Waterfoot railway station

The railway line from Rawtenstall to Bacup, an extension of the East Lancashire Railway (ELR), was authorised on 27 July 1846.[1] Construction began in 1847, and it was intended that it would be completed by 1 December the same year. The route required tunnels beyond Newchurch, and the expense of these meant that construction was curtailed, and the line was opened as far as Newchurch, where a station was opened on 27 March 1848.[2][3]

Construction of the line onwards to Bacup resumed in 1851, and this was opened on 1 October 1852.[2] The ELR amalgamated with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway on 13 May 1859.[4] The whole line between Rawtenstall and Bacup was single-track at first; work to double the track began in 1878, and was completed in 1881.[5]

The station, originally named Newchurch, was renamed Waterfoot for Newchurch on 1 August 1881;[3][6] and the name was simplified to Waterfoot by 1922.[6]

The station was closed on 5 December 1966.[6]

• Lost Railways of Lancashire by Gordon Suggitt (ISBN 1-85306-801-2)

Railways in Rossendale
Bacup Stacksteads Britannia Waterfoot Shawforth Clough Fold Facit Whitworth to Rochdale to Accrington Rawtenstall Haslingden Ewood Bridge and Edenfield Helmshore Irwell Vale East Lancashire Railway Stubbins to Bury