Lancaster Green Ayre | |
---|---|
General information | |
Location | Lancaster, City of Lancaster England |
Coordinates | 54°03′09″N2°47′50″W / 54.0526°N 2.7973°W Coordinates: 54°03′09″N2°47′50″W / 54.0526°N 2.7973°W |
Other information | |
Status | Disused |
History | |
Original company | Morecambe Harbour and Railway |
Pre-grouping | Midland Railway |
Post-grouping | London, Midland and Scottish Railway |
Key dates | |
12 June 1848 | Opened as Lancaster |
1 June 1850 | Incorrectly listed as Lancaster Green Area |
1 November 1870 | Listed as Lancaster Green Ayre |
3 January 1966 | Closed |
1976 | Demolished |
Location | |
Lancaster Green Ayre railway station was the Midland Railway's station in the city of Lancaster in England. The line between Green Ayre and Morecambe was used for pioneering experimental electrification via overhead wires.
The station closed to passengers in 1966 and there are no remains.
Lancaster's first two stations were the Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway's at Greaves in 1840, [1] and the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway's Lancaster Castle which superseded it in 1846. [2]
The third station was opened by the Morecambe Harbour and Railway Company (MH&R) on 12 June 1848. [2] [3] The station building was designed by Edmund Sharpe. [4] [5] Originally called Lancaster, [6] it was soon renamed Lancaster Green Ayre, although timetables incorrectly listed its name as Lancaster Green Area until 1870. [3] The line originally ran from Lancaster to Morecambe Harbour. The MH&R soon amalgamated with the "little" North Western Railway, which continued the line eastward from 17 November 1849, reaching Skipton in 1850. [2] A connecting curve between Green Ayre and Castle opened on 18 December 1849. [2] [3]
The station was on the southern bank of the River Lune, adjacent to Skerton Bridge and immediately to the north of the city centre. Immediately west of the station was the junction between the connecting curve to Castle and Green Ayre's engine shed and the main line, which then crossed the river via Greyhound Bridge and continued along the north bank of the river, passing under the Lancaster and Carlisle's Carlisle Bridge over the river. East of Green Ayre the line followed the south bank of the river.
The "little" North Western Railway was taken over in 1874 by the Midland Railway, which had previously operated, then leased the line, [7] and became a significant route for that company, giving access from its Yorkshire lines to the Lancashire coast in an area dominated by its major rival, the London and North Western Railway.
The Lancaster–Morecambe line was electrified in 1908. This was the first high-voltage overhead electrification in the United Kingdom and was at 6,600 volts AC 25 Hz; it was the pioneer for such systems. It was intended to be a test bed for further mainline electrification by the Midland Railway. In 1952 the original rolling stock was life expired and was withdrawn. Steam traction took over for a short while and then the power supply was upgraded to 50 Hz and some new stock provided; this was to act as a test-bed for further main-line electrification in the UK. [8] This section of line became particularly busy.
The line between Wennington and Morecambe via Green Ayre fell victim to the Beeching Axe. It closed to passengers on 2 January 1966, [2] [8] [9] although the line through the station continued to be used for freight until 16 March 1976. [2] The station was demolished that year. [10]
The Greyhound Bridge was converted for use by the A589 road from 1972. [10] [11] The site of Green Ayre station is now a public park. Nothing remains of the station, [12] but a goods crane from Hornby goods shed has been erected in the park near the site. [10] [13] The site of the adjacent locomotive shed is now occupied by a supermarket.
The North Western Railway (NWR) was an early British railway company in the north-west of England. It was commonly known as the "Little" North Western Railway, to distinguish it from the larger London and North Western Railway (LNWR).
The Morecambe branch line is a railway line in Lancashire, England, from Lancaster to Morecambe and Heysham, where trains connect with ferries to Douglas, Isle of Man. To reach Heysham, trains must reverse at Morecambe.
Lancaster railway station is a railway station that serves the city of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. It is one of the principal stations on the West Coast Main Line. It is located 20 miles 78 chains (33.76 km) from Preston and is the zero point for mileages onward to Carlisle.
Halton-with-Aughton is a civil parish and electoral ward located 3 miles (5 km) east of Lancaster, England, on the north bank of the River Lune. The main settlement is the village of Halton, or Halton-on-Lune, in the west, and the parish stretches to the hamlet of Aughton in the east. It lies in the City of Lancaster district of Lancashire, and has a population of 2,227, down from 2,360 in 2001.
Skipton railway station is a Grade II listed station which serves the town of Skipton in North Yorkshire, England on the Airedale Line, which gives Skipton access to destinations such as Leeds, Bradford, Carlisle, Lancaster and Morecambe. The station is operated by Northern Trains and is situated 27 miles (43 km) north-west of Leeds.
Long Preston is a railway station on the Bentham Line, which runs between Leeds and Morecambe via Skipton. The station, situated 37+1⁄2 miles (60 km) north-west of Leeds, serves the village of Long Preston in North Yorkshire. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.
Gargrave is a railway station on the Bentham Line, which runs between Leeds and Morecambe via Skipton. The station, situated 30 miles (48 km) north-west of Leeds, serves the village of Gargrave in North Yorkshire. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.
Hellifield is a railway station on the Bentham Line, which runs between Leeds and Morecambe via Skipton. The station, situated 36 miles 17 chains (58.3 km) north-west of Leeds, serves the village of Hellifield, Craven in North Yorkshire, England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.
Bentham is a railway station on the Bentham Line, which runs between Leeds and Morecambe via Skipton. The station, situated 19 miles (31 km) east of Lancaster, serves the town of High Bentham and surrounding settlements in North Yorkshire. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.
Bury Bolton Street railway station is a heritage railway station in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. Located on the East Lancashire Railway.
Coniston railway station was the northern terminus of a Coniston branch line in Lancashire, England.
Morecambe Promenade Station was a railway station in Morecambe, Lancashire, England. It was opened on 24 March 1907 by the Midland Railway and closed in February 1994. After twelve weeks break in passenger service for the revision of track work and signalling a new Morecambe station was opened on a site closer to the town centre.
The Leeds and Bradford Extension Railway was an early British railway company in the West Riding of Yorkshire. It built a line from Shipley near Bradford through Keighley and Skipton to Colne. The Skipton–Colne Line closed in 1970, but the remainder of the line is still in use today, and once formed part of the Midland Railway's main line route from London to Glasgow.
Helmshore railway station served the village of Helmshore, Rossendale, Lancashire between 1848 and 1966.
The Lancashire Union Railway ran between Blackburn and St Helens in Lancashire, England. It was built primarily to carry goods between Blackburn and Garston Dock on the River Mersey, and also to serve collieries in the Wigan area. Most of the line has now closed, except for the St Helens-to-Wigan section that forms part of the main line between Liverpool and the North.
Kildwick and Crosshills [sic] was a railway station off Station Road in Cross Hills, North Yorkshire, England. It served the villages of Cross Hills, Cowling, Glusburn, Kildwick and Sutton-in-Craven.
The Leeds–Morecambe line, also known as the Bentham line, is a railway line running between Leeds, Skipton, Lancaster and Morecambe in northern England. The service is operated by Northern. The route covered by the service was historically part of the Midland Railway. The line is electrified at 25 kV AC overhead between Leeds City and Skipton- this section is known as the Airedale line.
Halton railway station served the village of Halton in Lancashire, England. It closed in 1966, but the station building and part of one platform survive beside the cycle path along the disused line.
Morecambe Euston Road was the terminus station of the London and North Western Railway's branch line to Morecambe, in Lancashire, England. It closed in 1962, after which all trains to Morecambe used the nearby Morecambe Promenade station.
The Greyhound Bridge is a road-connection spanning the River Lune as it runs through Lancaster, England. It serves as the primary route northwards, on account of a one-way system that directs all southbound traffic over Skerton Bridge. Originally built to carry a railway, it is the third bridge to stand on the present site and lies between the Lune Millennium Bridge and Skerton Bridge.
Citations
Maps showing Lancaster Green Ayre Station |
NPE Maps (1948) |
Vision of Britain |
OS 1:2500 Map on MARIO (about 1893) |
Other maps |
Sources
Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Halton | Midland Railway "Little" North Western Railway | Morecambe (Northumberland Street) until 1907 | ||
Midland Railway North Western Branch | Morecambe Promenade 1907–1957 | |||
London Midland Region North Western Branch | Scale Hall from 1957 | |||
Halton | Midland Railway "Little" North Western Railway Castle Branch | Lancaster Castle |