Carnforth
Railway Station
The
Present - 2007
Carnforth
Station
& Visitor Centre is now fully operational. The beautifully
restored
historic buildings now house an award winning Visitor Centre brimming
with nostalgic exhibitions, a lovingly replicated "Brief Encounter"
Refreshment Room, the Friends of Carnforth Station Gift Shop,
specialist outlets and a unique conference and private function
facility. The restoration of
Carnforth Station has succeeded in breathing new life into the
Carnforth area and has also provided a massive boost for the area's
tourism. With continued help and support, Carnforth Station and Railway
Trust Company Ltd. can develop the project even further to make it
available to future generations.
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| The
famous Brief Encounter clock.
This was removed from Carnforth station in the late 1970's, and was
sold. Years later it
was tracked down, and refurbished by Friends of Carnforth Station
members, and now, once
again, proudly tells the time as a centerpiece of the
recently finished, refurbished
station. |
After the Beeching "Axe" in the 1960's,
Carnforth Station was
thought to be surplus to British Railways requirements, and was allowed
to slip into
decline. By the 1990's the
buildings had suffered many years of neglect, and were
approaching the point where they could no longer be saved. In 1996, the Carnforth Station and Railway
Trust (a registered charity)
was formed to try and regenerate Carnforth Station, and,
after many years of hard
work, the building nearest to the town has been refurbished, and
reopened as the Gateway building. | The rest of
Carnforth Station has also been
refurbished, the platforms subway and roof by Railtrack, and the
Gateway Building and the
Centre Island buildings by the Carnforth Station and Railway trust.
The Centre
Island Platform Buildings have
been re-opened and house the "Brief
Encounter" cafe, the "F+M" Hall and a visitor centre
with various exhibitions.
 The fenced off area will become a
pavement cafe during Summer. |
 The main line side of the Carnforth
Station visitor centre |
Now completed,
Carnforth
Station is a completely refurbished station, with good rail connections
into the
Network Rail network. The Station hosts a
1945 (Brief Encounter themed) refreshment room and
restaurant, a travel centre, commercial and tourist shops, a Visitor
and Heritage Centre,
exhibitions, a tourist information centre, toilets, car parking spaces
and rooms which can
not only be used for exhibitions, but which are available
for hire for both local
community, and business use.
| 
Carnforth Station and
Railway Trust Company Limited would
like to thank everyone who has
contributed towards the restoration of Carnforth Station and in
particular: Carnforth & District Round
Table
David Lean Foundation
Furness Building Society
Lancashire County Council
Lancashire Tourism Partnership
Lancashire County Council
Lancaster City Tourism
North West Development Agency
Railtrack
Railway Heritage Trust
The Friends of Carnforth Station |
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