Once again, we’re travelling on a Northern Rail £10 day ranger ticket, which covers the whole Northern Rail network. On this occasion, we’re heading for the north Lancashire coast – visiting Arnside, Morecambe and Heysham. At Arnside, once we’ve dodged the rain, there are views to Grange-over-Sands and the Kent viaduct. At Morecambe, there’s the former railway station to visit. Travellers coming to this terminus, in days gone by, might have felt they’d arrived somewhere – especially when, opposite the entrance they would see the magnificent “art deco” Midland Hotel (we’ll call in later for coffee and cake). There’s little sense of arrival at today’s station. Heysham? We’ll be there for three or four minutes only, on the daily train from Lancaster and Morecambe – yes, just the one, to connect with the ferry.

For more on the rail journey – and many more photos – visit “Roaming Northern Rail”  on Geoff’s Rail Diaries.