Traffic
Information is correct at the time of writing (September 2025)
Regular Passenger Services
To/From Clitheroe
The majority of our trains run from Rochdale/Manchester Victoria/Blackburn to Clitheroe and return. Although Clitheroe Station isn’t a terminus, trains reverse here using the nearby Horrocksford Junction to swap tracks.
Passenger services were withdrawn in 1962. Although the line remained open for freight and as a diversionary route (allowing trains between Preston and Carlisle to operate via Appleby and Settle), the line’s stations fell into disrepair. However in 1994 a passenger service as far as Clitheroe was reinstated and stations at Ramsgreave & Wilpshire, Langho, Whalley, and Clitheroe were re-built and brought back into use.
The Train Operating Company (TOC) is Northern Trains who use mainly Class 150 and 156 DMUs, although there are occasional appearances from Class 158 units. All stations are managed by Northern.
The service is approximately hourly, operating 7 days per week. RVR’s aims include increasing frequency and capacity of the line’s services.
Yorkshire Dales Explorer
The Yorkshire Dales Explorer (YDE) service began in summer 2024, after the long-running Dalesrail service was discontinued. It operates on Saturdays only, one return train in the morning and one return evening train, between Rochdale and Ribblehead, so giving easy access from Greater Manchester and Lancashire to the Yorkshire Dales. Trains connect with services to Carlisle for those wanting to travel further north.
Further information can be found on Community Rail Lancashire’s website
Regular Freight Services
The line sees a variety of traffic.
There are flows both north and south from Clitheroe’s cement works, usually using GBRf’s Class 66 locomotives and specially designed tanks with Castle Cement logos.
From the limestone quarries near Settle (and occasionally from one near Grassington) trains run via Clitheroe to the Liverpool area and sometimes Greater Manchester and a stone depot in Leyland.
Kronospan use a goods yard in Carlisle to assemble and load trains with logs from forests in Scotland and the North of England. Once wagons are loaded they’re taken to their processing plant in North Wales to produce wood products such as flooring and worktops.
Direct Rail Services (DRS) operate a regular train taking rail engineering products (such as track and ballast) for Network Rail from Carlisle to Crewe.
More infrequently there are trains to measure and maintain the line’s infrastructure. Some of these trains are loco-hauled, others are self-propelled On-Track Machines. In Autumn, there are also regular ‘leafbuster’ trains to remove fallen leaves from the rails.
Excursions
Since the Ribble Valley railway fully opened in 1880 there must have been literally thousands of charter trains and excursions that have made their way up and down the 23.5 mile line from Blackburn to Hellifield. The majority would, and still do, travel north on their way to join the spectacular Settle to Carlisle railway.
Steam hauled special trains have always attracted the largest following, but as time has moved on the appearance of heritage and even more modern diesel types have become popular with rail enthusiasts and photographers alike.
Since the passing of steam virtually all classes of diesel-electric locos have graced the route, and still do today. Many rail tour organisers would pick the Ribble Valley as part of their excursion allowing them to meet up with the Midland Railway at Hellifield. Names like ‘Green Express’, ‘Railtours North-West’ and ‘Victoria Travel’ come to mind but these are only a few of the many tour companies that ran the specials.
While northbound excursions and charter trains have often started out from a variety of places on the west side of the country, southbound workings, often steam, will usually make their way south in the late afternoon taking travellers home. The list of diesel loco classes that have been seen over the years is a long one, ranging from Class 20 and Class 26 through to Class 55 Deltics heading specials like the ‘Settle Carlisle Express’, ‘The Waverley’ and ‘Wyre Knot’.
Finally, probably not in the excursion category but still worth mentioning are the DalesRail services (now Yorkshire Dales Explorer) that started running in the mid-1970s and besides the usual diesel units, occasional appearances would be made by Class 31 or 47 locos.
Today, excursions and rail tours regularly traverse the Ribble Valley line running through some fantastic countryside especially north of Clitheroe.
Words and photos on this page courtesy of J Matthews, D Butterworth, W Briggs, J Dickinson, G Dudley