Midge Hall railway station

Last updated

Midge Hall
Midge Hall railway station (site), Lancashire (geograph 3266811).jpg
Site of the former station (2012)
Location Midge Hall, South Ribble
England
Coordinates 53°42′11″N2°44′43″W / 53.7031°N 2.7454°W / 53.7031; -2.7454 Coordinates: 53°42′11″N2°44′43″W / 53.7031°N 2.7454°W / 53.7031; -2.7454
Grid reference SD509231
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original company Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Pre-groupingLancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Post-grouping London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
October 1859 (1859-10)Opened
2 October 1961 (1961-10-02)Closed

Midge Hall railway station was located in Midge Hall, Leyland, closing to passengers in 1961, although the line still exists as the Ormskirk Branch Line.

Contents

History

The railway line between Preston and Walton was proposed by the Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway (LO&PJ) and authorised in 1846; later that year the LO&PJ was amalgamated with the East Lancashire Railway (ELR), which opened the line in 1849. [1]

In August 1859 the ELR was amalgamated with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (LYR), [2] and in October that year, the station at Midge Hall was opened. [3] It was 23+1⁄4 miles (37.4 km) from Liverpool (Tithebarn Street), and replaced an earlier station at Cocker Bar, 23 miles (37.0 km) from Liverpool. [4]

The station was closed by British Railways on 2 October 1961. [3] It retained its original Lancashire and Yorkshire railway signalbox until 1972 until the general Preston area resignalling programme, whereupon the old box was demolished and replaced with a new construction on the opposite side of the level crossing.

Trains still stop at Midge Hall signal box to exchange a token for the single line onward to Rufford - this is a vestige of the 1970s and early 1980s, when the then recently singled branch line retained double track from Midge Hall into Preston. [5] The portion from here north to Farington Curve Junction was also singled in 1983, but the existing combination of track circuit block & key token operation was retained after completion of the work.

Reopening proposals

There have been talks amongst the local community for the possible reopening of the station. A study held in 1991 concluded that there would be a forecasted 7500 journeys per annum using the station, generating roughly £15,000 in revenue with an average cost of £2 per journey. This was deemed uneconomical due to the high costs of construction (£500,000) coupled with £15,000 in ongoing annual maintenance costs, which would barely be covered by the revenue alone. [6]

A meeting held in 2003 concluded that whilst forecasted passenger numbers will likely be higher than that of the 1991 study (due largely to residential development in recent years), numbers may only be in the region of 10,000 to 30,000 and revenue from these passengers would likely still not cover the costs for reopening and thus remains uneconomical to reopen. [6]

In 2012, the Ormskirk, Preston and Southport Travellers’ Association called talks with Lancashire County Council about the possible reopening of the Midge Hall station as a "key component" of the Council's thinking. [7] In the summer of 2014, Lancashire County Council confirmed that a business case for reopening was being formulated. [8] [9]

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Long Term Rail Strategy document of October 2017, page 37, states a review to introduce new Merseyrail battery trains will be undertaken in 2020, in view to put Preston interchange station onto the Merseyrail network by extending the Merseyrail Northern Line from Ormskirk to Preston. The aim is to have Preston one of the terminals of the Northern Line, with Burscough Junction, Rufford and Croston stations brought onto the Merseyrail network. Passengers would have direct trains into Liverpool and Preston. The document states, "The potential use of battery powered Merseyrail units may improve the business case". [10] This will increase the business case to recommission Midge Hall station.

Related Research Articles

Merseyrail Railway network in north-west England

Merseyrail is an urban rail network serving Liverpool, England, the surrounding Liverpool City Region, the Wirral Peninsula, and the adjacent areas of Cheshire and Lancashire. The core of the network is formed by two dedicated electrified lines known as the Northern Line and the Wirral Line, which serve underground stations in the centres of Liverpool and Birkenhead. Separate from the third rail electrified network is the City Line, which is a term used by the governing body Merseytravel referring to local Northern Trains services it sponsors serving in its area operating on the Liverpool to Manchester Lines and Liverpool to Wigan Line. Many of the City Line stations are branded Merseyrail using Merseyrail ticketing.

Liverpool Exchange railway station

Liverpool Exchange railway station was a railway station located in the city centre of Liverpool, England. Of the four terminal stations in Liverpool's city centre, Exchange station was the only station not accessed via a tunnel.

Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway

The Liverpool, Ormskirk & Preston Railway in north-west England was formed in 1846. It was purchased by the East Lancashire Railway the following year and opened to traffic on 2 April 1849.

The East Lancashire Railway operated from 1844 to 1859 in the historic county of Lancashire, England. It began as a railway from Clifton via Bury to Rawtenstall, and during its short life grew into a complex network of lines connecting towns and cities including Liverpool, Manchester, Preston and Blackburn.

Preston railway station Grade II listed railway station in Preston, England

Preston railway station in Preston, Lancashire, England, is a major station on the West Coast Main Line, roughly half-way between London Euston and Glasgow Central. It is served by Avanti West Coast, Northern Trains and TransPennine Express services, plus Caledonian Sleeper overnight services between London and Scotland.

Lostock Hall railway station

Lostock Hall railway station is 2+3⁄4 miles (4.4 km) south of Preston station, England. It is on the East Lancashire Line and is managed by Northern, who also provide all passenger trains serving it.

Croston railway station Railway station in Lancashire, England

Croston railway station serves the small village of Croston, near Chorley in Lancashire, England; the station is on the Ormskirk Branch Line 7 miles (11 km) south west of Preston. It is unstaffed and the old station buildings are now privately occupied.

Rufford railway station

Rufford railway station, opened on 2 April 1849, serves the village of Rufford in Lancashire, England. The station is south west of Preston on the Preston-Ormskirk branch service. The line was formerly the Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway, which was quickly merged into the East Lancashire Railway on 3 August 1846; this in turn was merged into the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in May 1859.

Burscough Junction railway station

Burscough Junction pronounced is one of two railway stations serving the small West Lancashire town of Burscough in the north-west of England. It is sited on the Ormskirk Branch Line, 2+1⁄2 miles (4.0 km) north of Ormskirk and is served by Northern Trains. The station was the scene of the Burscough Junction Station Crash in 1880.

Ormskirk railway station 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+3⁄4 miles (20.5 km) northeast of Liverpool. The station building and three arch road bridge are both Grade II listed structures.

Old Roan railway station Railway station on the Ormskirk Branch of the Northern Line in Liverpool, England

Old Roan railway station is a railway station in Aintree village, Merseyside, England, about seven miles north-east of Liverpool, on the Ormskirk Branch of the Northern Line of the Merseyrail network.

Rufford, Lancashire Human settlement in England

Rufford is a village in West Lancashire, England, where the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway, the A59 and the River Douglas meet.

Northern line (Merseyrail) Line part of the Meryseyrail network

The Merseyrail Northern line is a cross-city railway running from Hunts Cross in south Liverpool then to termini in the north at Southport (Merseyside), Ormskirk (Lancashire) and Kirkby (Merseyside). It and the Wirral Line are commuter rail services operated by Merseyrail, serving Merseyside. A third line, the City Line, is not owned or operated by Merseyrail, although stations inside Merseytravel's area are branded as Merseyrail. All three lines are funded by Merseytravel.

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".

Burscough Bridge railway station Railway station in Burscough, Lancashire, England

Burscough Bridge railway station serves the town of Burscough in Lancashire, England. It is a main stop on the Manchester-Southport Line. It is run by Northern Trains. A bus interchange has recently been constructed next to the station, including a shop and cafe. The station has been identified by Merseytravel as a possible interchange between the Liverpool to Ormskirk line and the Southport to Wigan line in its Liverpool City Region Long Term Rail Strategy.

Aintree railway station Railway station on the Ormskirk Branch of the Northern Line in Liverpool, England

Aintree railway station is a railway station that serves the village of Aintree, Merseyside, England. It is on the Ormskirk branch of the Merseyrail network's Northern Line. Until 1968 it was known as Aintree Sefton Arms after a nearby public house. The station's design reflects that it is the closest station to Aintree Racecourse, where the annual Grand National horse race takes place.

The Ormskirk branch line is a railway line in Lancashire, England, running between Preston and Ormskirk. The train service is operated by Northern Trains, Who usually operate class 142, 150, and 153 units. The line is the northern section of the former Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway; the line from Ormskirk to Liverpool is now part of Merseyrail's Northern Line. Prior to the introduction of the 1970–71 London Midland Region timetable, it was a secondary main line from Liverpool to Scotland, Blackpool, and Yorkshire. From 4 May 1970, however, the line was severed at Ormskirk. With express trains eliminated, stopping services at the village stations en route were improved, and have retained a similar frequency to this day.

Skelmersdale railway station

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.

Kirkby branch line Railway line running from Kirkby, Liverpool to Wigan, Greater Manchester in the North West of England

The Kirkby Branch Line is a branch railway line from Wigan to Kirkby. 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 Kirkby to Manchester.

Cocker Bar railway station

Cocker Bar railway station was located in what is still open country where Cocker Bar Road (B5248) crosses what is now the Ormskirk Branch Line.

References

  1. ↑ Marshall, John (1969). The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, volume 1. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. pp. 136, 138. ISBN   0-7153-4352-1.
  2. ↑ Marshall 1969 , p. 123
  3. 1 2 Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 159. ISBN   1-85260-508-1. R508.
  4. ↑ Marshall 1969 , p. 138
  5. ↑ Railscot - Midge Hall in the late 1970s
  6. 1 2 "Presentation on the possible reinstatement of Midge Hall Station". Lancashire County Council. 28 January 2003. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
  7. ↑ Newsletter September 2014 Archived 14 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine OPSTA
  8. ↑ Campaign relaunched for station Leyland Guardian
  9. ↑ Renewed call for station to reopen before development Lancashire Evening Post
  10. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2018.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Preceding station Disused railways Following station
Preston
Line and station open		  Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Ormskirk Branch Line 		  Croston
Line and station open
Lostock Hall
Line closed, station open		  
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.