Modern encounter

Imagine Lancaster without its castle, Morecambe without its seafront, even Glasson without its dock.
Then you would have some idea of what Carnforth would be like without its station.
The name of the town is synonymous with the railway industry and every corner of Carnforth is steeped in its tradition.
Sadly in recent years the station and its surroundings have gone into decline, but moves are afoot which could result in the phoenix rising from the ashes.

TONY DAWBER looks at the past, present and future of a historic site.

THE history of Carnforth station mirrors the history of the town, and a glance at a map of mid-l9th Century Carnforth illustrates in staggering fashion how much the town's development was tied up in the railways.

When the Lancaster & Carlisle Railway built the first small station in 1846, Carnforth was little more than a hamlet. It consisted of a handful of houses strung along North Road, with the centre being the old coaching house called the Golden Ball, which was close to the site where the Shovel Inn now stands
The coming of the main north-south line changed all that with the town quickly growing around the station, which was close to the site of the present one.
The next big development was the opening of the Furness Railway in 1857, which had Carnforth as its terminus.
Previously, access to  the peninsula had been mostly by ferry or across the sands, but the opening of the railway joined it to the main line and Carnforth effectively became the link between Furness and the outside world.
In 1886 the local network was completed when a joint venture between the Furness Railway and the Midland Railway led to the opening of the line to Wennington, which meant passengers could travel to Leeds and beyond.
Carnforth was now in the almost unique position of being   served by three different railway companies.
And more significantly, trains could now  travel north, south, east and. west from town,  enabling access to all points of the compass.
The town continued  to grow as sheds, sidings and the iron and steelworks opened.
For many years, was Carnforth's proud boast that more trains stopped there than at Lancaster, and by the 1940s, more than 700 people were employed on the railways in the town.

Of course, the stations most memorable moment came in 1945 when the classic movie "Brief Encounter" was filmed there, and the town is still known throughout the world as the setting for the doomed romance played out by Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson.

Sadly the decline began only a few years later with the Beeching cuts.
The number of services had already fallen by the early 1970's when electrification of the main London to Glasgow line saw the closure of the main line platforms.
In the 1980's there was even a proposal to demolish the buildings themselves, leaving merely a platform, but thankfully these plans were defeated
However the dawn of the 1990's saw the last staff leave the station, and for the last five years, it has been unmanned, as it is today.

DESERTED and desolate it may be today  but Carnforth station has not lost the sense of  atmosphere It has gained from its illustrious past.

On most days, the car park outside remains busy with nineties traffic but once one enters the station itself through the stately stone entrance the eerie quiet enhances the feeling of it stepping into the past. It must be conceded that the decline has taken its toll. There is a musty smell and graffiti speckles the old booking'. hall and the  old neo-Jacobean mullioned   windows are in A state of decay, as are the starkly boarded up station buildings on each platform. The trains are functional multiple units where once the famous 'Stanier Black Five  steamers plied their trade, and the platform where the magnificent old maroon and cream LMS expresses thundered   through are crudely fenced off. But the aura remains. The old clock made famous  in "Brief Encounter" is still there and the sight of the sweeping curve of the platforms blending with the majesty of the architecture Is as impressive as ever, In addition, most of the buildings remain standing and while they do, the echoes of the past will never be silenced.

TO restore Carnforth station to its former glory is a dream long cherished by the people of the town
But thanks to the dedication of a group of local people, the dream could become a reality

The Carnforth Station and Railway Trust Company aim not only to revamp the station itself, but to make it a living heritage centre reflecting Carnforth's rich railway past. "We want to make it an active working station, bring all the buildings into use and develop its full tourist potential," said Trust project manager David Taylor.
And though much has been written recently about various plans to base redevelopment on the 'Brief Encounter' theme, this is not the Trust's primary aim
Their chief objective is to recreate the station as it was In its heyday as a symbol of Carnforth's past and hopefully future prosperity, though they are well aware that hordes of movie fans would be attracted if the station was restored to the 1940s splendour,   which formed  the backdrop to David Lean's film.
The project was born as a result of Lancaster City Council's regeneration study of the town, which noted the Importance of the station as a reflection of the town's fortunes.
"The people of Carnforth feel very strongly about their railway heritage and see the regeneration of the station as an essential part of the regeneration of the town," said Mr Taylor,
Soon after the study was published, he met with Peter Yates, who was to become chairman of the Trust, and found that he shared his enthusiasm and vision of the future
Interest grew, and local solicitors, accountants and bankers gave their time and effort free of charge to help set up the Trust as a charity and registered company.
And in February, the company was formed and Immediately set about producing the feasibility study the station's owners Rail-track had requested if they were to consider the project further.
A structural survey, costing evaluation, sketches and market research on demand were all needed.
And thanks to a great deal of work by trust members and the assistance of various bodies. including Lawtec, Lancaster City Council, the Rural Development Commission, Lancashire County Council, Furness Building society; and local business Thomas Graveson, the study is now virtually complete.
The finer details are yet to emerge and the plans are ongoing, but what the Trust broadly envisage Is a working station with added attractions such as period refreshment bars, along with a heritage centre which could be used by local children for educational purposes.
There are more hurdles to come such as organising funding and discussing leasing arrangements with Railtrack but the Trust are optimistic that plans will be finalised by the autumn and work will begin next year.

After a difficult period, Carnforth is emerging towards better times, and it would be fitting if the restoration of what was widely regarded as the beating heart of the town was to become the symbol of that recovery.

Modern encounter, Morecambe Guardian  27 ^th June 1997

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