Lancaster to Morecambe Line

[Iskra]

Wow, well spotted - that's exactly what it is. One of my favourite places. (Although I have to admit, I don't think it works that well as an avatar picture - I keep meaning to change it but never getting round to it...)

 

[markydh]

The points to Heysham are guard worked and locked with a key on the 'staff' issued on the Heysham service. The points are then locked facing Heysham until the train has cleared them on it's return leg, whence they are locked facing Bare Lane again. This adds a couple of minutes to each trip on the Heysham branch.

Didn't they automate this when Preston took over the signalling?

 

[Iskra]

Didn't they automate this when Preston took over the signalling?

No, still manual.

 

[Crossover]

Which is why there are now departure boards on each platform. Whilst the signal box was there, the signalman would shout across to passengers who were on the wrong platform. When the signalbox was decommissioned, a network rail worker had to sit in the signalbox to do the same job, but eventually the electronic departure boards were introduced. Yes, indeed, it was confusing for locals, many of whom were accustomed to the traditional/standard method of platform directions on double track lines and who were easily caught out if the signalman didn't notice them before the crossing gates closed!

That's great if they work. When I was there last year, we arrived on the platform that is not on the Heysham branch, yet the return of the same train was advertised as on the other platform. Needless to say, once it left Morecambe, it switched with just enough time to allow anyone on the wrong side to get across the LC!

For want of something better to do, prompted by this thread I looked up the passenger numbers for Morecambe and Bare Lane.

I was astonished to find the last data puts that at:

217,000 for Morecambe - 300 on, 300 off per day

168,000 for Bare Lane - 235 on and off per day.

Which I thought is quite something.

Presumably the Morecambe figures are quite season sensitive, and probably mean something like 450 on/off on summer holiday days, and maybe only 200 a day in winter - or does school travel mean a healthy level in winter too?

When I did the Hest Bank service the other year, lots of school kids were on from Lancaster to Bare Lane...they mostly all piled off at Bare Lane to be met by a ticket inspection xD

Is there not information signage on the platforms concerning this matter?

Concerning what matter?

The points to Heysham are guard worked and locked with a key on the 'staff' issued on the Heysham service. The points are then locked facing Heysham until the train has cleared them on it's return leg, whence they are locked facing Bare Lane again. This adds a couple of minutes to each trip on the Heysham branch.

And leads to the driver* getting very wet if there is a sudden downpour, as happened the first time I did that line! Just to add insult to injury, by the time we reached Heysham Port, there was a clear sky again, just after a torrential downpour as the guard had to go and work the ground frame

*Pretty sure it was the driver who did it, whilst, given it was a 144, the guard came and well, guarded the open door to make sure no-one fell out!

Didn't they automate this when Preston took over the signalling?

Nope, all off a ground frame. The only signals there are a couple of yellows which I believe are point proving indicators for the sprung points on the loop

IIRC, the train comes from Lancaster, into Morecambe, reverses and stops at the ground frame before proceeding to Heysham. Coming back they run right back to Morecambe, reverse, draw forward to, and operate the ground frame a second time, before continuing back to Lancaster

 

[underbank]

Lots of school kids use Bare Lane station - there's a discounted deal for passes on the train which makes it far cheaper than the bus passes which are extortionate. Lots of parents drop off/pick up their kids from Bare Lane which is ironically more convenient for most of Morecambe and Hest Bank rather than driving into Morecambe centre, where relatively few people live nearby. Same reason as lots of workers and shoppers use Bare Lane to get to/from Lancaster - far more people living near it and far handier for the road than Morecambe.

The bus passes are so expensive, there are even some people who drive their kids from as far as Bolton Le Sands and Heysham to Bare Lane to catch the train.

 

[snail]

I have always said that this line should never had been closed, what a great pity that a group of enthusiasts, didn't buy the line to preserve.

I dread to think what road traffic would be like now if they had. I don't drive that way very often but the Greyhound Bridge always seems to have queues.

 

[thenorthern]

Wasn't The line to Morecambe one of the first to be electrified?

IIRC the electrified line went to Lancaster Green Ayre station rather than Lancaster Castle station (now Lancaster) and Green Ayre station and the line to it closed in 1966 thus removing the electrification. Had the WCML been electrified earlier I reckon the electrification to Morecambe would have stayed but there was an 8 year gap between the closure of Green Ayre and the WCML electrification in 1974.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

I dread to think what road traffic would be like now if they had. I don't drive that way very often but the Greyhound Bridge always seems to have queues.

I suspect that if the line hadn't closed and the Greyhound Bridge had remained a rail bridge, then the Government would long ago have built another road bridge nearby - probably in the 1970s, definitely by the 1980s - so traffic congestion probably wouldn't be much different from what it actually is. And of course, if that line still existed, some of the people who now drive would probably have used the train. Although, if that line had still existed, maybe the line via Bare Lane wouldn't have survived. It would be very hard to see both lines surviving Beeching.

But beyond the Greyhound bridge, the old trackbed has now become an extremely well used walking/cycle path - so some good has come out of that closure.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The points to Heysham are guard worked and locked with a key on the 'staff' issued on the Heysham service. The points are then locked facing Heysham until the train has cleared them on it's return leg, whence they are locked facing Bare Lane again. This adds a couple of minutes to each trip on the Heysham branch.

Gosh, that sounds like an arrangement from the 19th century! I can see why they would have kept it though: With only - I think - 8 trains a week to Heysham, the cost of installing anything better is rather obviously unlikely to be worth it. Thanks for the info.

 

[berneyarms]

Gosh, that sounds like an arrangement from the 19th century! I can see why they would have kept it though: With only - I think - 8 trains a week to Heysham, the cost of installing anything better is rather obviously unlikely to be worth it. Thanks for the info.

Hardly that antiquated - it's a system that works and is straightforward.

The same applies at Coombe Junction on the Looe Branch, and at Bere Alston on the Gunnislake line.

If it ain't broke - why change it?

 

[KendalKing]

I suspect that if the line hadn't closed and the Greyhound Bridge had remained a rail bridge, then the Government would long ago have built another road bridge nearby - probably in the 1970s, definitely by the 1980s - so traffic congestion probably wouldn't be much different from what it actually is. And of course, if that line still existed, some of the people who now drive would probably have used the train.

I agree, if that line had remain open either as part-off B.R. or privately owned, then a lot more people would off been using the train between Lancaster & Morecambe. Also the M6-Heysham link road which is currently being built, would off probably been built years ago.

Wasn't The line to Morecambe one of the first to be electrified?

Yes, it used four Class AM1 EMU's, which were scrapped when the line was closed. These units were due to become Class 301 under T.O.P.S.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Yes, it used four Class AM1 EMU's, which were scrapped when the line was closed. These units were due to become Class 301 under T.O.P.S.

Prior to this, was there not the Midland Railway 1908 scheme using a 6,600V AC overhead system?

 

[edwin_m]

Had the former direct line via Lancaster Green Ayre closed in 1966 still be in situ the service would have been more frequent and with no conflicts with the WCML, but thats another story!

But also no connections with other services at Lancaster, unless everything shunted up the connection to Castle station and back again.

 

[SeanG]

This may seem a strange question but if the the train is delayed and misses the ferry then does the ferry wait?

The boat arrives at 1215, train around 1315 and the boat leaves around 1415, so it is rare that the train would be an hour late. If it were this late, as it comes from Leeds I suspect it may be canned at Lancaster. Those passengers for the sunny Isle of Man would be best advised to make their way to Liverpool for the evening boat

But also no connections with other services at Lancaster, unless everything shunted up the connection to Castle station and back again.

I could imagine this would happen, isn't there a similar situation at Colchester, and didn't it happen in Sheffield after the closure of the Woodhead route?

 

[edwin_m]

I could imagine this would happen [reversing from Green Ayre to Castle], isn't there a similar situation at Colchester, and didn't it happen in Sheffield after the closure of the Woodhead route?

There are various routes that include a reversal, and Liverpool-Norwich includes two.

Running via Green Ayre and reversing at Castle could be a good solution for today's almost exclusively passenger service, although those making Morecambe connections at Castle would have a longer journey time and the Heysham flask train would have had to reverse at both Lancaster stations. The route via Bare Lane would also have been closed, disadvantaging that area.

However at the time of rationalisation in the 60s WCML capacity via Carnforth wasn't really a concern, and freight between Furness and Yorkshire would have prevented closure of the route between Wennington and Carnforth. Thus what was done is understandable based on what was known and expected at the time.

 

[KendalKing]

Prior to this, was there not the Midland Railway 1908 scheme using a 6,600V AC overhead system?

Paul, I hope this helps

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Midland Railway experimented with electrification on its Heysham–Morecambe–Lancaster line in Lancashire, England. Electric trains started to run over this route in 1908, using the overhead 6.6 kV, 25 Hz AC electric supply installed and generated at the MR's own power station in Heysham.

The electric multiple units consisted of three driving motor coaches and six driving trailer coaches. Since the DM cars had a cab at each end, this allowed trains of one, two, or three cars to be formed.

In February 1951, these venerable units were finally withdrawn from service. Steam locomotive-hauled trains operated passenger services over the Lancaster–Heysham Line from then until August 1953, when electric trains took over again, this time the prototype Class AM1 units following the installation of the appropriate new equipment.

The line voltage remained at 6,600 but the frequency was altered to 50 Hz and this was transformed and rectified on the trains to supply DC traction motors. This experiment led to the introduction of the 25 kV, 50 Hz system as standard for new electrification on British Railways.

When you consider the important history of this line, it makes it all the more a shame, that this line don't enter preservation.:cry:

 

[the-manxman]

Does anybody know why the two trains a day on the Heysham branch were rationalised to one back in 2008? They used to connect perfectly with the boat whereas now you're left with about 45 minutes to kill in either direction. Further, the train from Heysham misses the London service by about five minutes at Lancaster, which is infuriating. Why don't they turn it round faster at Heysham so that it connects?

 

[Buttsy]

Does anybody know why the two trains a day on the Heysham branch were rationalised to one back in 2008? They used to connect perfectly with the boat whereas now you're left with about 45 minutes to kill in either direction. Further, the train from Heysham misses the London service by about five minutes at Lancaster, which is infuriating. Why don't they turn it round faster at Heysham so that it connects?

My guess is that not enough people were using both trains a lot of the time and by running one with a wait either way, they would get roughly the same number of passengers as if they ran two better timed for arrival and departure.

As for connecting with the London service, I'd wager that most train users are in the North West so a connection to a Manchester train is likely to be more beneficial overall.

 

[SeanG]

I concur, most people I have seen on the boat train have connected into / out of a TPE service to Preston/Bolton/Manchester, via Wigan now I suppose.

It seems traditionally the Isle of Man has been associated the most with Lancashire