Friends of Hellifield Station are continuing their tradition of holding slideshows in the Station Cafe on Friday evenings. The latest programme sees a tour around the fells of Cumbria and also a round robin at the end of steam days in the 1960s. Click here to see the latest programme.

Saturday 30th January 2010 saw the latest LASRUG Coffee Morning take place in Bentham Town Hall. The event was again very well attended and with crafts, second hand books and cakes on sale the event raised £175 for LASRUG’s coffers. Look out for details of the next Coffee Morning at www.leedslancastermorecambecrp.co.uk or www.llmr.co.uk.

Engineering works will affect York to Blackpool North services from Sunday 7th Feb until 28th March inclusive with buses between Halifax and Blackpool North. Also affected on Sundays 7th & 14th Feb are services between Leeds/Bradford to Carlisle & Morecambe and between Skipton to Leeds/Bradford with buses between Leeds and Shipley and train services starting at Bradford Forster Square.   

Further information can be found by clicking the links below:

Blackpool North to Hebden Bridge
Leeds/Bradford to Carlisle & Morecambe
Skipton to Leeds/Bradford

Please also check the printed timetable for your line as many Sunday services are replaced by buses during this period.

Northern Rail have reintroduced their Senior and Accompanied Child flat fare tickets following the long Christmas break on the Southport – Wigan – Manchester Stations (via Bolton or Atherton) route.

• Senior Offer

  £5.00 flat fare day return, available as follows:

• To anyone 55 years old or over (proof of age required, either a passport, birth certificate, senior railcard or concessionary bus pass).
• Monday to Fridays only – outward any train timed to depart from 09.30, return any time the same day, but not valid to return from Manchester Stations (Piccadilly, Oxford Road, Victoria or Deansgate).
• Valid between any two stations on the route.
• Not available weekends
• No railcard discounts permitted
• Offer runs Monday 11th January – Friday 5th March 2010

Accompanied Child Offer

£2.00 flat fare day return, available as follows:

• To any child (5 – 15 years old) accompanied by an adult holding a valid Anytime Day Return (SDR). Off-Peak Day Return (CDR) or Northern Duo (NTH) ticket for the same journey. Maximum of two children per fare payning adult.
• Valid between any two stations on route stated.
• Saturday and Sundays only – not available Mondays to Fridays.
• No further discounts permitted.
• Offer runs Sunday 10th January – Saturday 6th March 2010. 

Northern Rail, Transdev and the East Lancashire Community Rail Partnership have agreed some changes to the East Lancashire Day Ranger, and these came into effect on January 2nd 2010. The time restriction has been lifted and the ticket is now available all day and along with the addition of two new bus routes, Blackburn to Chorley and Burnley to Todmorden, makes the ticket an even better way to spend a day out in East Lancashire! Full details of the changes can be found by clicking HERE.

Northern Rail have announced significant changes to their Duo tickets that will benefit customers travelling throughout Lancashire. Currently the Duo ticket is only available between two points on a line of route and the changes will allow customers to buy Duo tickets that cover more than one line of route.

Details of the changes can be seen below:

Clitheroe – Manchester Victoria via Darwen line to all stations on the East Lancashire line (Colne /Burnley Manchester Road – Blackburn section).

Clitheroe line (Clitheroe – Blackburn section) / East Lancashire line (Colne / Burnley Manchester Road – Preston) to all station on the Ormskirk branch.

Clitheroe line (Clitheroe – Blackburn section) to all stations as far as Preston.

Burnley Manchester Road to Manchester Victoria via Hebden Bridge

Ormskirk branch to Liverpool Stations via Ormskirk and Merseyrail Electrics

Kirkby, Rainford and Upholland to station via Wigan / Atherton to Manchester Victoria

Finally Blackpool South branch and Blackpool North, Poulton-le-Fylde & Kirkham & Wesham to

Blackburn and station beyond on the East Lancashire line – these are only valid in this direction

only.

New ‘eco lights’ part funded by the Designated Line Community Rail Development Fund, have now been installed at Brierfield and Rishton station car parks. The lights, powered by solar panels and small wind turbines, are part of the ‘Greening of the East Lancashire Line’ project.

The East Lancashire CRP has been successful in bidding for a grant towards preparing a Station Guide as part of its Station Travel Plan. The grant from the Designated Line Community Rail Development Fund amounts to £3250.00 and will be match funded from other sources, including the SusStations Interreg IVB European Project.

RVR Santa Services

Ribble Valley Rail, the user group for the Clitheroe Line will once again be running its famous Santa Services on Saturdays 12th & 19th December 2009. The Santa Services are specially decorated service trains and depart Manchester Victoria at 11.00 and 14.00.

Santa joins the train at Blackburn and all children under 12 years old will receive a goody bag as Santa passes through the train. RVR voulnteers will also be handing out mince pies and sherry for the adults. Click on the image for more details of the Santa Services in 2009.

Ribble Valley Rail has once again been supported by Booths Supermarkets, D Byrne & Co., Northern Rail, Lancashire County Council, British Transport Police & Ribble Valley Borough Council.

Come along and join in the fun! No need to book – normal fares apply with an hourly return service! Click here for full timetable.

For the second year running, the West of Lancashire CRP in partnership with Northern Rail and Network Rail will be running Christmas Shopper Services on Sunday 6th December 2009. The services between Preston and Ormskirk are unusual in that there isn’t normally a service on the line on Sundays. There will be five trains in each direction starting with a 10.00 departure from Preston. For full details of this exciting opportunity please click here!