Manchester and Southport Railway

Last updated

Manchester and Southport Railway
Overview
Locale Greater Manchester
Lancashire
Merseyside
North West England
Dates of operation22 July 18473 July 1854
Technical
Track gauge 1,435 mm
(4 ft 8+12 in)
standard gauge
Route map

Contents

BSicon exKBHFa.svg
Southport London Street
BSicon KBHFa.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
Southport Chapel Street
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BSicon ABZgr+r.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon STR2.svg
BSicon STRc3.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon exKBHFa.svg
Southport Central
BSicon STRc1.svg
BSicon exSTRc2.svg
BSicon xABZg+4.svg
BSicon exSTR3.svg
BSicon eABZg+1.svg
BSicon exSTRc4.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Southport Ash Street
BSicon exBS2c2.svg
BSicon exlvHST.svg
BSicon xBS2lxr.svg
BSicon BS2c3.svg
St Luke's
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon eABZgl+l.svg
BSicon exCONTfq.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon HST.svg
Meols Cop
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Butts Lane Halt
BSicon exUWu2.svg
BSicon exlvHST@G-.svg
BSicon exdSTR2.svg
BSicon ev-ABZg3.svg
Blowick
BSicon exdCONTgq.svg
BSicon exSTRr+1.svg
BSicon v-SHI2r.svg
BSicon exdSTR+4u.svg
BSicon HST.svg
Bescar Lane
BSicon HST.svg
New Lane
BSicon HST.svg
Burscough Bridge
BSicon ekABZg23.svg
Burscough Curves
BSicon dCONTgq.svg
BSicon ekABZq1.svg
BSicon KRZu+xk14.svg
BSicon ekABZq+4.svg
BSicon dCONTfq.svg
Liverpool, Ormskirk & Preston Rly
Arrow Blue Left 001.svg Liverpool    Preston Arrow Blue Right 001.svg
BSicon HST.svg
Hoscar Moss
BSicon HST.svg
Newburgh
BSicon HST.svg
Appley Bridge
BSicon HST.svg
Gathurst
BSicon CONT2.svg
BSicon STRc3.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon STRc1.svg
BSicon ABZg+4.svg
BSicon STRc2.svg
BSicon KRZ3+lu.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
BSicon STR+1.svg
BSicon STRc4.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Wigan (2nd station...1860-1896)
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon BHF.svg
Wigan Wallgate (since 1896)}
BSicon BHF2.svg
BSicon STRc3.svg
BSicon ABZg2.svg
BSicon STRc3.svg
Wigan North Western
BSicon STRc1.svg
BSicon STRc1.svg
BSicon ABZg+4.svg
BSicon eHST+4.svg
Wigan (1st station...1848-1860)
BSicon STRc2.svg
BSicon STRc2.svg
BSicon ABZg3.svg
BSicon STR3.svg
BSicon CONT1.svg
BSicon STRc4.svg
BSicon ABZg+1.svg
BSicon STRc4.svg
North Union Railway
to Warrington
BSicon HST.svg
Ince
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon KRZo.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
Lancashire Union Railway
Arrow Blue Left 001.svg St Helens    Blackburn Arrow Blue Right 001.svg
BSicon CONT2.svg
BSicon STRc3.svg
BSicon STR.svg
L&YR Pemberton Loop
to Liverpool
BSicon STRc1.svg
BSicon ABZg+4.svg
BSicon HST.svg
Hindley
BSicon ABZg2.svg
BSicon STRc3.svg
Crow Nest Junction
BSicon STRc1.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon CONT4.svg
BSicon HST.svg
Daisy Hill
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon KRZu.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
Bolton and Leigh Railway
Arrow Blue Left 001.svg Leigh    Bolton Arrow Blue Right 001.svg
BSicon HST.svg
Hag Fold
BSicon HST.svg
Atherton Central
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon KRZo.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
L&NWR Tyldesley Loopline
Arrow Blue Left 001.svg Eccles    Bolton Arrow Blue Right 001.svg
BSicon HST.svg
Walkden
BSicon HST.svg
Moorside and Wardley
BSicon HST.svg
Swinton
BSicon eHST.svg
Pendlebury
BSicon eHST.svg
Irlams o' th' Height
BSicon exSTRc2.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon exCONT3.svg
Manchester and Bolton Railway
to Bolton via Agecroft
BSicon eABZg+1.svg
BSicon exSTRc4.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Pendleton (Broad Street)
BSicon exSTRc2.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon exCONT3.svg
Manchester and Bolton Railway
to Bolton via Brindle Heath
BSicon eABZg+1.svg
BSicon exSTRc4.svg
Windsor Bridge Junction
BSicon HST.svg
Salford Crescent
BSicon bSHI2lr.svg
BSicon CONT4+f.svg
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon ABZgr+r.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Oldfield Road
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon HST.svg
Salford Central
BSicon bSHI2+lr.svg
BSicon eBHF.svg
Manchester Exchange
BSicon KBHFe.svg
Manchester Victoria

The Manchester and Southport Railway in England was formed by an Act of 22 July 1847 to link Manchester and Southport. [act 1] Before the line opened it was acquired jointly by the L&YR and the East Lancashire Railway (ELR) on 3 July 1854. [act 2] [3]

Wigan area

The line was opened in several sections. The first 3 miles (4.8 km) were constructed in Wigan when on 20 November 1848 the L&YR opened its line from Walton Junction (in north Liverpool) to Lostock Junction on the L&YR line between Salford and Preston. [lower-alpha 1] [5] There were two stations on this section, Wigan and Hindley. Another station was opened later, on 1 June 1863, at Ince. [6]

Southport end

The second section of line to open was on 9 April 1855 from Wigan to Southport London Street, the first part of this line to Burscough Bridge was wholly owned by the L&YR, the remainder was jointly owned by the L&YR and the East Lancashire Railway (ELR). [7] The delay in opening this section was due to L&YR finding itself in "severe financial difficulties" and it took the issue of a mandamus to spur the L&YR into action. [8]

There were six stations on this section, described as "solid, substantial, well built of stone in the Elizabethan style, neat without undue ornament", on this section, Gathurst, Appley Bridge, Newburgh (which became Parbold), Burscough Bridge, New Lane and Bescar Lane. [9] [10]

The line terminated at the ELR Southport London Street station which was still under construction at the time. [10] Operations were transferred to Southport Chapel Street in 1857 with London Street station firstly becoming a 'repairing shed' (according to the 1894 Ordnance Survey), then becoming a goods station and ultimately being absorbed into Chapel Street station when it was rebuilt in 1914. [10] [11] [12] Other stations were opened later, Cop End (which became Blowick) on 1 April 1870 and Hoscar Moss on 1 November 1870. [13] Finally Barton Street opened on 1 July 1883, this station became St Luke's and sometimes St Luke's Road. [lower-alpha 2] [15]

Manchester end

The route utilised some existing infrastructure at its Manchester end. The line from Manchester Victoria to Salford Central was opened in 1844, prior to that the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal Company had opened a line in 1838 from Salford Central to Bolton Trinity Street and this line was utilised as far as Windsor Bridge, near the site of the present day Salford Crescent station. [16]

A new line was constructed from Windsor Bridge junction to Hindley where it joined the existing line to Bolton and Bury, the former Liverpool and Bury Railway. This line opened in sections, firstly on 13 June 1887 from Windsor Bridge to Swinton with stations at Pendleton Broad Street, Pendlebury and Swinton, Irlams o' th' Height was opened later in 1901. [17] [16] [18]

The next section opened a year later on 2 July 1888, it ran as far as Atherton Central with stations at Moorside and Wardley, Walkden and Atherton Central. [19] [20]

The final section of line from Atherton Central to Crow Nest Junction, just before Hindley station opened on 1 October 1888, there were stations at Hag Fold and Daisy Hill. [21] [22]

Subsequent ownership

The ELR was acquired by the L&YR on 13 August 1859 and from then the whole line was owned by the L&YR. [act 3] [3]

The route is still in use to day as Northern's Manchester to Southport Line.

Notes

  1. This line had been planned and construction started by Liverpool and Bury Railway before it was acquired by the Manchester and Leeds Railway in 1846 which in turn merged with others to become the L&YR in 1847. [4]
  2. Barton Street had two sets of platforms one set on the lines to Wigan and another set almost at right-angles on the West Lancashire Railway line to Preston Fishergate Hill. [14]

Acts of Parliament

  1. An Act for making a Railway from Southport through Wigan to Pendleton near Manchester, with several Branches, to be called "The Manchester and Southport Railway." [1]
  2. An Act for vesting in the East Lancashire Railway Company jointly with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company certain Parts of the Manchester and Southport Railway and of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway; and for other Purposes. [2]
  3. An Act for the Amalgamation of the East Lancashire Railway Company with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company, and for other Purposes. [23]

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References

  1. "Local and Personal Act, 10 & 11 Victoria I, c. ccxxi" (PDF). UK Parliament Parliamentary Archives. UK Parliament. 1847. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  2. "Local and Personal Act, 17 & 18 Victoria I, c. cxvii" (PDF). UK Parliament Parliamentary Archives. UK Parliament. 1854. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  3. 1 2 Grant 2017, pp. 357–358.
  4. Grant 2017, pp. 317–318.
  5. Greville 1981, p. 8.
  6. Quick 2023, pp. 243, 255 & 487.
  7. Marshall 1970, p. 271.
  8. Marshall 1969, p. 156.
  9. Quick 2023, pp. 53, 79, 112, 205, 333 & 356.
  10. 1 2 3 Marshall 1969, p. 158.
  11. Quick 2023, p. 424.
  12. Lancashire LXXV.9 (Map). 25 inch. Ordnance Survey. 1894.
  13. Quick 2023, pp. 89 & 248.
  14. Brown 2021, p. 49.
  15. Quick 2023, p. 425.
  16. 1 2 Marshall 1970, p. 94.
  17. Brown 2021, pp. 88, 106 & 107.
  18. Quick 2023, pp. 257, 360 & 442.
  19. Brown 2021, pp. 86–88.
  20. Quick 2023, pp. 59, 323 & 467.
  21. Brown 2021, pp. 84–85.
  22. Quick 2023, pp. 156 & 224.
  23. "Local Act, 22 & 23 Victoria I, c. cx" (PDF). UK Parliament Parliamentary Archives. UK Parliament. 1859. Retrieved 21 April 2024.

Bibliography