Headbolt Lane railway station

Last updated

Headbolt Lane
Merseyrail alternative logo.svg National Rail logo.svg
777142 Headbolt Lane Station 05.10.2023.jpg
General information
Location Kirkby, Knowsley
England
Grid reference SJ417999
Managed by Merseyrail
Transit authority Merseytravel
Platforms3 [1]
Other information
Station codeHBL
Key dates
March 2022Construction began
5 October 2023Station opened

Headbolt Lane is a railway station in Kirkby, Merseyside, England, which opened on 5 October 2023. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

The station is the interchange between Merseyrail's Northern Line and the unelectrified Headbolt Lane branch line, operated by Northern. [1]

History

The opening of a station in the area had been an objective since the Transport Plan for Merseyside, published by the Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority in March 1972, [5] with detailed plans first developed in 2013. [1]

The station was initially planned to act as a new Merseyrail terminus, but later proposals — made after the Electrification Task Force declared the Kirkby branch line to be a Tier 1 priority for electrification in 2015 [6] [7] — were devised by Merseytravel and Lancashire County Council to enable Merseyrail services to serve Skelmersdale. [8] In 2017, the two authorities commissioned an initial £5 million feasibility study into establishing the new rail link, including development of Headbolt Lane. [8] It was initially estimated that it would cost around £300 million and would take up to a decade to deliver. [8] However, in July 2022 the Department for Transport rejected the Strategic Outline Business Case for the extension, suggesting that better bus links with the Kirkby–Wigan rail line would be a cheaper way of improving connectivity. [9]

In August 2019, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority announced that part of an agreed £172m funding package for the region would be used to fund the construction of the new station. [5] [10] The Combined Authority approved that the first £3.3 million of funding for the project in July 2020, before signing off a further £66 million in March 2021. [1]

The station was designed with three fully accessible platforms, to accommodate any future extension of Merseyrail services to Skelmersdale. [1] [11] Platforms 1 and 2 are for Merseyrail, terminating platforms with buffer stops. Platform 3 is beyond the end of those platforms and is for Northern Rail. A 270 space car park and a bus interchange were also part of the design. [1] [12]

The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority announced in July 2021 that, after a trial of a battery electric multiple unit (BEMU) version of the new Class 777, it would serve the new station on opening, eliminating the need for the line from Kirkby to be electrified. [13]

Construction began on the station in March 2022. [14] Services along the Northern rail line from Wigan were cut back to Rainford from 7 April 2023 (with bus replacement services provided between Rainford and Kirkby) to allow for the line to be double-tracked and a road bridge replaced. [15] Originally intended to open in Summer 2023, delays caused by the contractor responsible for the construction of the station, the Buckingham group, going into administration meant that services did not commence until October. [16] [17]

Facilities

There is a ticket office that is staffed from 15 minutes before the start of service until 15 minutes after the last train. The station also has a ticket-vending machine. There are multiple shelters on the platforms, along with digital displays and aural announcements on when the next service will be. The station is completely step-free and accessible for all customers. There is an 80-space secure cycle area, and a car park with 270 spaces. [18]

Services

The station is the terminus of the current Merseyrail service to Kirkby and Liverpool Central, which currently has 3 trains per hour running, [19] as well as the terminus of the hourly Northern service towards Wigan Wallgate. Almost all Northern services extend beyond Wigan to Manchester Victoria and Blackburn via Todmorden. [20] There is no late evening or Sunday service on this route.

Preceding station National Rail logo.svg National Rail Following station
Terminus  Merseyrail
  Kirkby
Northern Trains
Monday-Saturday only

Related Research Articles

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The Liverpool and Bury Railway was formed in 1845 and opened on 28 November 1848. The line ran from Liverpool Exchange first using a joint line with Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway before branching off to proceed via Kirkby then Wigan and Bolton to Bury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ormskirk railway station</span> Railway station in Lancashire, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wigan Wallgate railway station</span> Railway station in Greater Manchester, England

Wigan Wallgate railway station is one of two railway stations serving the town centre of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. The station serves two routes, the Manchester-Southport Line and the Manchester-Kirkby Line. It is 16 miles north-west of Manchester Victoria. The station is managed by Northern Trains, who operate all trains serving it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pemberton railway station</span> Railway station in Greater Manchester, England

Pemberton railway station serves the Pemberton area of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. It is on the Kirkby branch line from Wigan Wallgate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orrell railway station</span> Railway station in Greater Manchester, England

Orrell railway station serves the Orrell area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. It is a small two-platform commuter hub on the Kirkby branch line from Wigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liverpool–Manchester lines</span> Railway line serving between Liverpool and Manchester

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upholland railway station</span> Railway station in Lancashire, England

Upholland railway station serves the small town of Up Holland in the southern Lancashire/Wigan boundary area of England. It is on the Kirkby branch line from Wigan Wallgate and means the service runs through three counties on its journey from Wigan to Kirkby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern line (Merseyrail)</span> Line part of the Merseyrail network

The Northern line is one of two commuter rail routes operated by Merseyrail and centred on Merseyside, England, the other being the Wirral line. The cross-city route runs from Hunts Cross in south Liverpool then branches in the north to terminate at Southport, Headbolt Lane and Ormskirk (Lancashire).

The Skelmersdale branch was a standard gauge railway (SKE) which connected the Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway at Ormskirk with Rainford Junction via Skelmersdale. At Rainford it connected with the Liverpool and Bury Railway and the St. Helens Railway. It was built by the East Lancashire Railway, which was taken over by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway shortly afterward. The steam railmotor which served the line was sometimes known locally as the "Skem Dodger" and other times as the "Skem Jazzer".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirkby railway station</span> Station in Merseyside, England

Kirkby railway station is situated in Kirkby, Merseyside, England. It is situated 7.5 miles (12 km) north-east of Liverpool Central and is on the Kirkby branch of Merseyrail's Northern Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rice Lane railway station</span> Railway station on the Kirkby Branch of the Northern Line in Liverpool, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainford railway station</span> Railway station in Rainford, England

Rainford railway station is situated to the north of the village of Rainford, Merseyside, England. It is on the Kirkby branch line. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by Northern Trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fazakerley railway station</span> Railway station on the Headbolt Lane Branch of the Northern Line in Liverpool, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manchester–Southport line</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skelmersdale railway station</span> Former railway station in England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirkby branch line</span> Railway line in the North West of England

The Kirkby Branch Line is a branch railway line from Wigan to Headbolt Lane. The line's original route was from Liverpool to Bury and later the most northern of the Liverpool to Manchester lines. The line was split at Kirkby in 1977 with the western section forming a high frequency branch of the electrified Merseyrail Northern Line, also referred to as the Kirkby branch line. The Kirkby branch to Wigan remained a low frequency diesel operated service by Northern Trains from Headbolt Lane to Manchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skelmersdale</span> Town in England

Skelmersdale is a town in the West Lancashire district, in Lancashire, England, on the River Tawd, 6 miles (10 km) west of Wigan, 13 miles (21 km) northeast of Liverpool and 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Preston. In 2006, it had a population of 38,813. The town is known locally as Skem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirkby train crash</span> 2021 railway crash in the United Kingdom

On 13 March 2021, a Class 507 electric multiple unit operated by Merseyrail collided with the buffer stop at Kirkby railway station, Merseyside, United Kingdom. The only injury was the driver of the train. The cause was found to be that the driver was using a mobile phone whilst driving. The distraction led him to enter the station at excessive speed. He was dismissed from Merseyrail and later prosecuted, pleading guilty to a charge of endangering the safety of people on the railway, for which he received a 12-month suspended sentence.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rand, Lisa (9 December 2021). "Kirkby to get new train station which will be 'UK first' after plans approved - Liverpool Echo". Liverpool Echo . Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  2. ↑ "Wigan Wallgate to Kirkby line closure". www.northernrailway.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  3. ↑ "Next Stop: Headbolt Lane – £80m station served by UK's first battery powered trains to open this week". Merseytravel. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  4. ↑ "Headbolt Lane opening on Thursday". 3 October 2023. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  5. 1 2 Lally, Kate (7 November 2019). "Kirkby will get new train station before the Baltic Triangle". liverpoolecho. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  6. ↑ Rudgard, Olivia (5 March 2015). "Two Merseyside lines prioritised for electrification". Liverpool Echo. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  7. ↑ "Place North West | Priority electrification routes sent to Government". Place North West. 6 March 2015. Archived from the original on 6 January 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 Houghton, Alistair (18 September 2017). "Skelmersdale rail link moves step closer as £5m funding revealed". liverpoolecho. Archived from the original on 19 September 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  9. ↑ Lopez, Jamie (8 July 2022). "Skelmersdale rail station plan rejected in decision branded a 'cruel joke'". LancsLive. Archived from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  10. ↑ Tyrrell, Nick (30 August 2019). "Merseyside set to get two new train stations and replacement ferries". Liverpool Echo. Archived from the original on 30 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  11. ↑ "Kirkby Headbolt Lane station scheme moves a step closer with £3.3m funding secured and CGI images are unveiled | Liverpool City Region Combined Authority - News". 16 July 2020. Archived from the original on 16 July 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  12. ↑ "Changes to services ahead of new Kirkby train station opening". 4 October 2023. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  13. ↑ "Battery breakthrough will see Merseyrail network extended". 21 July 2021. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  14. ↑ "Work begins on construction of new station at Headbolt Lane in Kirkby". Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. 9 March 2022. Archived from the original on 1 April 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  15. ↑ Edrich, Patrick (26 July 2022). "Major road closed as work underway on new £80m train station". liverpoolecho. Archived from the original on 6 October 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  16. ↑ "MSN". www.msn.com. Archived from the original on 31 January 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  17. ↑ Thorp, Liam (22 August 2023). "Train station update after construction firm administration notice". Liverpool Echo. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  18. ↑ "Headbolt Lane". www.merseyrail.org. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  19. ↑ "Increased services between Headbolt Lane and Liverpool Central". www.merseyrail.org. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  20. ↑ "Wigan Wallgate to Kirkby line closure". www.northernrailway.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.

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