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 edit
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.[a][5] There were two stations on this section, Wigan and Hindley. Another station was opned later, on 1 June 1863, at Ince.[6]
Southport end edit
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.[b][15]
Manchester end edit
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 edit
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 edit
- ^ 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]
- ^ 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 edit
- ^ 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]
- ^ 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]
- ^ An Act for the Amalgamation of the East Lancashire Railway Company with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company, and for other Purposes.[23]
References edit
- ^ "Local and Personal Act, 10 & 11 Victoria I, c. ccxxi" (PDF). UK Parliament Parliamentary Archives. UK Parliament. 1847. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
- ^ "Local and Personal Act, 17 & 18 Victoria I, c. cxvii" (PDF). UK Parliament Parliamentary Archives. UK Parliament. 1854. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
- ^ a b Grant 2017, pp. 357–358.
- ^ Grant 2017, pp. 317–318.
- ^ Greville 1981, p. 8.
- ^ Quick 2023, pp. 243, 255 & 487.
- ^ Marshall 1970, p. 271.
- ^ Marshall 1969, p. 156.
- ^ Quick 2023, pp. 53, 79, 112, 205, 333 & 356.
- ^ a b c Marshall 1969, p. 158.
- ^ Quick 2023, p. 424.
- ^ Lancashire LXXV.9 (Map). 25 inch. Ordnance Survey. 1894.
- ^ Quick 2023, pp. 89 & 248.
- ^ Brown 2021, p. 49.
- ^ Quick 2023, p. 425.
- ^ a b Marshall 1970, p. 94.
- ^ Brown 2021, pp. 88, 106 & 107.
- ^ Quick 2023, pp. 257, 360 & 442.
- ^ Brown 2021, pp. 86–88.
- ^ Quick 2023, pp. 59, 323 & 467.
- ^ Brown 2021, pp. 84–85.
- ^ Quick 2023, pp. 156 & 224.
- ^ "Local Act, 22 & 23 Victoria I, c. cx" (PDF). UK Parliament Parliamentary Archives. UK Parliament. 1859. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
Bibliography edit
- Brown, Joe (2021). Liverpool & Manchester Railway Atlas. Manchester: Crécy Publishing. ISBN 9780860936879. OCLC 1112373294.
- Grant, Donald J. (2017). Directory of the Railway Companies of Great Britain (1st ed.). Kibworth Beauchamp, Leicestershire: Troubador Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-78803-768-6.
- Greville, M.D. (1981). Chronology of the Railways of Lancashire and Cheshire (Revised and Combined ed.). Railway & Canal Historical Society. ISBN 0-901461-30-X.
- Marshall, John (1969). The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway. Vol. 1. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-4352-4.
- Marshall, John (1970). The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway. Vol. 2. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-4906-9.
- Quick, Michael (2023) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (PDF). version 5.05. Railway & Canal Historical Society.
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