Lowton railway station

From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

This article is about Lowton's ex-London and North Western Railway station. For the ex-Great Central station, see Lowton St Mary's railway station.

Lowton
General information
LocationLowton, Wigan
England
Coordinates53°27′29″N 2°35′55″W / 53.458112°N 2.598718°W / 53.458112; -2.598718
Grid referenceSJ604959
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyNorth Union Railway
Pre-groupingLondon and North Western Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
1 January 1847Opened
1 February 1877Renamed to "Lowton and Preston Junction"
17 February 1880Renamed "Lowton"
1 January 1917Closed as a wartime economy measure
1 February 1919Reopened
26 September 1949Closed
Lowton railway junction

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

Location[edit]

It stood immediately east of a crossroads known locally as "Newton Four Lane Ends", to the north was Golborne Dale Road and south was Parkside Lane (later Warrington Road, then Parkside Road), this north–south road became the A573. To the east was Newton Road and west was Southworth Road, the A572.[1] The station was in a cutting at the northern apex of a triangle of lines off the original Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&MR), on the northbound line of the North Union Railway to Wigan.[2][3]

The station[edit]

The station was a single storey wooden building on the east side of the line where the two lines diverged south of Southworth Road, the southbound platform was of low construction and ran from the station building back towards Southworth Road overbridge, this platform then ran under the road bridge and northwards at a more normal height. The northbound platform was opposite the higher section of southbound platform all to the north of Southworth Road and had a shelter. The station building and southbound platform was accessed by steps down from the road overbridge. The northbound platform was accessed by a ramped road from Southworth Road.[4] Lowton signal box was opposite the station building was an unusually high structure necessary to see the lines to the north over the road overbridge.[5] Carriage sidings were located to the south of the station alongside the east curve but there were no goods facilities at the station.[6][7]

The line and services[edit]

Prior to the station opening[edit]

The Wigan Branch Railway (WBR) opened a line on 3 September 1832 from Wigan to connect with the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&MR) with an east curve (that is towards Manchester) near Parkside.[8]

In 1834 the WBR became part of the North Union Railway (NUR). From 1 January 1846 the NUR was leased jointly by the Grand Junction Railway (GJR) and the Manchester and Leeds Railway (M&LR). Later in 1846 the leases passed, by amalgamation from the GJR to the London and North Western Railway (L&NWR) and from the M&LR to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway.[a][11][12]

Early L&NWR 1847 - 1864[edit]

On 1 January 1847 the L&NWR opened a west curve onto the L&MR and Lowton station was opened at the juncture of the two curves, probably at the same time or shortly afterwards.[b] In its early days it was known as Preston Junction in the timetables between Liverpool and Manchester and North Union Junction in the north/southbound timetables, Bradshaw (1847) notes the latter timetable as the Preston & Parkside section of the L&NWR.[20] By 1850 this practice appears to have ceased, both tables in Bradshaw showing the station name as Preston Junction.[21]

This was the stations busiest period. Timetables showed the services to Preston Junction among the Liverpool to and from Manchester services with a note "By the trains marked N.U. being especially North Union Trains, the passengers for Manchester or Liverpool will be detained unavoidably at Preston Junction until the arrival of the trains from Preston". The north–south services were usually shown in a different table, for example in Bradshaw (1847) the Preston & Parkside section shows the same services departing Manchester and Liverpool going via North Union Junction to Wigan and Preston. These trains comprised through northbound carriages from both Manchester and Liverpool which met the southbound service from Preston at the station, the trains were re-organised before proceeding onwards in three different directions (towards Preston, Manchester and Liverpool), quite how this was achieved at the simple diverging double track at the junction is not known.[20][22] The following table shows the passenger trains through the station on a weekday in 1847, on Sundays there were two trains in each direction to Liverpool and Manchester and only the mail trains to and from the south, details have been extracted from Bradshaw.[20] There will have been a considerable amount of freight traffic using the same lines.

1847 Passenger trains passing through the station
Arrival from Departure Time Departure to Type Notes
London 0445* Preston, Lancaster & Carlisle Mail Does not call here
Carlisle, Lancaster & Preston 0605 London
Manchester
Liverpool		 Mail, 1st & 2nd Train divides into 3
Manchester
Liverpool		 0825 Preston 1st on L&MR
1st, 2nd & 3rd on NUR		 Trains combine, connects with following train
Only stops on L&MR to pick up for passengers North of Preston Junction
Preston 0836 Manchester
Liverpool		 1st, 2nd & 3rd on NUR
1st on L&MR		 Train divides into 2, connects with previous train
Only stops on L&MR to drop off passengers from North of Preston Junction
Manchester
Liverpool		 0935* Preston with connection to Fleetwood, Blackpool and Lytham Select 1st on L&MR
1st, 2nd fast on NUR		 Trains combine, does not pick up passengers here
Preston 0945 Manchester
Liverpool		 1st & 2nd fast L&NWR service (not NUR)
Train divides into 2
Manchester
Liverpool		 1111 Preston, Lancaster & Carlisle 1st on L&MR
1st, 2nd & 3rd on NUR		 Trains combine, connects with 1135 train
Only stops on L&MR to pick up for passengers North of Preston Junction
Preston 1120* London 1st & 2nd Does not call here
Preston 1135 Manchester
Liverpool		 1st, 2nd stopping on NUR
1st on L&MR		 Train divides into 2, connects with 1111 train
Only stops on L&MR to drop off passengers from North of Preston Junction
Manchester
Liverpool		 1416 Preston 2nd on L&MR
1st, 2nd stopping on NUR		 Trains combine, connects with following train
Only stops on L&MR to pick up for passengers North of Preston Junction
Preston 1428 Manchester
Liverpool		 1st, 2nd stopping on NUR
2nd on L&MR		 Train divides into 2, connects with previous train
Only stops on L&MR to drop off passengers from North of Preston Junction
London 1435* Preston, Lancaster & Carlisle 1st & 2nd Does not call here
Manchester
Liverpool		 1628 Preston Select 1st on L&MR
1st, 2nd fast on NUR		 Trains combine, connects with 1658 train
Only stops on L&MR to pick up for passengers North of Preston Junction
London 1640* Preston, Lancaster & Carlisle mail Does not call here
Preston 1645* London express Does not call here
Preston 1658 Manchester
Liverpool		 1st & 2nd Train divides into 2, connects with 1628 train
Only stops on L&MR to drop off passengers from North of Preston Junction
Manchester
Liverpool		 1953 Preston 2nd on L&MR
1st, 2nd & 3rd on NUR		 Trains combine, connects with following train
Only stops on L&MR to pick up for passengers North of Preston Junction
Preston 2006 Manchester
Liverpool		 1st, 2nd & 3rd on NUR
2nd on L&MR		 Train divides into 2, connects with previous train
Only stops on L&MR to drop off passengers from North of Preston Junction
Carlisle, Lancaster & Preston 2040 Manchester
London		 1st & 2nd mail Train divides into 2
London 2240* Preston express Does not call here
* Timings marked * are approximate and not provided by Bradshaw

By 1850 the five NUR trains had been reduced to four.[23]

Later L&NWR 1864 - 1922/1923[edit]

The station lost some traffic and importance in 1864 when the Winwick cut-off route between Winwick to the south and Golborne to the north, the cut-off became the main west-coast route.[24]

The station was renamed to Lowton and Preston Junction on 1 February 1877 and finally Lowton in 1880.[c][15]

In 1895 there were 10 local services on weekdays in each direction, northbound all going to Wigan and southbound to Warrington except for one service, the 1445, which went to Liverpool Lime Street.[25]

Lowton was closed from 1 January 1917 to 1 February 1919 probably as a wartime economy measure.[15][19]

In 1922 twelve services called at Lowton in each direction on Mondays to Saturdays, most were local services. Northbound they mainly started from Warrington, with two starting from Crewe, two from Liverpool Lime Street and one from Hartford. All went to Wigan, three terminated at Preston and one at Carlisle. Southbound they mostly started from Wigan with only two early services starting elsewhere, first train, the 0633, began at Preston and the following train, the 0714, from Golborne. Destinations were mostly Warrington with two services running short journeys to Earlestown and one going onto Hartford. There was no Sunday service.[26]

Post L&NWR to station closure[edit]

Services under the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) remained much the same as previously, in 1939 there were 15 services in each direction on weekdays, mostly local trains between Warrington and Wigan with one service from Liverpool, one from Crewe and a few shortened services terminating at Newton-le-Willows, there were slightly less trains on Saturdays and none on Sundays.[27]

The station closed on 26 September 1949.[15]

The line after the station closed[edit]

Local passenger traffic ceased between Crewe and Preston via Earlestown on 6 October 1969.[28]

The lines from Newton-le-Willows through the west facing Parkside junction and Lowton junction formed a secondary West Coast Main Line (WCML) route that was electrified as part of the WCML modernisation which was completed in 1974.[29][30][31] Electrification needed Southworth Road overbridge to be rebuilt to provide the necessary clearance.[32]

The east facing curve and the main line between Newton-le-Willows and Castlefield Junction in Manchester was electrified on 9 December 2013.[33]

The lines through the station site are still open in 2020.[34]

Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Golborne   London and North Western Railway
North Union Railway
1847 - 1878 		  Parkside
    Newton Bridge
Golborne   London and North Western Railway
North Union Railway
1878 - 1889 		  Kenyon Junction
(Parkside closed)
    Newton Bridge
Golborne   London and North Western Railway
1889 - 1923
(NUR dissolved) 		  Kenyon Junction
    Newton-le-Willows
(station renamed)
Golborne   London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London and North Western Railway
1923 - 1948
(Grouping) 		  Kenyon Junction
    Newton-le-Willows
Golborne   BR(LMR)
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
1948 - 1949
(Nationalisation) 		  Kenyon Junction
    Newton-le-Willows
  Current situation  
Golborne South
Line open, station closed 		  Lowton
Line open, station closed 		  Kenyon Junction
Line open, station closed
    Newton-le-Willows
Line and station open

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Ownership of the station is unclear, the Act to open the west curve to the L&MR line was applied for by the GJR which was amalgamated to become the L&NWR before it opened, the curve would therefore appear to belong to the L&NWR, however the station is situated north of the curves, on what was the NUR line, at the time of its opening leased jointly to the L&NWR and the L&YR. The L&NWR operated this section of line.[9][10]
  2. ^ There is some confusion about the opening date of the station. Quick (2022) reports it as 1 January 1847, the same time as the west curve was opened, citing Holt and a Company notice. Both the first edition of Holt in 1976[13] and the revised 2nd edition with Biddle in 1986[14] say a station was opened at the junction but not when.[15] Bradshaw records the station from March 1847[16] and this is supported by contemporary newspapers, for example the Liverpool Mercury,[17] Butt (1995) also gives 1 January 1847 as the opening date.[18] On the other hand, Sweeney (2008) states it opened on 26 September 1849[19] and this is supported by The Ordnance Survey Lancashire CII map of 1849 which shows the Junction and Four lane Ends but not a station. The survey for the map was done in 1845-47.[1]
  3. ^ Quick (2022) records that L&NW Officers recommended the change to Lowton on 17 February 1880 but they did not seem sure whether the name they were moving from was Lowton & Preston Junction or Preston Junction and Lowton.[15] Sweeney (2008) reports that the station was known in L&NWR timetables as Lowton Junction from February 1877.[19]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Ordnance Survey Lancashire CII map of 1849 showing the Junction and Four lane Ends, the station had not opened when the survey was done for this map in 1845-47". National Library of Scotland. 1849. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  2. ^ Fields, Gilbert & Knight 1980, Photo 42.
  3. ^ Yonge, Padgett & Szwenk 2013, map 26C.
  4. ^ "Lancashire CII.13 (Golborne; Newton Le Willows) showing Lowton station at bottom left". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  5. ^ Sweeney 2008, Plates 17-20.
  6. ^ Sweeney 2008, Plate 20.
  7. ^ The Railway Clearing House 1970, p. 349.
  8. ^ Sweeney 2008, p. 9.
  9. ^ Reed 1969, p. 39.
  10. ^ Reed 1996, p. 19.
  11. ^ Greville 1981, p. 11.
  12. ^ Casserley 1968, pp. 143–146.
  13. ^ Holt 1978, p. 96.
  14. ^ Holt & Biddle 1986, p. 96.
  15. ^ a b c d e Quick 2022, p. 297.
  16. ^ Bradshaw 1847, p. 30.
  17. ^ "Railway Departures". The Liverpool Mercury and Supplement. 5 March 1847. p. 3. Retrieved 13 May 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  18. ^ Butt 1995, p. 191.
  19. ^ a b c Sweeney 2008, p. 16.
  20. ^ a b c Bradshaw 1847, pp. 30, 31 & 33.
  21. ^ Bradshaw 2012, pp. 46–48.
  22. ^ Reed 1969, p. 40.
  23. ^ Bradshaw 2012, pp. 46, 47 & 49.
  24. ^ Reed 1996, p. 87.
  25. ^ Bradshaw 2011, p. 328.
  26. ^ Bradshaw 1985, pp. 412–5.
  27. ^ LMS Railway 1939, table 61.
  28. ^ Hurst 1992, p. 60 (ref 2685).
  29. ^ British Railways Board 1968, p. 83.
  30. ^ British Railways Board 1974.
  31. ^ Jacobs 2005, Map 26C.
  32. ^ Sweeney 2008, p. 23.
  33. ^ Network Rail. "Network Rail delivers first phase of North West electrification". Network Rail. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  34. ^ Network Rail. "Table T051-F Scotland, The North East, North West England - The South West and South Coast" (PDF). Network Rail. Retrieved 24 August 2020.

Sources[edit]

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lowton_railway_station&oldid=1135732214"