Chorley")
![Although TPE's Scottish services now run via Parkside and Wigan other trains continue to run via Bolton. 185111 calls at Buckshaw on 13 December 2013 with a service to Barrow-in-Furness. Although the two platforms at this new but well used station are only 6 coach lengths they each have 17 lamp columns [See image 41590]. <br><br>[Mark Bartlett 13/12/2013]](/images/45000/45625.jpg "Buckshaw Parkway")
![DRS 47790 on the rear of one of the extra Northern services operating on Saturdays between Buckshaw Parkway or Chorley and Manchester Victoria. 47790 is seen at Chorley on 29 November 2014 having terminated with a service from Manchester and departing with the ecs to Preston as the leading diesel (47818) tries to mimic a steam locomotive.<br><br>[John McIntyre 29/11/2014]](/images/49000/49648.jpg "Chorley")
![A 156/142 combination, forming a Northern service to Southport, are signalled for the Westhoughton and Wigan line at Lostock Junction. The large steel bridge in the background carries the A58 Bolton ring road over the line from Bolton. <br><br>[Mark Bartlett 02/12/2014]](/images/49000/49797.jpg "Lostock Junction")
![DRS 68014 working the 1Z68 Newport to Leeds via Manchester and Carnforth <I>Yuletide Yorkshire Explorer</I> passing Buckshaw Parkway on dull and damp 6 December 2014. [See image 49682]<br><br>[John McIntyre 06/12/2014]](/images/49000/49701.jpg "Buckshaw Parkway")
![The road bridge carrying the A673 Chorley Road at Heath Charnock (NGR SD598147) was demolished on 14 February 2015 during a 54 hour possession. The view is south towards Adlington from a temporary footbridge that has been installed.<br><br>[John McIntyre 14/02/2015]](/images/50000/50368.jpg "Heath Charnock")
![With the A673 road bridge to the north being demolished, engineers have been preparing Rawlinson Lane bridge in Adlington for demolition. On 14 February 2015 the main carriageway was closed and fenced off. A temporary footbridge has appeared on the right for use when the work starts in anger. [See image 25825]<br><br>[John McIntyre 14/02/2015]](/images/50000/50437.jpg "Adlington")
![Scene at Horwich Parkway looking north on 17 July 2015, with a Hazel Grove to Preston service arriving.<br><br>[John McIntyre 17/07/2015]](/images/52000/52099.jpg "Horwich Parkway")
![Don't always believe what it says on the destination blind! View of Adlington station looking south towards Blackrod on 17 July 2015. The service is not going where the blind is displaying (Blackpool North) but towards Manchester Victoria.<br><br>[John McIntyre 17/07/2015]](/images/52000/52106.jpg "Adlington")
![A Northern Manchester to Blackpool service approaches Chorley on the evening of 14 May 2016. Major engineering work is scheduled for every weekend and some weekday evenings from 18 June to 2 October at Chorley. This includes the realignment of tracks and rebuild of platforms to enable electrification of the line. Work has already started on preparations for a temporary down platform to the right of the DMU. This will allow realignment of the current down platform.<br><br>[John McIntyre 14/05/2016]](/images/55000/55246.jpg "Chorley")
![A Northern service to Buxton has departed from Chorley heading towards Bolton on 03 June 2016. The former goods yard was on the right but part of it is now used as a car park.<br><br>[John McIntyre 03/06/2016]](/images/57000/57954.jpg "Chorley")
![The new temporary Down platform at Chorley is now in use while work has started modifying the old platform which can be seen in the distance. <br><br>[John McIntyre 22/06/2016]](/images/55000/55572.jpg "Chorley")
![Weekend engineering possession at Chorley on 30 July 2016. In this view north from Lyons Lane bridge towards the station, the down line is being lowered and the temporary platform on the left has been adjusted so that it is clear of the diggers which are loading the train of JNA wagons on the right. The work is in connection with the electrification of the line from Manchester.<br><br>[John McIntyre 30/07/2016]](/images/56000/56014.jpg "Chorley")
![On 30 July 2016 much of the down platform at Chorley has been removed to allow for the realignment of the tracks. An RRV continues to work at the south end of the down platform and moves back and forward to deposit the rubble in one of the wagons on the adjacent line.<br><br>[John McIntyre 30/07/2016]](/images/56000/56068.jpg "Chorley")
![On the public side of the fence a short distance west of Buckshaw Parkway station I discovered what looks like the remains of the old ROF Chorley Up Platform. The road bridge in the background carries Central Drive over the railway, just as it did when ROF Chorley was operational. The position of these platform supports is consistent with what I have been able to see on air photos from the 1960s. Any attempt to do this from old mapping is futile as the Ordnance Survey did not mark up such sites. [See image 20909]<br><br>[John McIntyre 09/08/2016]](/images/56000/56200.jpg "Buckshaw Parkway")
![The weekend possessions continue between Euxton Jct and Lostock Jct in order that electrification preparation work can be carried out. The main element of work centres around the lowering of track to the south of Chorley and the rebuilding of the platforms. On 13 August 2016 the activity appeared to be a little less frenetic than when I visited 2 weeks ago but the bridge over a pedestrian underpass has been replaced and the formation to the south is now at the new level.<br><br>[John McIntyre 13/08/2016]](/images/56000/56216.jpg "Chorley")
![A view north from Lyons Lane bridge towards Chorley station on 13 August 2016. Work continues on rebuilding the platforms in conjunction with the electrification of the line from Manchester to Preston via Bolton.<br><br>[John McIntyre 13/08/2016]](/images/56000/56230.jpg "Chorley")
![A view north towards Chorley station on 11 September 2016 as an RRV with trailer returns to the station site having unloaded some spoil. The new down platform face is still under construction but now has a yellow barrier fence attached to it.<br><br>[John McIntyre 11/09/2016]](/images/56000/56468.jpg "Chorley")
![Weekend reconstruction work on Chorley station is continuing with both lines now relaid and the down platform face still being rebuilt. On 11 September 2016 it was also noticed that the up platform (on the right) has been worked on and now has a temporary surface following the track replacement.<br><br>[John McIntyre 11/09/2016]](/images/56000/56519.jpg "Chorley")
![At the western end of Chorley Tunnel there is a steep sided cutting and to help keep the cutting sides apart there are a series of arches. On 26 December 2016 with the vegetation cut back in readiness for electrification, it is now possible to see some of the arches. The arches were carefully removed in 2015 for a steel arch to be put in place and the stone arch then placed on top.<br><br>[John McIntyre 26/12/2016]](/images/57000/57663.jpg "Chorley Tunnel")
![A close up view of the western end of the Chorley Arches in the cutting leading to Chorley Tunnel on 26 December 2016 showing the original stone work above the newly inserted steel arch.<br><br>[John McIntyre 26/12/2016]](/images/57000/57669.jpg "Chorley Tunnel")
![A New Year's Day service from Bolton to Blackpool exits the cutting at the west end of the Chorley Tunnel. Recent vegetation removal in preparation for electrification has opened up this view.<br><br>[John McIntyre 01/01/2017]](/images/57000/57695.jpg "Chorley Tunnel")
![Looking east towards the 16 Chorley Arches that keep the cutting walls apart. The Chorley Tunnel is just beyond the bend to the right and traffic on the A6 at Hartwood Roundabout can be seen through the trees towards the top right<br><br>[John McIntyre 01/01/2017]](/images/57000/57704.jpg "Chorley Tunnel")
