Carnforth railway station

Carnforth
Location
Place	Carnforth
Local authority	Lancaster
Operations
Station code	CNF
Managed by	Transpennine Express
Number of platforms	2
Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage
2004/05 *	149,649
2005/06 *	157,240
2006/07 *	150,824
2007/08 *	174,644
2008/09 *	176,918
2009/10 *	179,602
National Rail - UK railway stations
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Carnforth from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Please note: methodology may vary year on year.

Carnforth railway station

The station clock

Barrow train arrives in 1971
Carnforth station, shortly before main line electrification.

Carnforth railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Carnforth in Lancashire. The building was designed by architect William Tite and was famously used as the location in the 1945 film Brief Encounter. It is now operated by TransPennine Express.

History

Carnforth station was opened in 1846 by the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway (L&CR). It originally had a single platform and was a second-class station. It became a junction in 1857 when it was adjoined to the Ulverston and Lancaster Railway as its terminus. Soon afterwards, the Furness Railway began operating to Carnforth.

The station was enlarged during the 1870s and in 1880 was able to receive trains from the Midland Railway. Meanwhile, the L&CR had been taken over by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) and Carnforth was under joint management by Furness, Midland and LNWR. Station personnel wore a uniform with the initials CJS for Carnforth: Joint Station.

A major rebuilding project, including a new 300 yard platform, took place in 1938 with government funding. In 1944, the Government approved the rebuilding of Carnforth MPD into a major regional railway depot.

Brief Encounter was filmed there in February 1945. The station clock became a powerful icon through repeated use in the film.

The West Coast Main Line platforms were closed in May 1970. The platform walls facing the fast lines were demolished, battered back and fenced off a few years later before electrification. This made Carnforth a branch line station, even though it is situated on the main line, as WCML trains cannot now call here.

After lying in a semi-derelict state for many years the railway station buildings were rejuvenated between 2000 and 2003.

There is a visitor centre and the "Brief Encounter" Refreshment Room, a number of shops and a travel/ticket office.

Operators

Carnforth is served by two train operators.

• TransPennine Express operate regional express services from Manchester Airport to Barrow-in-Furness via the Furness Line.
• Northern Rail operate local services along the Furness Line to Barrow-in-Furness and the Leeds to Morecambe Line to Skipton and Leeds. Some services continue beyond Barrow to Sellafield or Carlisle via the Cumbrian Coast Line. Northern Rail services are operated using class 153 and 156 diesel multiple units (on the Furness line) and 142, 144 & class 150 units (Leeds line); very occasionally 158 sets also appear on trains from Leeds. Carnforth is also the headquarters of the West Coast Railway Company.

External links

• Train times and station information for Carnforth railway station from National Rail
• An extensive website about Carnforth Railway Station

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Lancaster		TransPennine Express TransPennine North West		Silverdale
Lancaster		Northern Rail Furness Line		Silverdale
Lancaster		Northern Rail Leeds to Morecambe Line		Wennington
	Historical railways
Bolton-le-Sands		Lancaster and Carlisle Railway		Burton and Holme
Bolton-le-Sands		Ulverston and Lancaster Railway		Silverdale
Bolton-le-Sands		Furness and Midland Joint Railway		Borwick