Kirkby branch line

Last updated

Kirkby branch line
150115 at Headbolt Lane.jpg
A Northern Trains Class 150 at Headbolt Lane railway station
Overview
StatusOperational
Owner Network Rail
Locale North West England
Termini
Stations6
Service
System National Rail
Operator(s) Northern Trains
History
Opened20 November 1848 [1]
Technical
Line length12.25 miles (19.71 km) [2] [3]
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Route map
Kirkby branch line.png
(Click to expand)
Kirkby
branch line
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Wigan Wallgate
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Pemberton
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Orrell
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Upholland
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Rainford
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Headbolt Lane
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Kirkby Merseyrail alternative logo.svg
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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. [3] 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 (one train per hour) diesel operated service by Northern Trains from Headbolt Lane to Manchester. [4]

Contents

History

The Liverpool and Bury Railway built the first line into Liverpool from the north. It ran from Bury via the towns of Bolton and Wigan, reaching the city of Liverpool in 1848. Soon afterwards, the Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway's route to Preston was built sharing the L&BR line as far as Walton. [1] Mergers meant that the Bury route was built by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, which had taken over the Liverpool and Bury Railway company. [1] [4] The opening ceremony took place on 20 November 1848. [1]

With the creation of the Merseyrail metro and the closure of the route's former terminus at Liverpool Exchange in 1977 through trains to Liverpool from the Wigan direction ceased. It had originally been intended that the line be electrified all the route from Liverpool to Wigan creating a terminal of the Merseyrail Northern Line at Wigan Wallgate. Wigan North Western is a terminal of Merseyrail's City Line. Only the section between Liverpool and Kirkby was electrified in 1977 as a part of the Merseyrail scheme. Kirkby station was reconstructed as a terminus for Merseyrail's Northern Line Kirkby branch and the Manchester to Kirkby line. [3] Services between Wigan and Kirkby were provided by diesel-powered trains. Passengers from the Manchester direction continuing beyond Kirkby into Liverpool change at Kirkby joining a Merseyrail-operated electric metro train. [3] It is a long-term aspiration of Merseyrail to complete the electrification of the Northern Line to Wigan. [5] Merseytravel also hope to use the route as part of rail link to the town of Skelmersdale, which has been cut off from the national network since 1956 and is now one of the largest towns in North West England without a passenger rail service. [6]

Proposals to extend Merseyrail's Northern Line to a new terminal station at Headbolt Lane, between Kirkby and Rainford, were announced in 2007 [7] but did not receive funding until 2019. [8] Headbolt Lane station became the new terminal interchange between trains from Liverpool and Wigan/Manchester when it opened on 5 October 2023. [9]

Route description

The former main line is now "something of a backwater", [4] with the appearance of a rural branch line in places. [3]

Services

Trains originate at Blackburn and join the Kirkby branch at Wigan Wallgate, having travelled via Todmorden, Manchester Victoria, Atherton and Hindley, and change direction at Headbolt Lane. Services are scheduled to take around 140 minutes end-to-end. There are no weekday evening (after 20:00) or Sunday service. [14] In the May 2023 timetable, trains mainly continue beyond Manchester to/from Blackburn via Todmorden and Accrington. [15]

As of 2023, the standard service on the Kirkby branch is hourly, with trains starting from Blackburn and terminating there on the return journey. These service frequencies have been unchanged since the 1980s [4] however the high-level output specification for 2014-2019 envisaged the service being cut back to a simple shuttle between Kirkby and Wigan Wallgate. Services are operated by Northern Trains. [16] Network Rail has considered the effects of electrification. [17]

Notes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merseyrail</span> Commuter rail system in England

Merseyrail is a commuter rail network which serves Merseyside and adjacent areas of Cheshire and Lancashire. Merseyrail serves 69 stations, 67 of which it manages, across two lines – the Northern Line and the Wirral Line. The network uses 750 V DC third rail electrified lines having 75.0 miles (120.7 km) of routes, of which 6.5 miles (10.5 km) are underground. Since January 2023, Merseyrail commenced replacing its train fleet, withdrawing the Class 507 and 508 trains and introducing 53 new Class 777 trains. The network carried 25.5 million passengers in the 2022/2023 statistical period.

Merseytravel is the passenger transport executive, responsible for the coordination of public transport in the Liverpool City Region in North West England. Merseytravel was established on 1 December 1969 as the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive. From 1 April 2014, with the creation of the Liverpool City Region, Merseytravel expanded its area of operation from the metropolitan county of Merseyside to also include the Borough of Halton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liverpool and Bury Railway</span> Railway line in England

The Liverpool and Bury Railway was formed by an Act in 1845 to link Liverpool and Bury via Kirkby, Wigan and Bolton, the line opening on 20 November 1848. The line became the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway's main line between Liverpool, Manchester and Yorkshire. Most of it is still open.

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

Ormskirk railway station in Ormskirk, Lancashire, England, is a cross-platform interchange between Merseyrail services from Liverpool Central and Northern Trains services from Preston on the Ormskirk branch line, 12+34 miles (20.5 km) northeast of Liverpool. The station building and three arch road bridge are both Grade II listed structures.

<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

There once were four direct railway routes between Liverpool and Manchester in the North West of England; only two remain, the two centre routes of the four. The most northerly and the most southerly of the four routes are no longer direct lines. Of the remaining two direct routes, the northern route of the two is fully electric, while the now southern route is a diesel-only line. The most northerly of the four has been split into two routes: the western section operated by Merseyrail electric trains and the eastern section by diesel trains, requiring passengers to change trains between the two cities. The fourth route, the most southerly of the four, has been largely abandoned east of Warrington; the remaining section caters mainly for freight trains.

<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 located 7.5 miles (12 km) north-east of Liverpool Central and is on the Headbolt Lane 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

Rice Lane railway station is a railway station in Liverpool, England, located to the north of the city centre in the Walton district. It is on the Kirkby branch of the Merseyrail network's Northern Line.

<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

Fazakerley railway station is a railway station in Fazakerley, Liverpool, England. It is situated on the Headbolt Lane branch of the Northern Line of the Merseyrail network.

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

The Manchester–Southport line is a railway line in the north-west of England, operated by Northern Trains. It was originally built as the Manchester and Southport Railway. The section between Wigan and Salford is also known locally as the Atherton Line.

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

Skelmersdale railway station was a station located on the Skelmersdale branch at Skelmersdale, England. The station was originally named Blague Gate, having its name changed to Skelmersdale on 8 August 1874 and carried passengers from 1858 to 1956.

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

Headbolt Lane is a railway station in Kirkby, Merseyside, England, which opened on 5 October 2023.

<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.

The history of Merseyrail dates back to the 19th century, with the original formation of the Mersey Railway, however, Merseyrail dates back to the 20th century, namely being set up by British Rail in 1969, it did not become a single network until 1977.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Wright, Paul (1998–2008). "Liverpool Exchange". Disused Stations/Subterranea Britannica. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Electronic National Rail Timetable (eNRT): Winter 2010/2011" (Zipped PDF). Network Rail. 12 December 2010. p. 1541. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Macfarlane 1987 , p. 43.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Macfarlane 1987 , p. 42.
  5. "Merseytravel Long Term Rail Strategy, P.25" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 September 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  6. "A Station Back in Skelmersdale" Railfuture; Retrieved 10 June 2016
  7. "Millions to be spent on Mersey rail network". Liverpool Daily Post . Trinity Mirror. 3 April 2007. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  8. Tyrrell, Nick (30 August 2019). "Merseyside set to get two new train stations and replacement ferries". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  9. "Wigan Wallgate to Kirkby line closure". www.northernrailway.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  10. Historic England. "Adam Viaduct (1061327)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  11. Brownbill, J; Farrer, William (1911). "A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 4. Townships: Pemberton". Victoria County History of Lancashire. British History Online. pp. 78–83. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
  12. Wright, Paul; Price, Bevan (1998–2008). "Crank Halt". Disused Stations/Subterranea Britannica. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  13. "Potter Logistics reopens Knowsley rail freight terminal" Waters, Will;Lloyds Loading List 4 July 2016; Retrieved 4 August 2016
  14. "Network Rail Table 82 - Manchester - Bolton - Wigan, Kirkby, Southport, Preston, Blackpool North and Barrow-in-Furness 13 December 2015 to 14 May 2016" (PDF). Network Rail. December 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
  15. Table 101 National Rail timetable, May 2023
  16. "Network Map". Northern Rail. 2010. Archived from the original on 29 November 2010. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  17. "Network RUS Electrification" (PDF). October 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 October 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2013.

Bibliography