Fleetwood rail link gathers speed

The Fleetwood line once linked the resort to Blackpool and Preston

Plans to bring back passenger trains to Fleetwood have been welcomed by a rail action group and Wyre Council.

The branch line to Fleetwood was axed nearly 40 years ago as part of the Government's infamous Beeching report of the 1960's but the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) believes there is now a business case for restoring it as a commuter route. With rail use at its highest level since privatisation, ATOC is proposing that 14 lines across the country are brought back into use at a cost of £500m and the Fleetwood line which once linked the resort to Blackpool and Preston is one of them.

The news has been welcomed by the Poulton and Wyre Railway Society (PWRS) which has a long-held ambition to reconnect Fleetwood and Thornton to the national network. Chairman John Goy said: "As far as we're concerned the ATOC report is great news - PWRS for the last two to three years has been working with Network Rail and a number of parties to have services reinstated between Poulton and Fleetwood.

"The plan hopefully will be to run it as a community railway - Monday through to Friday - and then perhaps a heritage service at weekends and Bank Holidays - this report helps make our voice a bit louder."

The original station in Fleetwood was built by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company in 1840 on Dock Street. It later moved to Queen's Terrace before closing in 1966 at the recommendation of Dr Richard Beeching - the chairman of British Railways. Wyre Dock station became the end of the line and was renamed Fleetwood before closing to passenger traffic on May 30 1970. It is now demolished but the PWRS intend to build a new station close to Herring Arm Road. The mothballed track between Poulton and the bridge at Jameson Road is still in place.

The track between Poulton and the bridge at Jameson Road is still in place

Goy added: "Fleetwood is one of the largest towns which does not have a rail link - this would give people a chance again to get out and bring tourists and passengers to the town and money back in."

Wyre Council have also given the ATOC findings the thumbs up. Council leader, Russell Forsyth told BBC Radio Lancashire's Steve Becker that Fleetwood's Isle of Man ferry service and local industries could benefit from a rail link. "There's a large amount of building to be done in the Fleetwood/Thornton corridor and many of the materials could be brought in by rail particularly I'm thinking for the gas power station that's due to start work in twelve months time, " said Forsyth.

"On-going for the next 25 years is the waste treatment plant in Thornton - we believe refuse can be bulked up and brought in by railway in the evenings rather than have continuous wagons coming in by day and night."

He added: "We're getting backing on this from all spheres of society - the general public are for it, the MPs are for it, we just need whatever is required to open this railway."

Fleetwood is one of the largest towns which does not have a rail link. John Goy - Chairman of PWRS

Ian Vickers who works in the Corner Cafe close to the Ferry Terminal believes a new railway would breathe new life into Fleetwood: "As soon as the weather changes, people want to come to Fleetwood - it's still a seaside resort with great views of the Lake District. With the pier burning down [Sept 2008] this area needs regenerating."