CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF THE RAILWAYS OF LANCASHIRE, 1828-1939 BY M. D. GREVILLE In addition to previously published data, I have consulted official and Rail­ way Clearing House records, local and railway press, and Bradshaw's Manual. There is often a bewildering discrepancy in dates in railway records, especially the older ones. Every effort has been made to establish the correct dates, and when this has not been possible from contemporary references, I have shown the ones which, taking all circumstances into consideration, seem the most likely to be accurate. Closing of lines and withdrawal of passenger services are noted only up to the outbreak of war in September 1939. The closing dates given are those for the last days on which trains ran. The railways have been grouped under the following headings and subheadings: 1 LONDON, MIDLAND & SCOTTISH RAILWAY A London & North Western Railway and Components B Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway and Components C Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway and London & North Western Railway Joint Lines D Midland Railway and Components E Furness Railway and Components F Furness and Midland Joint Line G Knott End Railway 2 LONDON & NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY AND COMPONENTS 3 VARIOUS AND INTER-GROUP JOINT LINES A London & North Western Railway and Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway Joint Lines B Cheshire Lines Committee C Sheffield & Midland Joint Lines D Mersey Railway E Liverpool Overhead Railway 1. LONDON, MIDLAND & SCOTTISH RAILWAY A. LONDON & NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY [Formed 16.7.1846 by amalgamation of Grand Junction, Man­ chester & Birmingham and London & Birmingham Railways. Amalgamated with the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, 1.1.1922. Became part of the London Midland & Scottish Railway, 1.1.1923]. 187 188 RAILWAYS OF LANCASHIRE OPENED Heaton Norris to Guide Bridge 1.8.1849 Stalybridge to Huddersfield 1.8.1849 Only about 2 miles (round Mossley) in Lanes. Edge Hill to Waterloo 1.8.1849 Goods. (Used for pas­ sengers on opening Riverside station 1895). Patricroft to Molyneux June- 2.2.1850 (Passenger service lasted tion (Clifton) only 3 months). Greenfield to Oldham 5.7.1856 Lees to Oldham in Lanes. Warrington & Stockport Absorbed 13.8.1859. Railway Lancaster & Carlisle Railway Leased 10.9.1859. St. Helens Canal & Railway Warrington to Garston section leased 14.6.1860. Low Gill to Ingleton 24.8.1861 Goods. (Passengers 16.9. 1861). A few miles (in­ cluding Kirkby Lons- dale station) in Lanes. Edge Hill to Speke 15.2.1864 St. Helens Canal & Railway Absorbed 29.7.1864. Warrington (Winwick June- 1.8.1864 tion) to Golbourne direct. Hest Bank to Morecambe 8.8.1864 Eccles to Tyldesley, Wigan 1.9.1864 Bedford Leigh & Penning- ton. Edge Hill to Stanley 1.6.1866 Stanley to Tue Brook 1.6.1866 Passengers (Goods 15.10.1866). Tue Brook to Canada Dock 15.10.1866 Goods (Passengers 1.7.1870). Acton to Ditton 1.2.1869 Goods (Passengers 1.4.1869). In Lanes, only from Runcorn Bridge to Dit­ ton. Wigan to St. Helens 1.11.1869 Goods (Passengers 15.11.1869). Ince Moss Jen. (on St. Helens 1.11.1869 Goods line) to Whelley (Passengers 1.1.1872) Widnes Deviation Line 1.12.1869 Worsley to Little Hulton 1.7.1870 Goods (Passengers 1.4.1875). Huyton to St. Helens 1.11.1871 Goods (Passengers 1.1.1872). Allerton to Garston Curve 1.1.1873 Little Hulton to Bolton 16.11.1874 Goods (Passengers 1.4.1875). RAILWAYS OF LANCASHIRE 189 OPENED Denton to Crowthorne June- 14.2.1876 Goods tion (on O.A. & G.B. Joint). (Passengers 1.4.1876). Alexandra Dock Branch 1.1.1880 Goods (Passengers 5.9.1881). Denton to Droylsden 1.3.1882 Standish to Whelley 5.6.1882 Denton to Dukinfield 2.10.1882 Goods (Passengers 1.11.1882). Lancaster to Glasson Dock 4.1883 Goods (CLOSED to passengers (Passengers 9.7.1883). 5.7.1930). Broad Green to Edge Lane 11.6.1883 Deviations on Bolton & 2.2.1885 Leigh line Pennington to Platt Bridge 9.3.1885 Goods (CLOSED to passengers (Passengers 1.10.1903). 20.2.1915) Stalybridge to Diggle Loop 1.12.1885 Goods (Passengers 3.5.1886) only about 2 miles (round Micklehurst) in Lanes. Bootle Junction to Lancashire 1.5.1886 & Yorkshire Railway South Curve to Morecambe 19.5.1888 Branch Euxton Jen. to Parkside, trans- 1889 ferred from North Union Joint ownership Dukinfield to Stalybridge 1.8.1893 Goods (Passengers 7.8.1893). Liverpool Riverside station 12.6.1895 line Ship Canal Branch Weaste 4.11.1895 Goods only. Pennington Avoiding Line 2.6.1903 Goods (Passengers 1.10.1903). Wilmslow to Levenshulme 8.2.1909 Goods (Slade Lane Junction) (Passengers 1.5.1909). (Northern half only in Lanes.) See also Sections Ic and 3A. The following lines had separate identities before becoming part of the London & North Western Railway. (i) LIVERPOOL & MANCHESTER RAILWAY (Act 5.5.26). Opened Liverpool (Crown Street) to Manchester (Liverpool Road) 15.9.1830 Liverpool (Crown Street) to Wapping. (Goods only) 16.9.1830 190 RAILWAYS OF LANCASHIRE Extension to Liverpool (Lime Street) 15.8.1836 Extension to Manchester (Victoria) 4.5.1844 Absorbed by'Grand Junction Railway 1.7.1845 (ii) BOLTON & LEIGH RAILWAY (Act 31.3.1825) Opened for Goods 1.8.1828: Passengers 11.6.1831 Absorbed by Grand Junction Railway 1.7.1845 (iii) LEIGH & KENYON RAILWAY (Act 14.5.1829) Opened for Goods 1.1831: Passengers 11.6.1831 Absorbed by Grand Junction Railway 1.7.1845 (iv) WARRINGTON & NEWTON RAILWAY (Act 14.5.1829) Opened 25.7.1831 Absorbed by Grand Junction Railway 12.6.1835 (v) ST. HELENS & RUNCORN GAP RAILWAY (Act 1830) Opened St. Helens to Runcorn Gap (Widnes) early 1833 Also to St. Helens Junction, though it is possible that St. Helens to St. Helens Junction was opened at end of 1832 Amalgamated with Sankey Branch Navigation as St. Helens Canal & Railway 21.7.1845 ( Runcorn Gap to Garston 1.7.1852 O ened J Runcorn GaP to Warrington (White Cross) 1.2.1853 " I Extension to Warrington (Arpley) 3.1855 [_St. Helens to Rainford 1.2.1858 Warrington to Garston leased to London & North Western Railway 14.6.1860 Absorbed by London & North Western Railway 29.7.1864 (vi) GRAND JUNCTION RAILWAY (Act. 6.5.1833) Absorbed Warrington & Newton Railway 12.6.1835 Opened Birmingham to Warrington (Warrington only in Lanes.) 4.7.1837 Absorbed Bolton & Leigh, Leigh & Kenyon and Liverpool & Manchester Railways 1.7.1845 With Manchester & Birmingham and London & Birmingham formed London & North Western Railway 16.7.1846 (vii) MANCHESTER & BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY (Act 30.6.1837) Opened Manchester (Travis St.) to Stockport 4.6.1840 Extension to Manchester (London Rd.) opened 8.5.1842 Opened through to Crewe 10.8.1842 With Grand Junction and London & Birmingham formed London & North Western Railway 16.7.1846 RAILWAYS OF LANCASHIRE 191 (viii) LANCASTER & PRESTON JUNCTION RAILWAY (Act 5.5.1837) Opened 26.6.1840 Leased to Lancaster Canal Co. 1.9.1842 Leased to Lancaster & Carlisle Railway 1.8.1849 Amalgamated with this railway 10.9.1859 (ix) LANCASTER & CARLISLE RAILWAY (Act 6.6.1844) Opened Lancaster to Oxenholme (First 10 miles only in Lanes.) 22.9.1846 Opened through to Carlisle 17.12.1846 Leased Lancaster & Preston Junction Railway 1.8.1849 Amalgamated with this railway 10.9.1859 Leased by London & North Western Railway 10.9.1859 and absorbed 21.7.1879 (x) WARRINGTON & ALTRINCHAM JUNCTION RAILWAY (Act 3.7.1851) Became Warrington & Stockport Railway 1.9.1853 Opened (not in Lanes, except within Warrington) 1.11.1853 Absorbed by London & North Western Railway 13.8.1859 B. LANCASHIRE & YORKSHIRE RAILWAY [Manchester & Leeds Railway (Act 4.7.1836) became Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway 23.7.1847.] OPENED Manchester (Oldham Rd.) 4.7.1839 to Littleborough Littleborough to Summit 1.3.1841 Tunnel Blue Pits to Heywood 15.4.1841 Middleton to Oldham 31.3.1842 Extension to Manchester 1.1.1844 (Victoria) Miles Platting to Ashton 13.4.1846 Manchester, Bolton & Bury Railway Absorbed 18.8.1846 Ashton to Stalybridge 5.10.1846 Liverpool & Bury Railway Absorbed 1846 Extension to Oldham 1.11.1847 (Mumps) Heywood to Bury 1.5.1848 Walton Junction to Lostock 20.11.1848 Junction Bolton to Bury 20.11.1848 Miles Platting to Ardwick 18.12.1848 192 RAILWAYS OF LANCASHIRE OPENED Todmorden to Burnley and 12.11.1849 In Lanes, from Ports­ Gannow Jen. with East mouth Lancashire Railway Sandhills to North Docks 27.3.1855 Goods only. (Liverpool) Wigan to Burscough Bridge 9.4.1855 Liverpool, Crosby & South- Absorbed 1855 port Railway Middleton Branch 5.1.1857 East Lancashire Railway Amalgamated with 13.8.1859 Oldham to Rochdale and 1.12.1863 Royton Branch North Mersey Branch from 8.1867 (Passengers 1906). Aintree and Fazakerley Horwich (now Blackrod) to 20.7.1868 Goods Hindley (Passengers 1.9.1868). Horwich Branch 14.2.1870 Rochdale to Facit 1.11.1870 Heap Bridge Branch 1.5.1875 Goods only. Rose Grove to Padiham 1.7.1875 Goods (Passengers 15.10.1877). Hoddlesdon branch 1.10.1876 Goods only. Padiham to Blackburn 1.6.1877 Goods (Passengers 15.10.1877). Astley Bridge Branch 15.10.1877 Passengers to 1879 only. Manchester (Victoria) 4.11.1877 Newton Heath Loop Chatburn to Gisburn 2.6.1879 First 2 miles in Lanes. Bradley Fold to Radcliffe 1.7.1879 Manchester to Whitefield 1.8.1879 Goods (Passengers 1.9.1879). Whitefield to Radcliffe 1.9.1879 Miles Platting to Oldham 17.5.1880 (Werneth) Facit to Bacup 1.12.1881 Bury to Holcombe Brook 6.11.1882 Bootle to Bankfield 14.3.1887 Goods only Pendleton to Swinton 13.6.1887 Swinton to Atherton 1.7.1888 Atherton to Hindley 1.10.1888 Pemberton Loop (Wigan 1.6.1889 Avoiding Line) Dobbs Brow Curve to 1.6.1889 Hindley Blackrod line Euxton Jen.