New Blackburn railway station and Colne–Skipton extension prioritised

The creation of a new railway station in Blackburn with Darwen and the long‑awaited extension of the East Lancashire line from Colne to Skipton have been identified as priorities for the new Lancashire Combined County Authority.

They are high on a lengthy list of projects in the devolved body’s first Local Transport Plan (LTP) Implementation Plan outlining its road, rail and active travel strategy up to 2045.

The LCCA is a partnership between Lancashire County Council, Blackburn with Darwen Council and Blackpool Council, which takes over some powers and funding currently administered by central government as part of devolution.

The Lancashire Telegraph revealed in December that a new railway station could be on track for one of three locations in Blackburn with Darwen — Ewood, Lower Darwen and Spring Vale, Darwen.

This has now been whittled down to the first two, with a feasibility study for the £50 million to £100 million project prioritised in the LTP, with a timescale of five to 10 years.

The Colne–Skipton line extension has been the subject of a long campaign for the 12‑mile TransPennine route, closed in the early 1970s, to be reinstated, giving a direct rail link from East Lancashire to Yorkshire and Leeds.

The project is top of the list of ‘Connecting Lancashire’ schemes in the blueprint, which says it would cost more than £150 million and take more than 10 years to complete.

In the ‘feasibility’ category, the LTP says it would open ‘a new trans‑Pennine rail route, relieving congestion on the Calder Valley, Standedge and Hope Valley routes, providing an alternative east–west route for freight traffic, also increasing the frequency of passenger services between Preston and Leeds, and potentially reducing journey times and opening up East Lancashire to electrified suburban passenger services to and from Leeds’.

A third project identified as being in the ‘development’ stage is ‘improvements to rail infrastructure between Blackpool and Colne, such as station improvements and extension of the line electrification to support reliability and journey time improvements’, costing more than £150 million over five to 10 years.

The LTP also prioritises review and development of the restoration of passenger services to the Clitheroe–Hellifield railway line — currently freight only.

Blackburn with Darwen Council leader Cllr Phil Riley — chair of the LCCA Transport Advisory Board and a board member of Transport for the North — said: “The LTP Implementation Plan is an ambitious document that identifies projects with huge potential benefits for East Lancashire.

“I am particularly pleased that it prioritises a new railway station in the borough around the Lower Darwen area and the reopening of the Colne to Skipton line, both of which could have really positive impacts for Blackburn with Darwen residents, businesses and the wider east of the county.”

Other projects in the document include:

• junction improvements on the M65 terminus near Preston at a cost of £20 million to £50 million to be delivered in three to four years;
• the development of A56/M66 corridor improvements to increase capacity and journey‑time reliability, costing £20 million to £50 million over five to 10 years;
• a feasibility study into junction improvements to the A666 from Blackburn to Darwen, including bus priority measures, which would cost £10 million to £20 million and take five to 10 years to bring to fruition;
• development and delivery of a transport package to support the new Blackburn Cyber Campus, and town centre improvements (£5 million to £10 million over up to four years);
• M65 Junction 13 phase two improvements in support of Pendle’s strategic growth sites, to be delivered within two years at a cost of £2 million to £5 million;
• a North Blackburn Strategic Housing Site transport package, including improvements to the Brownhill Drive/Emerald Avenue junction and Link Road (development and delivery, £10 million to £20 million, three to four years).

The LTP also prioritises a feasibility study for a new East Lancashire freight rail terminal, costing £20 million to £50 million, in partnership with the private sector over a five‑ to 10‑year timescale.

Other projects highlighted for action include canal towpath improvements between Blackburn and Hyndburn; development of the East Lancashire cycle network in Rossendale; the installation of speed management cameras on the A682 Colne Road in Burnley and Brierfield; improvements to footways and crossings leading to Darwen Railway Station; the delivery of step‑free access at Burnley Manchester Road railway station; development work on step‑free access at Accrington, Ramsgreave & Wilpshire, Mill Hill, and Rose Grove railway stations; and the upgrade of Clitheroe bus and rail interchange.

Other schemes to be progressed include improving town centre environments and public spaces in Rawtenstall, Burnley and Nelson; creating a heritage walking route around Darwen town centre; public realm and active travel improvements to Queen Street, Great Harwood; the promotion of sustainable transport and traffic management in Clitheroe; and Blackburn with Darwen junction improvement schemes at locations including Goose House Lane/Hollins Grove Street, the A666 Jack Walker Way, and Lammack junction.