There are two lines covering West Lancashire each with its own charm and places of interest:

Preston to Ormskirk
Leaving Preston on the West Coast Main Line the Ormskirk train soon heads off across the marshes for Croston. Croston is a delightful linear village with plenty of pubs and many interesting buildings. Next is Rufford with walks along the Rufford branch of the Leeds – Liverpool Canal to Latham and Burscough, the developing canal marina complex with St. Mary’s Marina Boathouse Brasserie and Rufford Old Hall owned by the National Trust. At Burscough there is an easy walk to the new Burscough Bridge Interchange on the Wigan to Southport line. The train terminates at Ormskirk with connections into the frequent Merseyrail service to Liverpool. There are 12 trains a day Monday to Saturday so it is possible to have a full day out.

(Manchester) Wigan to Southport
This is a busy commuter line connecting West Lancashire with Wigan, Bolton and Manchester. There are some major attractions along the line that can be easily reached by train and foot/bike or bus!

Martin Mere, the renowned wetland centre is very close to Burscough Bridge Interchange and a new footpath link connects the award winning interchange with the bird/nature reserve.

The service terminates at Southport, England’s classic resort with a wide range of shops, cafes, bars and entertainments to suit all tastes and ages. Take a stroll along the elegant Lord Street with its wide variety of shops or visit the pier which has had a major refurbishment and take the tram for a trip along it!!

Click on the interactive map to find out more about the Community Rail lines of Lancashire.

Each April the Office of the Rail Regulator publishes figures showing how many passengers use every station. Click HERE to look at the latest figures (2008/09) for stations on the West of Lancashire lines.

‘Rail travel at high speeds above 20 miles per hour is not possible, because passengers, unable to breathe, would die of asphyxia’ – Dr. Dionysus Lardner (1793 – 1859)

Last updated 02.09.10