Blackpool branch lines

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Blackpool branch lines
Layton railway station on the branch to Blackpool North
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Network Rail
Locale	Lancashire North West England
Termini	Preston Blackpool North/South
Stations	13
Service
System	National Rail
Operator(s)	Northern Trains
Rolling stock	Class 150 Class 156 Class 158 Class 195 Class 221 Class 331 Class 390 Class 805
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Route map

v t e Blackpool & Fleetwood branch lines
Legend
Fleetwood Wyre Dock Burn Naze Halt Thornton–Cleveleys Ramper Road Poulton Curve Halt Layton Poulton-le-Fylde original second Blackpool North Singleton Blackpool Central Blackpool South Kirkham and Wesham South Shore Salwick Blackpool Pleasure Beach Lea Road Squires Gate West Coast Main Line Gillett's Crossing Halt Preston & Longridge Rly St Annes-on-the-Sea Maudlands Ansdell and Fairhaven Preston Lytham West Coast Main Line Wrea Green Moss Side Lytham (Station Road)

The Blackpool branch lines are two railway lines running from the West Coast Main Line at Preston to Blackpool. The main branch, which is double-tracked and electrified, runs to Blackpool North station via Poulton-le-Fylde. A second branch, which is single-tracked and non-electrified, diverges from the main branch at Kirkham and Wesham junction, running on a southerly route to Blackpool South station via Lytham.

The Preston–to–Blackpool North route was resignalled and electrified with overhead wires at 25kV AC; electric trains ran from the May 2018 timetable change.

Previously, there was also a central branch running from Kirkham to Blackpool Central station; this was closed in the 1960s and the route became a road linking from the M55 known as Yeadon Way.^[1]