Old railway lines in Wigan
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The railway system in Wigan took off around the 19th century during the industrial revolution. Wigan was once a proud town with railway stations widely available across the borough, used by both freight and passengers. Many lines were originally built for freight then as the owners saw the profitability of allowing passengers to travel on their lines they soon became open to passenger trains.
After the Beeching Report (1963), which led to a lot of rural railway lines and stations closing, the railways and stations around Wigan began to become unused. one of the last lines to close was called the Whelley loop line which was closed to both freight and passengers in 1972.
History[]
Railways were used as a more efficient way of transporting goods and resources more quickly around the country than the canals could. This benefit led to more and more pit owners creating private railways leading from the canals and main railway lines, right up to their pits.
Closed stations[]
- Bamfurlong Station (1 April 1878 – 27 November 1950)[1]
- Bickershaw and Abram Station (1 April 1884 – 2 November 1964)[2][3][4]
- Boar's Head Station (1 December 1869 – 31 January 1949)[5][6]
- Golborne Station North - Great Central Line (3 January 1900 – 3 March 1952)[7][8]
- Golborne Station South (19 October 1839 – 2 May 1967)[9][10][11] Closed to passengers 6 January 1961[12][13]
- Hindley & Amberswood Goods Station. Changed to Hindley South in 1950 (1 April 1884 – 2 November 1964)[2][14]
- Lower Ince Station (1 April 1884 – 2 November 1964)[15]
- Lowton St Mary's Station (1 April 1884 – 22 April 1968) Closed to passengers 2 November 1964[16]
- Plank Lane Station (1 October 1903 - 22 February 1915)[17]
- Platt Bridge Station (1 September 1864 - 1 May 1961)[17]
- Red Rock Station (1 December 1869 – 2 September 1957) Closed to passengers 26 September 1949[18]
- Standish Station (31 October 1838 - 23 May 1949)[19]
- West Leigh and Bedford Station (1 April 1884 – 2 November 1964)[2][20]
- Whelley Station (1 January 1872 – unknown)[21] Closed to passengers 1 March 1872
- Wigan Central (3 October 1892 – 5 April 1965) Closed to passengers 2 November 1964.[22][23]
Railways today[]
Today's[when?] railways in Wigan can be divided into two. Wigan NorthWestern (managed by Avanti West Coast) is on the West Coast Main Line, served by trains from London, Manchester Airport and Birmingham to the North. South of the station there is a connecting line through Bryn to St Helens and Liverpool; this was electrified by May 2015. Wigan Wallgate station, managed by Northern, is served by trains from Manchester via either Bolton or Atherton; the routes diverge east of Hindley. These continue west of Wigan Wallgate to Southport or, via Pemberton, to Kirkby, where there are connections to Liverpool.
References[]
- ^ Quick 2019, p. 59.
- ^ a b c Dow 1962, p. 194.
- ^ "Bickershaw & Abram". Disused Stations UK.
- ^ James 2004, p. 47.
- ^ Marshall 1969, p. 67.
- ^ Butt 1995, p. 38.
- ^ Dow 1965, pp. 9–12.
- ^ "Golborne North". Disused Stations UK.
- ^ Bradshaw 1839, p. 15.
- ^ Bradshaw 1843, p. 44.
- ^ Reed 1969, p. 55.
- ^ Quick 2019, p. 190.
- ^ Clinker 1978, p. 55.
- ^ Butt 1995, pp. 120–121.
- ^ "Lower Ince". Disused Stations UK.
- ^ Butt 1995, p. 74.
- ^ a b Butt 1995, p. 186.
- ^ "Red Rock Station", Disused Stations
- ^ Butt 1995, p. 218.
- ^ Quick 2009, p. 405.
- ^ Butt 1995, p. xxx.
- ^ James 2004, p. 46.
- ^ "Wigan Central". Disused Stations UK.
- Bradshaw, George (25 October 1839). Bradshaw's Railway Time Tables and assistant to railway Travelling with illustrative maps & plans. London: Shepherd and Sutton, and Wyld – via Archive.org.
- Bradshaw, George (1843). Bradshaw's Railway Companion, containing the times of departure, fares, &c. of the railways in Great Britain and Ireland. London: Bradshaw's Railway Information Office – via Archive.org.
- Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199.
- Clinker, C.R. (October 1978). Clinker's Register of Closed Passenger Stations and Goods Depots in England, Scotland and Wales 1830–1977. Bristol: Avon-Anglia Publications & Services. ISBN 0-905466-19-5. OCLC 5726624.
- Dow, George (1962). Great Central, Volume Two Dominion of Watkin 1864-1899. Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-7110-1469-5. OCLC 655324061.
- Dow, George (1965). Great Central, Volume Three: Fay Sets the Pace, 1900–1922. Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-7110-0263-0. OCLC 500447049.
- James, David (2004), Lancashire's Lost Railways, Catrine: Stenlake Publishing, ISBN 978-1-84033-288-9
- Marshall, John (1969). The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, volume 1. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-4352-1.
- Quick, Michael (2009) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (4th ed.). Oxford: Railway & Canal Historical Society. ISBN 978-0-901461-57-5. OCLC 612226077.
- Quick, Michael (2019) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (PDF) (5th ed.). Railway & Canal Historical Society.
- Reed, Brian (1969). Crewe to Carlisle. Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan. ISBN 07110-0057-3 – via Google Books.
- History of Wigan
- Disused railway stations in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan