To view  video footage of one of the last trains to run from Bury to Bacup click the graphic below.

The files are numbered 1- 4 and can be viewed by clicking the links on the site.

 

 

 

In 1844 The Manchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway Company was incorporated by a act Act Of Parliament. The Manchester to Rawtenstall section of the Railway was opened to passengers on 28th September 1846, with the  Rawtenstall to Waterfoot line opening to passengers on the 27th March 1848. Faced with the obstruction of the " Thrutch Gorge" or better known today by the name of  "The Glenn" it was another four years before passenger trains began running from Waterfoot to Bacup, this took place on 1st October 1852. With goods trains beginning to run from 1st February 1853. Initially this section was single track but was doubled in 1880 which of course meant the need to excavate another tunnel. Another tunnel was excavated at Stubylee, approximately 144 yards long which the train passed through before reaching Bacup Station.

 

Travel from Bacup to Bury  took approximately 32 to 34 minutes and a minute or two longer was added for journeys from Bury to Bacup to compensate for the gradients. Trains made a shorter trip to Ramsbottom every evening  returning at 6.37pm. There was also a through train from Bolton to Bacup each day leaving Bolton at 9.00am and due into Bacup at 9.48am,travelling via Radcliffe  but with no corresponding service in the reverse direction. The engine from Bolton returning to Manchester Victoria Station via Heywood. On Sundays there were four steam trains in each direction Bacup, Bury through to Manchester and Manchester, Bury through to Bacup.

 

It was then a further  29 years before passenger trains began running from Bacup to Rochdale, the line from Wardelworth to Facit being a single line whilst the line from Facit to Bacup was a double and was opened on 1st December 1881. The Facit to Bacup line was known locally as the " New Line " hence the name of the road we know today.

Trains for Bacup from Rochdale usually departed from the platform on the down side at the east end of Rochdale station. Travelling through to Wardelworth, from there the line became single. Passing over the viaduct at Healey Dell the train arrived at the one platformed station of Broadley  then onto Whitworth which had a platform on the east side of the line and a goods yard on the opposite side. Facit station was a mile further on.

From Shawforth station which was temporarily closed in 1917 the line descended to Britannia, which at 967 feet above sea level was the highest point on the old L&Y R. Britannia Station was also closed in 1917 as a cost cutting measure but unlike Shawforth which reopened Britannia remained closed.

Passenger traffic to Rochdale from Bacup was stopped on 16th June 1947, affected initially  by the competition of the Rochdale Corporation electrified tramway which was extended to Bacup in 1911 and was known as the Bacup Light Railway, being replaced by buses in about 1930. Apart from light engine movements between Bacup Locomotive shed the line after Facit became disused. The whole line from Rochdale to Facit was finally closed in August 1967.

 

The last train From Bacup To Rochdale shown right  was on 14 June 1947.On the Bacup to Bury line diesels were introduced in 1956 and there then was a train every 30 minutes  each way leaving Bury at twenty past and fifty past the hour and returning from Bacup on the even and half hour. Journey time was reduced to 28 minutes from Bacup to Bury but was 34 minutes in the reverse direction. The line closed on 5th December 1966.