The Great Wall of Daisyfield Project is now complete. The project, vinyl banners depicting the journey between Blackburn and Clitheroe was officially unveiled on Wednesday 3rd March 2010.

Before the ceremony the children of Class 6, who worked with local artist Alastair Nicholson to create the banners, did a PowerPoint presentation about the project in front of the whole school and invited guests in the school hall. 

The ‘unveiling’ was carried out by the Mayor of Blackburn Cllr James Hirst in a ceremony in the infants playground at Daisyfield School. Class 6, lined the banner and the invited guests from the Clitheroe Line Community Rail Partnership including James Syson, (Chair), Marjorie Birch (Vice Chair), Richard Watts (Secretary), Kathryn O’Brien and Jane Lennaine (Northern Rail), Alison Chew (GMPTE) and Karen Hornby (Network Rail) listened to a motivational speech by the mayor which highlighted the importance of partnership working and the benefits of rail travel. Also in attendance were Alastair (the artist), Brian Haworth and Simon Clarke (Community Rail Development Officers).

After the ceremony the children and guests returned the hall to see the Mayor cut a cake decorated with Brian the Bull, the famous cartoon character from the Explore the Ribble Valley Line DVD, the project which kick started the whole Great Wall of Daisyfield project.

Colin Cooper, one of the founding members of the Prospects environmental charity and leading light in the Friends of Rishton station group has been honoured in a ceremony in Rishton. Colin who works tirelessly to keep Rishton and its station clean and tidy has had a new clock in Parker Street garden dedicated to him in  a ceremony on Saturday 27th February.

Click on the image belowto see the full story.

Planned weekend engineering works will be taking place on many of Lancashire’s community rail lines over the next few weeks. Particularly affected is the York to Blackpool North service with buses between Halifax/Preston and Blackpool North and also between York and Leeds.

Saturday 27th February also sees buses between Preston and Blackpool North & Blackpool South and also between Southport and Parbold. See the links below for the full details.

Colne to Preston & Blackpool South

• Saturday 27th & Sun 28th Feb, Monday 1st to Friday 5th Mar
• Monday 8th to Thursday 11th Mar
• Monday 15th to Friday 19th Mar

 York to Blackpool North

• Weekend 27th & 28th Feb - Saturday bewteen PRE & BPN
• Sunday 28th Feb and Sundays 7th & 14th Mar

Manchester & Manchester Airport to Southport & Kirkby

• Weekend 27th & 28th Feb

Leeds to Morecambe & Heysham Port

• Saturdays 13th, 20th & 27th Mar - LATE NOTICE CHANGE – TRAINS TO RUN TO/FROM CARNFORTH

Barrow-in-Furness to Morecambe

• Saturdays 13th, 20th & 27th Mar & Sundays 14th & 21st Mar (one train)

Please remember to check your travel plans before travelling as some bus replacement services are advertised in the various local timetables and are not always advertised on station poster boards.  

The South Fylde and East Lancashire Line CRPs have recently been successful in bidding for money from the Designated Line Commnity Rail Development Fund.

The South Fylde Line CRP is to use their money to design and print a 12 page A5 brochure to market the line. The brochure will highlight the attractions of this scenic line and also give users ideas of things to do and places to visit.

The East Lancashire Line CRP is looking to give the Pendle Connect ticket a marketing boost. The Pendle Connect ticket is a revolutionary new combined bus and rail ticket, that offers the opportunity to buy a ticket on the bus in the Pendle area, travel to your local rail station and then continue your journey by rail to Accrington, Blackburn or Preston! The grant money will be used to design new posters, and leaflets to publicise the ticket at bus and rail stations and also on the bus. Click here for more information about the Pendle Connect ticket