Route
The line began at Blackburn and followed the East Lancashire Line to Cherry Tree where the line branched to Feniscowles; here remnants of the bridge that carried the railway over the A6062 Livesey road can clearly be seen. From here the line is more a less undeveloped minus the fact that gravel and rails are missing, the line carries on where the M65 motorway is now, towards Withnell.
The line between Withnell and Brinscall now forms Railway Park. Leaving Brinscall the line ran parallel to Lodge Bank Road and has been built on. At Brinscall Hall there is an old bridge carrying the railway over a footpath which is still intact. The line of the railway is still evident as it passes Wheelton Plantation towards Heapey. Before Heapey the line passes the former ROF Heapey site where there were sidings serving the plant. Heapey Station is now a private residence. The line had another siding which intersected two of the Heapey reservoirs before serving the Heapey Bleachworks; half of the bridge carrying the line over Higher House Lane to the works is still in situ. The line continued under a bridge under Tithe Barn Lane toward the Blackburn-Chorley road (again under an existing bridge) towards the arched viaduct at Botany Bay which carried the line over the Leeds-Liverpool Canal towards Chorley. The viaduct was demolished in 1968 to make way for the M61 motorway.
The line continued past the North Gate estate and past the rear of St. Joseph's Church where it crossed Highfield Road and ran parallel to the Manchester-Preston Line on an embankment (now a footpath). The line headed towards where Friday Street car park now stands where it merged with the main line and entered Chorley station. The LUR uses the main line to Adlington where the line branched off and under the A6 along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal and on to White Bear Station. On leaving the station the line continued parallel to the canal bypassing the town of Blackrod to the east.
The line followed the canal to the station at Red Rock. It continued south and split as it neared Pendlebury Lane. The first route; the Whelley Loop which bypassed Wigan was built to serve collieries and iron works before the loop split at De Trafford junction joining the Manchester-Southport Line just before Hindley railway station to the East and to Amberswood to the West, before re-joining the LUR at Bryn or heading further south to Warrington via the NUR. The second route headed over a viaduct, the 13 Bridges which carried the railway over the River Douglas. The bridges are known locally as the dominoes due to the position and shape of the pillars and are the only parts left standing. After the viaduct the line continued to Boar's Head before connecting with the Blackpool to Liverpool Line. The line then continued through Wigan North Western before heading towards Bryn and Garswood before eventually joining the St Helens Railway, and continuing to its southern terminus at Garston Dock.
Read more about this topic: Lancashire Union Railway
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