Line
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. 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 to the Accrington Pals, the famous Accrington Stanley football team and the Haworth Art Gallery with its collection of Tiffany glass, then onto Burnley and its famous Weaver’s Triangle which is close to the Leeds Liverpool Canal.

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

The East Lancashire Community Rail Partnership (ELCRP) has a joint management group with the Clitheroe Line Community Rail Partnership (CLCRP) and this meets every two months. The group consists of officers and representatives from Lancashire County Council, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, Transport for Greater Manchester, Ribble Valley Borough Council, Northern Railways, the Community Rail Network and the British Transport Police . The group also has a representatives from each of the following; Ribble Valley Rail and the Friends of Pendle Stations.

The East Lancashire Line Community Rail Partnership can be contacted by telephoning 01254 386579 or by emailing info@communityraillancashire.co.uk and there is a Facebook page called Community Rail Lancashire and a Twitter feed @crl_live.

The East Lancashire Line CRP encourages any feedback about our work, by contacting us via the email address above, or by post to the address below:

The East Lancashire Community Rail Partnership
C/O Community Rail Lancashire
Accrington Station
Eagle Street
Accrington
Lancashire
BB5 1LJ

If you are still not satisfied then please contact the Chair of Community Rail Lancashire on communityraillancashire1@gmail.com or phone 07487 699341.