In March 1847, the Blackburn, Darwen and Bolton Railway and the Blackburn, Clitheroe and North Western Junction Railway agreed to amalgamate, becoming the Bolton, Blackburn, Clitheroe and West Yorkshire Railway; the necessary Act received Royal Assent on 9 July 1847. The name was shortened to the Blackburn Railway by a further Act of 24 July 1851.
Upon the retirement of Mr. Vignoles, Terence Woulfe Flanagan became the Engineer-in-Chief of the Blackburn Railway Company, and superintended the construction of the lines from Blackburn to Bolton and Clitheroe.
The Blackburn Railway opened from Bolton to Blackburn on August 12th 1848, and from Blackburn to Chatburn on June 22nd, 1850. [1]