LITTLEBOROUGH STATION CELEBRATES 175 YEARS
July 4th is meaningful to Americans for celebrating their Independence Day. For the people of Littleborough the date has a much more local relevance. On July 4th 1839 the first public trains ran from Manchester to Littleborough. 2014 is the 175th anniversary of trains coming to Littleborough Station and on July 4th a plaque at the station commemorating this will be unveiled by Simon Danczuk MP. Littleborough Station has a very active friends group who are behind the celebrations. Founded in 2005, The Friends Of Littleborough Stations (FOLSs) work voluntarily to improve and maintain facilities at both Littleborough and Smithy Bridge stations. Their acting secretary, Sheila Wild, has researched and written a short history of Littleborough Station which will be published in time for the anniversary.
opened until 1841. Once the tunnel was opened, trains were able to travel along the Calder valley through to Leeds. Many famous people have travelled through Littleborough Station over the years; from the composer Franz Liszt to the novelist Charlotte Bronte. Littleborough was well-placed to cash in on the excursion trade to nearby Hollingworth Lake which became known as “The Weighvers Seaport”. As many as 30,000 visitors would go to the Lake on gala days, most of them travelling by train to Littleborough. Smithy Bridge Station did not open until 1868 and was designed to relieve the overcrowding at Littleborough.
Sheila has uncovered a wealth of details about the various stages of development at Littleborough Station. On July 3rd 1839 there was a gala opening ceremony at the station with over 500 guests including local civic leaders; military officers; shareholders of the railway company and the principal engineer himself, George Stephenson.
At the start of the First World War when the Ealees Valley was used by the Manchester Regiment as a camp, the soldiers – and their visiting families – would have used Littleborough Station. Many soldiers set out for Gallipoli from Littleborough never to return.
For the first two years, the terminus of the Manchester and Leeds Railway was Littleborough as the Summit Tunnel was not
In recent years the station buildings have become Littleborough History Centre, a small museum and teaching space set up
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by Littleborough Historical and Archaeological Society. The Friends Of Littleborough Station were delighted when access ramps were installed at Littleborough in 2012, allowing the elderly, the disabled and passengers with pushchairs to easily reach both platforms. However, they are still campaigning for weatherproof waiting facilities at the station and more attractive landscaping. They also support the wider call for the electrification of the Calder Valley line. Friends of both stations have tirelessly planted bulbs and maintained flower tubs over the years. The friends group work closely with Northern Rail; Transport for Greater Manchester and Network Rail on improving rail services. New members are always welcome. Please contact Sheila Wild on sheila.wild@btinternet.com if you need further details about FOLSs or how to obtain the history of the station. Richard Lysons