Liverpool, St Helens and South Lancashire Railway

Last updated

Liverpool, St Helens and
South Lancashire Railway
Overview
Statusclosed
Locale North West England
Technical
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Route map

Contents

1900–1968
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St Helens Central
(GCR)
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Cowley Hill Works
St Helens Central
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BSicon cSTRq.svg
BSicon dBHFq.svg
BSicon xdKRZo.svg
BSicon cSTRq.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
St Helens and
Runcorn Gap Railway
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Haydock
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Haydock Colliery Tunnel
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon exKBSTaq.svg
BSicon exABZg+r.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon exHST.svg
Ashton-in-Makerfield
BSicon exHST.svg
Haydock Park
BSicon exABZg+l.svg
BSicon exKBSTeq.svg
Garswood Hall Colliery
Golborne Colliery
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BSicon exABZgr.svg
BSicon exABZgl.svg
BSicon exKBSTeq.svg
Edge Green Colliery
Golborne South
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BSicon exdHSTq.svg
BSicon xKRZo.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
Golborne North
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BSicon exABZg+l.svg
BSicon exCONTfq.svg
Lowton St Mary's
BSicon exHST.svg
Liverpool–
Manchester lines
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BSicon xKRZo.svg
BSicon edHSTq.svg
BSicon dCONTfq.svg
Kenyon Junction
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Culcheth
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Newchurch Halt
Risley Factory
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BSicon exABZgr.svg
Liverpool–
Manchester lines
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BSicon eABZqlr.svg
BSicon edHSTq.svg
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Glazebrook
From 1968
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BSicon exCONTg grey.svg
BSicon exlENDE@F.svg
BSicon extSTRe grey.svg
Haydock Colliery Tunnel
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BSicon exSTR grey.svg
Haydock Oil
1968–83
Old Boston Colliery
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BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon exSTR+r grey.svg
1963–1987
Lowton Metals
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BSicon exABZgr.svg
BSicon exHST.svg
Ashton-in-
Makerfield
Race Traffic
1975
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BSicon exHST grey.svg
Haydock Park
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon lENDE@F.svg
BSicon exSTR+l grey.svg
BSicon exKBSTeq grey.svg
Garswood Hall Colliery
1880–1989
Golborne Colliery
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BSicon eABZgr.svg
Haydock Branch curve
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BSicon dSTR2.svg
BSicon vSTRl-.svg
BSicon exdSTR grey.svg
BSicon dSTRc3.svg
BSicon dKBSTeq.svg
Kelbit
1987–
Golborne South
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BSicon exdHSTq.svg
BSicon xKRZo.svg
BSicon exSTR grey.svg
BSicon cSTRc1.svg
BSicon ABZq+4.svg
BSicon CONTf@Fq.svg
Golborne North
BSicon exHST grey.svg
BSicon exCONTf grey.svg

The Liverpool, St Helens and South Lancashire Railway, was formed in 1889, but no services ran until 1895 and then only freight. Passenger services did not start until 1900. It incorporated the St Helens and Wigan Junction Railway. [1] It was taken over by the Great Central Railway in 1906. [2]

History

St. Helens and Wigan Junction Railway Act 1885
Act of Parliament
Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1837).svg
Citation 48 & 49 Vict. c. cxxi
Text of statute as originally enacted
St. Helens and Wigan Junction Railway Act 1886
Act of Parliament
Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1837).svg
Citation 50 Vict. c. xxxiii
Text of statute as originally enacted
St. Helens and Wigan Junction Railway Act 1889
Act of Parliament
Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1837).svg
Citation 52 & 53 Vict. c. xci
Text of statute as originally enacted
Liverpool, St. Helens and South Lancashire Railway Act 1891
Act of Parliament
Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1837).svg
Long title An Act to extend the time for the compulsory purchase of lands for certain railways authorised by the St Helens and Wigan Junction Railway Act 1885 and the St Helens and Wigan Junction Railway Act 1886 and to provide for the issue of preference or guaranteed shares or stock and for other purposes.
Citation 54 & 55 Vict. c. cxv
Dates
Royal assent 21 July 1891
Text of statute as originally enacted

The railway was incorporated by the St. Helens and Wigan Junction Railway Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict. c. cxxi) and the St. Helens and Wigan Junction Railway Act 1886 (50 Vict. c. xxxiii) to enable the construction of a line from St Helens to Lowton (eight miles) and St Helens to Liverpool (ten miles). The lines had share capital of £210,000 and £340,000 respectively. The first sod was cut on 25 January 1888 by the Earl of Derby on the site of what became St Helens Central railway station. In July 1889, the St. Helens and Wigan Junction Railway Act 1889 (52 & 53 Vict. c. xci) extended the completion time until July 1893. The opening ceremony took place on 2 January 1900. [3]

The original intention was to connect to the Cheshire Lines Committee North Liverpool Extension Line at Fazakerley junction, to form a route to Huskisson Dock and Southport, but nothing ever came of the scheme west of St Helens.

Henry Seton-Karr was chairman of the railway at its opening. [4]

Route

The line ran from St Helens Central (GCR) railway station to Lowton St Mary's. [5]

Closure

The line closed to passengers in 1952. It was reduced in stages as freight traffic ebbed and flowed. The key milestones were:

In 2015 very occasional trains still served the Hanson plant.

On 7 March 2015 an enthusiasts' excursion titled "Sabrina's Tea Train" traversed the line. [6]

A quarter-mile headshunt which ends at bufferstops approx 50 yards east of Bridge 13 over Edge Green Lane is the sole remaining section of the original route in use.

Re-opening

After purchasing the land surrounding the line at Edge Green in 2011, PF Jones Ltd worked with Hansons to restore the Kelbit line off the Haydock Branch Curve. The Kelbit line re-opens in 2018 and will be used by Hanson's to transfer raw materials from Shap Quarry, Cumbria to distribute across the north west.

Between and Golborne and Glazebrook High Speed 2 proposed use of an alignment similar to the disused line in Phase 2b. [7] This "Golborne Link" was removed from HS2 plans before the northern leg was abandoned by the Conservative government in 2023.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newton-le-Willows</span> Town in Merseyside, England

Newton-le-Willows is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, Merseyside, England. The population at the 2021 census was 24,642. Newton-le-Willows is on the eastern edge of St Helens, south of Wigan and north of Warrington, equidistant to Liverpool and Manchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haydock</span> Village in England

Haydock is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, in Merseyside, England. At the 2011 Census, it had a population of 11,416 Haydock's historic area covers the Haydock electoral ward and a section of the Blackbrook ward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wigan North Western railway station</span> One of two railway stations in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England

Wigan North Western railway station is one of two railway stations serving the town centre of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newton-le-Willows railway station</span> Railway station in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside

Newton-le-Willows railway station is a railway station in the town of Newton-le-Willows, in the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, and at the edge of the Merseytravel region. The station is branded Merseyrail. The station is situated on the northern route of the Liverpool to Manchester Line, the former Liverpool and Manchester Railway which opened in 1830. It is a busy feeder station for nearby towns which no longer have railway stations, such as Golborne, Billinge and Haydock. There is also a complimentary bus shuttle service to Haydock Park Racecourse on certain racedays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golborne</span> Human settlement in England

Golborne is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies 5 miles (8.0 km) south-southeast of Wigan, 6 miles (9.7 km) northeast of Warrington and 14 miles (22.5 km) to the west of the city of Manchester. Along with the neighbouring village of Lowton, it recorded a population of 24,041.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lowton</span> Village in Metropolitan Borough of Wigan

Lowton is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is around 2 miles (3 km) from Leigh, 7 miles (11 km) south of Wigan and 12 miles (19 km) west of Manchester city centre. The settlement lies across the A580 East Lancashire Road.

Ashton-in-Makerfield railway station was a railway station serving the town of Ashton-in-Makerfield, although it was located in the neighbouring village of Haydock, formerly in Lancashire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wigan Junction Railways</span> Defunct railway in England

The Wigan Junction Railways connected Glazebrook West Junction with the Lancashire Coalfields at Wigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old railway lines in Wigan</span>

The railway system in Wigan started development in the 19th century during the Industrial Revolution. The first railway built in the town was the Wigan Branch Railway which was opened on 3 September 1832 to serve the many collieries in the area; this was a branch line of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, the first inter-city railway. By the turn of the 20th century, Wigan had numerous railway stations widely available across the borough, used by both freight and passengers. Many of the lines were originally built for freight which were later converted, as the owners saw the profitability of allowing passengers, to carry passenger trains.

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Culcheth railway station served the village of Culcheth, Lancashire, England. It was west of the bridge where Wigshaw Lane crossed the railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Helens Central railway station (Great Central Railway)</span> Former railway station in England

St Helens Central (GCR) railway station served the town of St Helens, England with passenger traffic between 1900 and 1952 and goods traffic until 1965. It was the terminus of a branch line from Lowton St Mary's.

Haydock railway station served the village of Haydock, formerly in Lancashire, now in Merseyside, England.

Haydock Park railway station was a railway station adjacent to Haydock Park Racecourse, formerly in Lancashire and now in Merseyside, England. The station's sole purpose was to handle race day traffic. It did not feature in public timetables and normal service trains passed through the station without stopping.

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

Golborne North railway station served the town of Golborne, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.

Golborne South railway station was one of two stations serving the town of Golborne, to the south of Wigan.

Lowton St Mary's railway station served the scattered community of Lowton, then in Lancashire, now in Greater Manchester, England. It was situated immediately south of the A572 bridge over the tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bickershaw and Abram railway station</span> Disused railway station in Bickershaw, Wigan

Bickershaw and Abram railway station served the communities of Bickershaw and Abram southeast of Wigan, England.

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

Lowton railway station served the village named Town of Lowton to the east of Newton-le-Willows and south of Golborne.

The Wigan Branch Railway was a short-lived early British railway company, formed in 1830 and operating from 1832 to 1834 in Lancashire. It was constructed to link Wigan and the surrounding coalfield to the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&MR). It was involved in the first parliamentary approved amalgamation of railways to become part of the North Union Railway. Most of the line eventually became part of the West Coast Main Line (WCML).

References

  1. "St. Helens Central Station". Disused Stations. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  2. Sweeney 2014 , pp. 5–18
  3. "Liverpool, St Helens and South Lancashire Railway". Lancashire Faces & Places. 1 (6): 94–96. June 1901.
  4. "Mr Henry Seton-Karr, MP". Lancashire Faces & Places. 1 (6): 86. June 1901.
  5. "Lowton St. Mary's Station". Disused Stations. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  6. The Railtour Files, via SixBellsJunction
  7. "HS2 Phase 2b: Lowton to Bamfurlong route key plan" (PDF). gov.uk. Retrieved 16 November 2020.

Sources