Railway in Littleborough 

The Manchester and Leeds Railway was a relatively early line opening between 1839 and 1842, only 10 years after the Liverpool & Manchester Railway, the UK’s first inter-city line and not long after the railways reached London. Like most railways (and the Rochdale Canal which both proceeded it), the initial proposals resulted in numerous objections but eventually the authorising Act of Parliament was given early in July 1836, 6 years after the Manchester & Leeds Rly Company formally came into being on 18th October 1830.

 

The new railway opened as a double track line throughout opening to Littleborough with a Gala on 3rd July 1839. Fare paying passenger trains commencied the following day with some 3.000 passengers carried. Littleborough Viaduct was completed in 1839 but work on the 1 mile 1,125 yds Summit Tunnel, which commenced in late 1837 was not completed until Sept 1840. The line opened throughout on 1st March 1842.

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Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L & Y Rly)

The Manchester & Leeds Railway subsequently expanded beyond the original cities such that it later changed its name to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1847 and it was that company which built the Ticket Office and Subway in the 1890s and the buildings on Platform 2 in the 1870s. It is these building which were leased by the History Society for development as ‘Littleborough’s History Centre’ and why it is painted in chocolate and white (more of a cream white).

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More Organisation Changes

Prior to the the main railway grouping which create the London Midland and Scotland Railway (LMS), the L&Y Rly had been absorbed by London and North Western Railway. Nationalisation came in 1948  followed by Railway Privatisation and re-nationalisation. However, it is unclear if the organisation changes really affected the Calder Valley Line through Littleborough albeit in 2026 West Yorkshire appears to have more influence on service levels than Greater Manchester.

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Links to other pages

Smithy Bridge

Littleborough

Summit

Industrial Railways