Entwistle railway station

Entwistle
National Rail
General information
LocationEntwistle, Blackburn with Darwen
England
Coordinates53°39′22″N 2°24′54″W / 53.656°N 2.415°W / 53.656; -2.415
Grid referenceSD727177
ManagerNorthern Trains
Platforms1
Other information
Station codeENT[1]
ClassificationDfT category F2
History
Original company
Bolton, Blackburn, Clitheroe and West Yorkshire Railway
Pre-groupingLancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Post-groupingLondon Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
1 August 1848Opened[2]
Passengers
2020/21Decrease 5,748
2021/22Increase 19,296
2022/23Increase 20,426
2023/24Decrease 18,112
2024/25Increase 19,988
Location
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Entwistle railway station serves the village of Entwistle, Lancashire, as well as being the closest station to Edgworth. It is served by Northern Trains services on the Ribble Valley line, on which it is between Darwen and Bromley Cross. It is sited 16 miles 47 chains (26.7 km) from Manchester Victoria.[3]

History

A station was opened at Whittlestone Head, north of Entwistle, on 12 June 1848 by the Bolton, Blackburn, Clitheroe and West Yorkshire Railway.[4] It was a very short-lived station, only being open for one and a half months before closing on 1 August 1848 and being relocated to Entwistle.[5][6]

A more substantial stone building was built at Entwistle in 1859, as part of a larger contract, with similar stations being erected along the branch at The Oaks, Bromley Cross and Turton, by Manchester firm Joseph Greenup and Co. The 1859 contract was for both a station building and staff 'cottage' as erected at other stations along the branch.[7] The 1891 OS map survey revealed that only two immediately nearby cottages existed - The Strawbury Duck Inn (then called Bridge House) and also a divided cottage alongside, Bridge Cottages.[8]

The station underwent major expansion and refurbishment in 1902, when the line was rebuilt including new platform arrangements, a new signal box and an extensive goods yard built.[9] Following the Beeching cuts in the 1960s, the station was reduced to its status as an unstaffed country halt,[9] and in the 1970s the line was singled.[10]

Signal box

Typically for this branch line, a Yardley/Smith type 1 brick signal box opened here in 1876, situated on the Down side north of the station, containing an 18 lever Smith frame. This box was replaced in 1902 or 1904 by a new 60 lever, gantry-mounted size 12 L&YR box, in connection with the quadrupling of the line through to Waltons Siding 1453 yds to the north.[9][11] Numerous highly detailed large scale original drawings survive for these track and related works from the early 1900s.[12]

Facilities

The station has a ticket machine, a shelter and cycle spaces.[13] As there are no facilities to purchase tickets, passengers must buy one in advance, or from the guard on the train.

Passenger volume

Passenger volume at Entwistle[14]
2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
Entries and exits 9,158 10,025 9,089 8,756 9,442 7,718 11,542 15,458 15,498 14,762 15,036 10,596 16,662 12,852 10,890 15,778 5,748 19,296 20,426 18,112 19,988

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Services

Generally there is an hourly service northbound to Blackburn and Clitheroe and southbound to Manchester Victoria and Rochdale. Sunday trains terminate at Manchester Victoria.[15]

Owing to the remote location and low passenger numbers, Entwistle was a request stop for several years.[9] It is now a compulsory stop for all services.[15]

Preceding station   National Rail National Rail   Following station
Northern Trains
  Historical railways  
Spring Vale   L&YR
Bolton, Blackburn, Clitheroe and West Yorkshire Railway		   Turton and Edgworth

References

  1. ↑ "Railway Codes". railwaycodes.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  2. ↑ Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 92. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
  3. ↑ Brailsford, Martyn, ed. (2022). Railway Track Diagrams; 4: Midlands & North West (5th ed.). Frome: TRACKmaps. p. 46. ISBN 978 1999627157.
  4. ↑ Quick, M E (2002). Railway passenger stations in England, Scotland and Wales – a chronology. Richmond: Railway and Canal Historical Society. p. 174. OCLC 931112387.
  5. ↑ Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 249. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
  6. ↑ Marshall, John (1969). The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, volume 1. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. p. 181. ISBN 0-7153-4352-1.
  7. ↑ original railway co minutes held at National Archives, Kew on RAIL 52/4
  8. ↑ Lancashire Sheet 10, survey date 1891, pub. 1893
  9. 1 2 3 4 "East Lancashire's Historical Community Railways: Entwistle" (PDF). communityraillancashire.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  10. ↑ Wills 2014, p. 233.
  11. ↑ Littleworth, Chris (2002). Signal Boxes on Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Lines: North-East Lancashire. Signalling Record Society. ISBN 1-873228-21-X.
  12. ↑ L&YR Entwistle - widening of line (7 plans), 1904, at ref A19/4/22. (with other plans available) Greater Manchester County Record Office, Central Library
  13. ↑ "Entwistle Station | Trains to Entwistle & Times | Northern". www.northernrailway.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  14. ↑ "Estimates of station usage | ORR Data Portal". dataportal.orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  15. 1 2 eNRT May 2026 Edition, Table 103 (Network Rail)

Bibliography

  • Wills, Dixe (2014). Tiny Stations (Paperback, 1st reprint ed.). Basingstoke: AA Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7495-7732-2.
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