Preston and Wyre Joint Railway

The Preston and Wyre Joint Railway (PWJR) – in full, the Preston & Wyre Railway and Dock Company – was the result of a merger in 1839 between:

• Preston & Wyre Railway and Harbour Company, formed in 1835
• Preston & Wyre Dock Company, formed in 1837

The Dock Company was vested jointly between the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) – one third – and the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway – two thirds – on 28 July 1849 to become the PWJR.^[1]

The railway was originally built to connect Preston on the LNWR West Coast Main Line with the port of Fleetwood at the mouth of the River Wyre. In 1861 the Blackpool and Lytham Railway (B&LR) was opened; this was included in the Joint Railway, amalgamated in 1871. A branch from Poulton-le-Fylde to a station at Talbot Road, Blackpool, completed the 45 miles (72km) of track.

The following stations exist or have existed on the line:

• Lea Road: closed 2 May 1938
• Salwick: closed 2 May 1938; reopened ..
• Kirkham and Wesham – junction for the Lytham (B&LR) line; and the "Blackpool direct" line to Blackpool South station (line now closed; most of the trackbed is now part of the M55 motorway and Yeadon Way, Blackpool.)
  • Wrea Green: closed (1961)
  • Moss Side
  • Lytham
  • Ansdell and Fairhaven
  • St Annes
    • two halts here were at Burlington Road and Gillets Crossing: both closed during WWII and permanently 1 January 1949
  • Squires Gate
  • Blackpool Pleasure Beach
  • Blackpool South: was originally Waterloo Road
  • Blackpool Central: closed 1964

• continuation of main line from Kirkham:
• Singleton; closed 1932
• Poulton-le-Fylde: junction for line to Blackpool North:
  • Layton: was named Bispham
  • Blackpool North was Talbot Road station

• continuation of main line from Poulton-le-Fylde; this section is closed to traffic:
• Thornton for Cleveleys serving Thornton and Cleveleys: between here and Bispham (see above) was a curve (now closed) on which stood Poulton Curve Halt
• Burn Naze halt
• Fleetwood Wyre Dock serving Fleetwood: here was goods branch to Wyre Dock. Terminus from 1966 to 1970. Closed in 1970.
• Fleetwood serving Fleetwood: closed in 1966. Terminus transferred to Fleetwood Wyre Dock.

See also

• Blackpool Branch Lines
• Fleetwood Branch Line

References

External links

• Blackpool And Fylde Rail Users' Association
• Local plan suggesting that line be reopened to Fleetwood
• Poulton and Wyre Railway Society are working towards restoring passenger services to Fleetwood, follow the link for more information.