RAILSCOT | North Union Railway

North Union Railway

Introduction

This line was opened in 1838 and ran from Wigan to Preston. It now forms part of the West Coast Mainline.

It merged with the Wigan Branch Railway to form the North Union Railway.

Dates

/ /1838	Wigan Branch Railway Preston and Wigan Railway North Union Railway Wigan Branch Railway and Preston and Wigan Railway merge to form the North Union Railway.
12/02/1844	Preston and Wyre Railway, Dock and Harbour Following amalgamations, the P&WR was able to use Preston station on the former North Union Railway and ceased using Preston Leighton Street which became Maudlands Goods.
31/12/1845	Railway Clearing House By this date, Birmingham and Gloucester Railway, Chester and Birmingham Railway?, Grand Junction Railway, Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway, Liverpool and Manchester Railway, Manchester and Birmingham Railway, Newcastle and Carlisle Railway and North Union Railway join.

Locations along the line

These locations are along the line.

Wigan North Western

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See also
Wigan Connecting Line (British Railways)

CAF units connect at Wigan North Western on 12th October 2022. 3-car EMU 331022 is on a Blackpool to Lime Street service while 2-car DMU 195024, in ...
Mark Bartlett 12/10/2022

769448 passes Wigan North Western on the line from Hindley to Wigan Wallgate with a service to Southport in January 2022. The Class 769 is running on ...
John McIntyre 08/01/2022

With electric haulage out of favour with some FOCs at the moment due to the high charges for electricity, DRS 66430 and 66432 are seen passing Wigan ...
John McIntyre 15/10/2021

Sunset on the Class 319s. It seems that Northern intend to withdraw the Class 319 EMUs with the new timetable on 10th December 2023. 319369 was ...
Mark Bartlett 29/11/2023

4 of 52 images. more

Boar's Head

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See also
Lancashire Union Railway

The Mountsorrel to Carlisle New Yard loaded ballast train heads north at Boars Head Junction on the WCML, with Colas 70815 working hard on the climb ...
John McIntyre 22/02/2022

1 of 1 images.

Standish

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DB Cargo 66177 passes the Coppull Hall HABD to the north of the former station site at Standish with the 4Z25 Mossend to Daventry container train on ...
John McIntyre 01/10/2022

Having seen WCRC's 46115 last Saturday, this week it was the turn of LSL's 46100 'Royal Scot' to head to Carlisle with a charter to Carlisle. This ...
John McIntyre 15/08/2020

On a glorious sunny summer's afternoon, a double Voyager heads south towards the site of the former Standish station, making towards the next stop at ...
John McIntyre 07/07/2013

Freightliner 66606 passes the site of Standish station on 20 October 2018 whilst working a Hardendale to Tunstead stone train. The platforms were only ...
John McIntyre 20/10/2018

4 of 12 images. more

Coppull [2nd]

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DRS 88002 'Prometheus' approaches the site of Coppull station on 01 October 2022 with the 4Z45 Daventry to Mossend container service. ...
John McIntyre 01/10/2022

BR Standard Class 7MT pacific, 70000 'Britannia' runs northwards in the cutting at Charnock Richard, just to the north of Coppull, with Steam Dreams ...
John McIntyre 27/09/2022

The regular Sunday ECS move from Crewe to Appleby for 'The North Pennine Staycation Express' is seen approaching Coppull on 9th August 2020 with 47712 ...
John McIntyre 09/08/2020

DRS 68018 and 68034 head south at Coppull on 2nd February 2019 working to Crewe with 4 wagons from Sellafield. The tower of the former Coppull ...
John McIntyre 02/02/2019

4 of 6 images. more

Balshaw Lane Junction

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A DRS Mossend to Daventry container service joins the two track section at Balshaw Lane Junction from the Up Slow on the evening of 21 April 2022. ...
John McIntyre 21/04/2022

DBC 66054 proceeds south following a signal stop and is seen crossing Balshaw Lane Junction on 26 August 2020 with the Hardendale Quarry to Margam ...
John McIntyre 26/08/2020

LMS Black 5 no. 44871 passes Balshaw Lane Jct on 17 September 2020 whilst on a Southall to Carnforth move with support coach. After missing out a ...
John McIntyre 17/09/2020

57313 in Northern Belle livery heads the Pathfinder railtour from Bristol to Carlisle at Balshaw Lane Junction on 3 September 2022. ...
John McIntyre 03/09/2022

4 of 91 images. more

Euxton Balshaw Lane

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The rear of a northbound Pendolino is seen passing under (foot) bridge 90 to the north of Euxton Balshaw Lane station in the late afternoon of 24 ...
John McIntyre 24/04/2021

Colas Rail Freight 70811 slows the 6J37 Carlisle NY to Chirk log train for a signal check at the south end of Euxton Balshaw Lane station on 19 August ...
John McIntyre 19/08/2022

GBRFs 66782 passes Euxton Balshaw Lane on 16 August 2022 working the Avonmouth to Clitheroe Castle Cement empty tank wagons. ...
John McIntyre 16/08/2022

90018 hauls three Class 325 Royal Mail sets on a Shieldmuir to Warrington service just north of Euxton Balshaw Lane in the evening of 22nd July 2019. ...
John McIntyre 22/07/2019

4 of 60 images. more

Euxton Junction

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See also
Bolton and Preston Railway

Colas 37116 propels a Network Rail test train northwards at Euxton Junction on 28 March 2021. The train had started in Crewe and carried out a number ...
John McIntyre 28/03/2021

DRS 66415 hauls the morning Mossend to Daventry Tesco container service on the approach to Euxton Junction in November 2008. At the time of writing ...
John McIntyre 01/11/2008

An early start for passengers on the Blue Pullman from Barrow-in-Furness on 21 May 2022 with a trip to Paignton. The train is seen just south of ...
John McIntyre 21/05/2022

47828 leads the 'Cumbrian Coast Statesman' railtour to the south of Euxton Junction on 28 July 2021. The tour was returning to Hereford following a ...
John McIntyre 28/07/2021

4 of 45 images. more

Leyland

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A busy few minutes at Leyland on 28 July 2015 with a Class 156+142 pairing heading to Blackpool North while a Class 150 prepares to depart with a ...
John McIntyre 28/07/2015

390134 sweeps down from Euxton Junction to pass through Leyland on the Down Fast heading for Glasgow Central on 13th July 2022. ...
Mark Bartlett 13/07/2022

88010 approaches Leyland with the Daventry to Mossend intermodal service on 19th August 2020. ...
John McIntyre 19/08/2020

DRS 20305 and 20308 rumble south at Leyland with the Sellafield to Crewe nuclear flask train in an August evening in 2015. ...
John McIntyre 05/08/2015

4 of 205 images. more

Farington Junction

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47813 and 47245 slowly approach Farington Junction on 1 June 2021 with the WCRC 'The Dalesman' railtour from Chester to Carlisle. The train had been ...
John McIntyre 01/06/2021

GBRF 66767 has just joined the WCML at Farington Jct as it works a Clitheroe to Avonmouth loaded cement train on 27 April 2022. ...
John McIntyre 27/04/2022

DRS 88005 'Minerva,' on a Daventry to Mossend intermodal service, passes TPE 397011 on an Edinburgh to Manchester Airport service to the south of ...
John McIntyre 15/03/2021

DB Cargo 66097 approaches Farington Junction with the 4Z50 Daventry to Grangemouth container service on 01 October 2022. ...
John McIntyre 01/10/2022

4 of 88 images. more

Farington

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See also
Blackburn and Preston Railway

DRS 88009 'Diana' on the 4Z43 Daventry to Mossend Tesco train is seen heading north at Farington and about to pass under Coote Lane bridge. This was ...
John McIntyre 01/10/2022

LSL at Crewe have had Class 47 D1944 Craftsman out on what is believed to have been route learning on 22nd June 2020. The loco had come from Crewe to ...
John McIntyre 22/06/2020

Colas 70810 crosses the WCML with the 6E32 Preston Docks to Lindsey Oil Refinery empty bitumen tank wagons on 30 April 2021. The train is travelling ...
John McIntyre 30/04/2021

A Colas Class 56 (56105) is seen at Farington on the WCML with a Sinfin to Grangemouth empty aviation fuel wagons in June 2014. The service still runs ...
John McIntyre 07/06/2014

4 of 24 images. more

Farington Curve Junction

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The Network Rail NMT heads south on the WCML near to Farington Curve Junction on 20th August 2020. The train had been scheduled to run from Slateford ...
John McIntyre 20/08/2020

In the days that WCRC operated the Statesman Rail 'The Fellsman', ex LNER K4 61994 'The Great Marquess' hauls the service on 19 June 2013 on the climb ...
John McIntyre 19/06/2013

The gradient on Farington Curve is around 1:90 but it somehow looks steeper and the sharp curve means it could be tricky for drivers in charge of ...
Mark Bartlett 10/06/2021

Stanier Pacific, 6201 'Princess Elizabeth' approaches Farington Curve Junction on 19 September 2020 whilst on a 'Northern Belle' working from ...
John McIntyre 19/09/2020

4 of 114 images. more

Skew Bridge Junction

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It is Christmas Day 2020 but the Orange Army is out dealing with the drainage along the cess next to the Up Fast line south of Preston. On the rear of ...
John McIntyre 25/12/2020

Lost Railfreight 40009, one of the pilot scheme EE Type 4s, takes nine hoppers of household coal on the Down Slow at Skew Bridge Junction, ...
Mark Bartlett 20/06/1980

87026 'Redgauntlet' and 87033 'Thane of Fife' pass Skew Bridge Junction on the Down Fast with a freight for the north on 22nd December 1980. Both ...
Mark Bartlett 22/12/1980

English Electric AL3 locomotive 83011 takes a (very) mixed freight north through Skew Bridge Junction near Preston in June 1980. The former E3034 ...
Mark Bartlett 20/06/1980

4 of 4 images.

Preston South Junction

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See also
Ribble Branch (North Union Railway and Preston Corporation Joint)

Always impressive to see the Lindsey bitumen tanks climbing the 1:29 gradient from the docks and emerging alongside Preston station. On 1st December ...
Mark Bartlett 01/12/2022

Over the top. DBS 60024 and 13 loaded bitumen tankers take the steep descent towards Preston Docks on 14 March. This view is from the south end ...
Mark Bartlett 14/03/2014

Breasting the top of the 1:29 incline of the Preston Dock branch 66182 emerges opposite the platforms of Preston station on 20 July 2011. The ...
Mark Bartlett 20/07/2011

3 of 3 images.

Preston

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Class 156s sat in the bay platforms at Preston. On the left in 3C is Northern 156441 which was about to head to Ormskirk while on the right in 4C is ...
John McIntyre 15/08/2022

Preston 17 April 2019. ...
John Yellowlees 17/04/2019

DBC 66128 passing Preston with the 4S38 Seaforth Docks to Mossend container service in August 2022. ...
John McIntyre 15/08/2022

DRS 20309 and 37409 arrive at Preston on 18 February 2011 whilst heading north light engine. In April 2021 it is understood that both locos are still ...
John McIntyre 18/02/2011

4 of 320 images. more

This short lived station was the proposed terminus of the Bolton and Preston Railway in Preston, when proposed it was to be reached from the south perhaps using the former route of the Preston to Walton Tramroad (Lancaster Canal) which had a number of sidings in the area around the canal basin as far as Dock Street to the west.
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See also
Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway

Dock Street Junction

This is an end on junction north of Preston station where the Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway met the North Union Railway.
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See also
Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway

North Union Railway

Introduction

Dates

Locations along the line

Wigan North Western

Boar's Head

Standish

Coppull [1st]

Coppull [2nd]

Balshaw Lane Junction

Euxton Balshaw Lane

Euxton (LNWR)

Euxton Junction

Leyland

Farington Junction

Farington

Farington Curve Junction

Skew Bridge Junction

Preston Ribble Junction

Ribble Viaduct [S&C]

Preston South Junction

Preston

Dock Street Sidings

Preston [Maxwell House]

Dock Street Junction

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