Church & Oswaldtwistle railway station

Church & Oswaldtwistle railway station serves both the Accrington suburb of Church and the small town of Oswaldtwistle, in Lancashire, England. The station is 5 ¹⁄₃ miles (8.6 km) east of Blackburn railway station, on the East Lancashire Line operated by Northern.

Church & Oswaldtwistle
Location
Place	Church
Local authority	Hyndburn
Coordinates	53.750°N 2.391°W / 53.750; -2.391
Grid reference	SD743283
Operations
Station code	CTW
Managed by	Northern
Number of platforms	2
DfT category	F2
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2014/15	41,812
2015/16	40,426
2016/17	39,486
2017/18	39,064
2018/19	28,738
History
Original company	East Lancashire Railway
Pre-grouping	Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Post-grouping	London Midland and Scottish Railway
19 June 1848	Opened as Church station[1]
1 July 1895	Renamed Church and Oswaldtwistle[1]
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Church & Oswaldtwistle from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.

Situated in the middle of Church's suburban streets, the station had fallen into disrepair, but was modernised in November 2005.[2][3]

The platforms are linked via a subway, but only the Preston bound one has step free access.[4] It is unstaffed, but like other stations on the line, it has been fitted with passenger information screens, and a public address system to provide train running information. There is a ticket vending machine available (installed in early 2018) to allow intending travellers to buy their tickets before boarding.

The local Church and Oswaldtwistle Rotary Club have adopted the station as one of their projects and regularly work to improve the station environment by carrying out cleaning and maintenance of garden areas etc.

In August 2010, a man laid on the tracks, and was therefore hit by a train in the station.[5] In March 2011, another man was hit by a train, although he survived.[6] In August 2011, a train driver apprehended a man walking on tracks near the station.[7]

Services

Monday to Saturday, there is an hourly service from Church & Oswaldtwistle towards Blackburn and Preston westbound and Accrington, Burnley Central & Colne.[8]

On Sundays, this service is now hourly in both directions. This is supplemented with the Sunday hourly service to Blackburn westbound, and to Burnley Manchester Road and Manchester Victoria eastbound, which passes through (but does not stop) on Mondays to Saturdays.

Gallery

• 
  "The Cotton Mill Express". View from the station. (2008)

References

1. Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199.
2. "News: On the right tracks for rail revamp". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
3. Action stations
4. Church and Oswaldtwistle station facilities National Rail Enquiries; Retrieved 25 November 2016
5. "Tributes to Accrington Stanley 'terrace legend', 33". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 1 September 2010. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
6. "Accrington man falls under train - and lives". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 9 March 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
7. "Train driver apprehends man walking on tracks at Church and Oswaldtwistle station". accringtonobserver.co.uk. 24 August 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
8. Table 97 National Rail timetable, May 2018

External links

• Train times and station information for Church & Oswaldtwistle railway station from National Rail

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Rishton		Northern East Lancashire Line		Accrington
Blackburn		Northern Caldervale Line (Sundays only)		Accrington