The Ribble Valley line is a railway line that runs from Manchester Victoria through Blackburn to Clitheroe in Lancashire. Regular passenger services normally only run as far as Clitheroe, but occasional passenger services run along the line through north Lancashire towards the Yorkshire village of Hellifield, where it joins the Settle-Carlisle Railway. The line passes over the distinctive 48 span Whalley Viaduct. The line north of Blackburn was closed to a regular passenger service from September 1962, but remained open for freight, passenger diversions and the occasional DalesRail service. However, in 1994, services between Blackburn and Clitheroe were reinstated after a public campaign. Reopening the line for passengers between Clitheroe and Hellifield has been mentioned in some reports and newspapers to provide connections on the Settle Carlisle line, with the most recent being a business case for the proposal being granted government funds in 2020. Early history The Ribble Valley line was built by several different railway companies, all of which later became part of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, and so following the 1923 Grouping the whole line was part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. The southernmost portion of the Ribble Valley line, between and , was built by the Manchester and Bolton Railway, and opened in 1838; it amalgamated with the Manchester and Leeds Railway (M&LR) in August 1846; a connecting line between Salford and was opened in October 1846 and the M&LR amalgamated with other railways in 1847 to form the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (LYR). The route connecting Salford with Manchester Victoria was improved in 1865. The portion between Bolton and was built by the Blackburn, Darwen and Bolton Railway (BD&BR). This company was formed on 27 September 1844, and was authorised on 30 June 1845 to build a line to Blackburn that would connect with the M&BR at Burnden, to the south of Bolton; on 3 August 1846 the route was amended so that the BD&BR could use Bolton station. Construction commenced at Darwen on 27 September 1845, and the line was opened between Blackburn and on 3 August 1847. Difficulties were experienced in the construction of Sough Tunnel, and also of the Tonge Viaduct, which collapsed during construction, due to timber centrings being moved before the mortar had thoroughly set. On 12 June 1848 the remainder of the line between Sough and Bolton was opened. To accommodate the Blackburn trains, Bolton station