Preston and Wyre Joint Railway

Poulton-le-Fylde Station

Carleton level crossing between Poulton-le-Fylde and Layton

Thornton–Cleveleys railway station, 2014

Blackpool & Fleetwood branch lines
Fleetwood Wyre Dock Burn Naze Halt Thornton–Cleveleys Ramper Road Poulton Curve Halt Layton Poulton-le-Fylde original second Blackpool North Singleton Blackpool Central Blackpool South Kirkham and Wesham South Shore Salwick Blackpool Pleasure Beach Lea Road Squires Gate West Coast Main Line Gillett's Crossing Halt Preston & Longridge Rly St Annes-on-the-Sea Maudlands Ansdell and Fairhaven Preston Lytham West Coast Main Line Wrea Green Moss Side Lytham (Station Road)

The Preston and Wyre Joint Railway (PWJR) – in full, the Preston & Wyre Railway and Dock Company – was the result of a merger in 1839 between the Preston & Wyre Railway and Harbour Company, formed in 1835 and the Preston & Wyre Dock Company, formed in 1837. The Dock Company was vested jointly between the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) – one third – and the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway – two thirds – on 28 July 1849 to become the PWJR.

Route

The railway was originally built to connect Preston on the LNWR West Coast Main Line with the port of Fleetwood at the mouth of the River Wyre. In 1861 the Blackpool and Lytham Railway (B&LR) was opened; this was included in the Joint Railway, amalgamated in 1871. A branch from Poulton-le-Fylde to a station at Talbot Road, Blackpool, completed the 45 miles (72 km) of track.

Stations

The following stations exist or have existed on the line:

• Lea Road: closed 2 May 1938
• Salwick: closed 2 May 1938; reopened 8 April 1940
• Kirkham and Wesham – junction for the Lytham (B&LR) line; and the "Blackpool direct" line to Blackpool South station (line now closed; most of the trackbed is now part of the M55 motorway and Yeadon Way, Blackpool.)
  • Wrea Green: closed (1961)
  • Moss Side
  • Lytham
  • Ansdell and Fairhaven
  • St Annes-on-the-sea
  • Gillett's Crossing Halt: closed during World War II and permanently 1 January 1949 .
  • Squires Gate
  • Blackpool Pleasure Beach on site of former Burlington Road Halt
  • Blackpool South Shore closed 1916
  • Blackpool South: was originally Waterloo Road
  • Blackpool Central: closed 1964
• continuation of main line from Kirkham:
• Singleton; closed 1932
• Poulton-le-Fylde: junction for line to Blackpool North:
  • Layton: was named Bispham Station.
  • Blackpool North was named Talbot Road Station

• continuation of main line from Poulton-le-Fylde; this section is closed to traffic:
• Thornton for Cleveleys serving Thornton and Cleveleys: between here and Bispham (see above) was a curve (now closed) on which stood Poulton Curve Halt
• Burn Naze halt
• Fleetwood Wyre Dock serving Fleetwood: there was a goods branch to Wyre Dock; it was the terminus from 1966 until 1970, when it closed.
• Fleetwood serving Fleetwood: closed in 1966, when the terminus transferred to Fleetwood Wyre Dock.

See also

• Blackpool Branch Lines
• Fleetwood Branch Line

External links

• Blackpool And Fylde Rail Users' Association
• Local plan suggesting that line be reopened to Fleetwood
• Poulton and Wyre Railway Society are working towards restoring passenger services to Fleetwood, follow the link for more information.