The Anonymous Widower

Lancaster Station – 23rd May 2025

I finally got to Lancaster station today, after my failure that I wrote about in An Annoying Day.

I took these pictures.

I shall deal with the features of the station in separate sub-sections.

The Original High Speed Two Schedule Through Lancaster Station

This diagram shows High Speed Two services, as they were originally envisaged before Phase 2 was discontinued.

Note.

1. Trains to the left of the vertical black line are Phase 1 and those to the right are Phase 2.
2. Full-Size trains are shown in blue.
3. Classic-Compatible trains are shown in yellow.
4. Blue circles are shown, where trains stop.
5. The dotted circles are where trains split and join.
6. In the red boxes routes alternate every hour.

Click on the diagram to enlarge it.

If I look at the trains counting from the left of the diagram, I see the following trains passing or terminating at Lancaster station.

1. Train 4 is a pair of classic-compatible trains, that split and join at Crewe, with one train going to Lancaster and the other to Liverpool Lime Street.
2. Trains 10 and 11 are pairs of classic-compatible trains going between London and Scotland.
3. Train 12 is a single classic-compatible train going between Birmingham and Scotland.

Only the Lancaster portion of Train 4 stops in Lancaster station.

The Track Layout

This OpenRailwayMap shows the track layout through the station.

Note.

1. Tracks shown in red are electrified and tracks in black or not.
2. In the North-West corner of the map the two bay platforms 1 and 2, that are used for local services can be seen.
3. Platform 3 is a long platform on the Western side of the station, which is generally for Northbound through stopping trains, that can take 265 metre long eleven-car Class 390 trains.
4. Paired with the track through Platform 3, there is a Northbound avoiding line, that allows faster trains to overtake trains stopped in the station.
5. Platform 4 is a long platform on the Western side of the island platform on the Eastern side of the station, which is generally for Southbound through stopping trains, that can take 265 metre long eleven-car Class 390 trains.
6. Paired with the track through Platform 4, there is a Southbound avoiding line, that allows faster trains to overtake trains stopped in the station.
7. Platform 5 is a long platform on the Eastern side of the island platform on the Eastern side of the station, that is over two hundred metres long.
8. All through tracks have a 75 mph maximum speed, except for Platform 5, which is just 30 mph.

Click on the diagram to enlarge it.

How Will High Speed Two Operate At Lancaster Station?

I would expect that the three High Speed Two services to and from Scotland will go through Lancaster station on the avoiding lines, which will mean that each avoiding line will handle one High Speed Two classic-compatible train every twenty minutes.

The train, that terminates at Lancaster has a few options.

• It could terminate from London in any of platforms 3, 4 or 5.
• It could leave for London from any of the platforms 3, 4 or 5.

Note.

1. All three platforms are long enough to accept a single High Speed Two classic-compatible train, which is only 200 metres long.
2. There would probably need to be some works to the tracks so that trains could terminate in platforms 4 or 5.
3. There might need to be some works to the tracks so that trains could leave from London from platform 3.

The logical way to terminate the train would probably for the train to arrive and leave in Platform 5, but then this would need improvements to the tracks and also to the passenger footbridge across the tracks.

Eden Project Morecambe And The Morecambe Branch

In a few years time, both the Eden Project Morecambe and High Speed Two will be open and I suspect, a day out could be to take High Speed Two to Lancaster and the local train to Morecambe for a day at the Eden Project Morecambe.

This paragraph from the Eden Project Morecambe web site, describes the current status of the project.

Eden Project Morecambe, previously known as Eden Project North, has been awarded £50m in the second round of the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund. The funding allows the project to move into its next phase and begin the process of finalising the remaining funds required from private and philanthropic sources identified as part of the bidding process.

I had intended to take a train to Morecambe to have a look round, but the train, that I would have needed to catch to get back to London at a reasonable hour, didn’t run due to lack of train crew.

As High Speed Two will provide connections at Lancaster to Birmingham, Carlisle, Crewe, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Preston, Warrington and Wigan and other trains will provide connections to Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester, the Eden Project Morecambe will be well connected to those who might like to visit by rail.

A day out with the kids, could involve a trip on High Speed One to Lancaster, a trip on a battery-electric shuttle train to Morecambe and a day out at the Eden Project Morecambe.

The Eden Project Morecambe could be a big money earner for High Speed Two and other rail companies.

I would envisage, that you would be able to buy an All-in-One ticket to the Eden Project Morecambe, which included your rail tickets.

The Passenger Footbridge

There is a lift on the Southbound side, but on the Northbound and bay platform side, there are only steps.

If substantial numbers of passengers visit the station and need to cross the tracks on the footbridge, as you would from arriving in Platforms 4 or 5 and wanting to go to Eden Project Morecambe, the footbridge is totally inadequate.

Lancaster Station Architecture

Lancaster station is Grade II Listed and you can see why from the pictures.

Work appears to be ongoing to refurbish the station.

The stonework appeared immaculate and very much High Speed Two-ready.

These picture shows part of the Costa coffee shop.

It was not what I expected.

 

 

May 24, 2025 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Architecture, Class 390 Train, Eden Project Morecambe, Footbridge, High Speed Two, High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains, Lancaster Station, Morecambe Station, Tourism