Lancashire Union Railway

It was built primarily to carry goods between Blackburn and Garston Dock on the River Mersey, and also to serve collieries in the Wigan area.

of 13 July 1868, authorised an extension from Chorley to Blackburn, and vested the section between Boar's Head (on the North Union Railway (NUR) north of Wigan) and Cherry Tree (on the LYR near Blackburn) jointly with the LYR.

[2] The Blackburn-to-Chorley line closed to passengers on 4 January 1960[7] and to goods in 1966, although a short section between Cherry Tree and Feniscowles continued until 1968.

Leaving Brinscall the line ran parallel to Lodge Bank Road and has been built on.

On leaving the station the line continued parallel to the canal bypassing the town of Blackrod to the east.

The first route – the Whelley Loop which bypassed Wigan – was built to serve collieries and iron works before the loop split at De Trafford junction joining the Manchester to Southport Line just before Hindley railway station to the East and to Amberswood to the West, before re-joining the LUR at Bryn or heading further south to Warrington via the NUR.

The bridges are known locally as the dominoes due to the position and shape of the pillars and are the only parts left standing.

The line then continued through Wigan North Western before heading towards Bryn and Garswood before eventually joining the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway and continuing to that line's southern terminus at Garston Dock.