The 175th anniversary of the completion and opening of the Leeds to Morecambe railway line has been celebrated.
The Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership (LMCRP) celebrated milestone with a special journey along the line for ‘A Grand Day Out to the Seaside’ at Morecambe.
Following the completion of the final section of the line between Clapham Junction (Yorks) and Bentham by the ‘Little’ North Western Railway the route was declared open on June 1, 1850.
Over the past 175 years the route between Leeds and Wennington has remained the same. Originally, the route west of Wennington followed the Lune Valley via Hornby, Caton, Halton and Lancaster Green Ayre to Morecambe.
However, the present route, now known as ‘The Bentham Line’, follows the original tracks between Leeds and Wennington before heading through Melling Tunnel, crossing the Lune Valley at Arkholme and joining the West Coast Main Line between Carnforth and Lancaster.
The trains reverse at Lancaster to reach Morecambe and Heysham Port via Bare Lane.
Partnership Chairman, Gerald Townson, and Partnership Officer, Catherine Huddleston, welcomed guests and passengers to the 08:31 from Leeds, as they boarded the train along the route. The train was bedecked for the celebration of not only Bentham Line 175 but also the 200th anniversary of the passenger railway, ‘Railway 200’.
The first passenger services were on the Stockton & Darlington Railway on 27th September 1825.
At Morecambe station guests and fellow passengers were welcomed by a short up-beat concert given by Lancaster City Brass, before the guests boarded a vintage double-decker bus, kindly provided by the Ribble Vehicle Preservation Trust, for a tour of Heysham, Morecambe and Bare.
On the return journey from Morecambe to Leeds, the children travelling with the party helped the partnership representatives to serve an afternoon tea created by the Country Harvest Bakery in Bentham.
Darren Allsopp, Stakeholder Manager at Northern Trains, said: “We are delighted to welcome you all onboard this very special seaside service to celebrate 175 years of this beautiful and scenic railway.
‘’I would like to thank everybody who has worked hard to make this event come to life, and make the day a very special and memorable for all. Northern Trains are proud to partner community rail initiatives and the LMCRP always has positive surprises in store”.
Following the event, Gerald Townson added: ‘’It has been a real pleasure to welcome onboard many volunteers and stakeholders who have supported the LMCRP over almost 20 years, along with individuals and groups we have worked alongside to make the Bentham Line a welcoming place for all”.
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