Nine days of changes for East Lancs and Calder Valley rail services - plan ahead plea

Between Saturday, 15 February and Sunday, 23 February, Network Rail will upgrade two railway bridges over the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in a £3.95million investment which will make sure that train services can continue to run reliably for years to come.

To allow this work to take place safely, the East Lancashire line between Colne and Blackburn will be closed. This will mean changes for passengers who travel on the route to and from Blackpool from Halifax, Hebden Bridge, Todmorden and Bradford.

Passengers are urged to check their journey ahead of time via National Rail Enquiries or with their train operator as journeys may take longer than usual, you may need to change trains and some bus replacement services will be in place.

Passengers are advised that bus replacement services will be in place on the below dates:
• 15-23 February between Blackburn and Colne.
• 15-16 and 22-23 February between Blackburn, Accrington, Burnley Manchester Road and Hebden Bridge.
• 17-21 February between Blackburn and Accrington.

Matt Rice, Route Director for Network Rail’s North and East Route, said: “This vital work will help to keep train services running reliably for years to come.

“The work does mean changes to services later this month, so I would urge passengers using this line to check before travelling as there will be significant changes to services, including bus replacement services.

“We are working hard to keep disruption to a minimum whilst this project takes place, however I do understand that this will have an impact on passengers. I am sorry for that and I would like to thank them for their patience during this time.”

Chris Jackson, Regional Director at Northern said: “The vital work being carried out by Network Rail will provide our customers with a more reliable railway for many years.

“We will continue to work closely with colleagues across the rail industry to minimise the impact on our customers and I’d like to thank our customers in advance for their patience and understanding while the work is completed.”

The East Lancashire line is used by passengers travelling between Blackpool, Preston, West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, via Accrington and Burnley.

To plan journeys and check for the latest travel information, visit www.nationalrail.co.uk.