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Blackpool South
The platform in 2024
General information
Location	South Shore, Blackpool England
Coordinates	53°47′54″N 3°02′56″W / 53.7983°N 3.0488°W / 53.7983; -3.0488
Grid reference	SD310340
Managed by	Northern Trains
Platforms	1
Other information
Station code	BPS
Classification	DfT category F1
Key dates
30 May 1903	Opened as Waterloo Road
17 March 1932	Renamed Blackpool South
Passengers
2019/20	0.100 million
2020/21	30,040
2021/22	97,984
2022/23	0.105 million
2023/24	0.115 million
Location
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Blackpool South railway station serves the suburban south of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It is the terminus of the South Fylde Line, around 12 miles (19 km) west of Kirkham and Wesham by rail, though all services run through from Preston. The station is managed by Northern Trains, which operates all trains serving it. Blackpool South is located around 500 metres (1,600 ft) from Waterloo Road tram stop on the Blackpool Tramway.

History

The station was originally called Waterloo Road when it opened in 1903, at the junction with a newly built express Marton Line direct from Kirkham. The platforms on the coastal "Fylde" line were opened on 14 July 1916 and replaced South Shore. It now had four platforms (two for each line at the junction) and soon became a busy station. There were extensive sidings to accommodate the many excursion trains which came to Blackpool.

Until November 1964, the line extended north from here to Blackpool Central. The Marton Line closed to regular traffic in 1965; its track bed is now the road called Yeadon Way and the M55 motorway.

The station continued to handle through trains from Manchester, Liverpool and London until 1970, when these were all diverted to Blackpool North at the other end of town. It was then reduced to local status only, although it kept its signal box, two working platform faces and double track until 1982. The box was notable in that it was located on the opposite side of Waterloo Road bridge from the station and so could not see the tracks & platforms it controlled, instead being surrounded by the disused railway land once occupied by the main line & aforementioned sidings. After the line was singled north of St Anne's-on-the-Sea and the box was abolished, all trains used the former northbound platform and continue to do so to the present day. The substantial main buildings (booking office and waiting rooms) that formerly existed at street level were demolished in 1985.

For much of the 1970s and early 1980s, nearly all services terminated at Kirkham, where passengers were forced to change if wanting to travel further east; from 1988, however, they were integrated with those on the East Lancashire Line, a timetable pattern that remained in place seven days a week until May 2018.

Facilities

The station is unstaffed and only has basic amenities, namely two waiting shelters. A touch-screen ticket vending machine and timetable poster boards are available on the platform. Train information is provided via a digital CIS display and automated announcements. Step-free access is available via ramps from Waterloo Road and the car park. A regular bus service can be caught to Halfway House or Victoria Hospital on the number 5 and to Blackpool town Centre on the numbers 11 and 68. The 68 also heads to Preston, whilst the 11 goes to Lytham and St Anne's-on-the-Sea.

Services

The typical off-peak service from the station is:

• 1tph (train per hour) to Preston

See also

• Public transport in the Fylde

References

1. Butt, R.V.J. (1995), The Directory of Railway Stations, Patrick Stephens, ISBN 1-85260-508-1, p.36
2. Railway Passenger Stations by M.Quick page 85
3. Blackpool & Fylde Rail Users’ Association—Blackpool South Archived 11 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 17 October 2007
4. Suggitt, G. (2003, revised 2004) Lost Railways of Lancashire, Countryside Books, Newbury, ISBN 1-85306-801-2, p.46
5. Blackpool South signal box in the early 1970s after closure of line to Blackpool Central Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback MachineRCTS; Retrieved 2013-10-23
6. Blackpool South station facilities National Rail Enquiries; Retrieved 24 February 2017
7. Table 102 National Rail timetable, MAy 2023

External links

• Train times and station information for Blackpool South railway station from National Rail

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Terminus		Northern TrainsBlackpool South Branch Line		Blackpool Pleasure Beach
	Disused railways
Blackpool Central		Preston and Wyre Joint Railway Marton Line 1903–1965		Kirkham & Wesham
	Historical railways
Blackpool Central		Blackpool and Lytham Railway		Lytham Road

v t e Railway stations in Lancashire
West Coast Main Line	Euxton Balshaw Lane Leyland Preston Lancaster
Kirkby branch line	Upholland
Manchester–Southport line	Appley Bridge Parbold Hoscar Burscough Bridge New Lane Bescar Lane
Merseyrail Northern line	Town Green Aughton Park Ormskirk
Ormskirk branch line	Ormskirk Burscough Junction Rufford Croston Preston
Blackpool branch lines	Preston Salwick Kirkham and Wesham Poulton-le-Fylde Layton Blackpool North Moss Side Lytham Ansdell and Fairhaven St Annes-on-the-Sea Squires Gate Blackpool Pleasure Beach Blackpool South
Manchester–Preston line	Adlington Chorley Buckshaw Parkway Leyland Preston
Ribble Valley line	Entwistle Darwen Blackburn Ramsgreave and Wilpshire Langho Whalley Clitheroe
East Lancashire line	Preston Lostock Hall Bamber Bridge Pleasington Cherry Tree Mill Hill Blackburn Rishton Church & Oswaldtwistle Accrington Huncoat Hapton Rose Grove Burnley Barracks Burnley Central Brierfield Nelson Colne
Calder Valley line	Burnley Manchester Road Accrington Blackburn Preston Poulton-le-Fylde Blackpool North
Leeds–Morecambe line	Wennington Carnforth Lancaster Bare Lane Morecambe Heysham Port
Furness line	Lancaster Carnforth Silverdale
Heritage railways	Irwell Vale Rawtenstall Preston Riverside
Disused stations

• Railway stations in Blackpool
• DfT Category F1 stations
• Former Preston and Wyre Joint Railway stations
• Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1903
• Railway stations served by Northern