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Burscough Bridge railway station

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Burscough Bridge
National Rail
The station seen in 2015
General information
LocationBurscough, West Lancashire
England
Grid referenceSD444124
ManagerNorthern Trains
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeBCB[1]
ClassificationDfT category F1
History
Opened9 April 1855 (1855-04-09)
Original company
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and East Lancashire Railway jointly
Pre-groupingLancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Post-groupingLondon Midland and Scottish Railway
Passengers
2020/21Decrease 51,210
2021/22Increase 0.141 million
2022/23Increase 0.165 million
2023/24Increase 0.167 million
2024/25Decrease 0.166 million
Listed Building – Grade II
FeatureBurscough Bridge Railway Station
Designated1 March 1993
Reference no.1196638[2]
Location
Map
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Burscough Bridge railway station is one of two railway stations which serve the town of Burscough in Lancashire, England (the other being Burscough Junction). It lies on the Manchester-Southport Line, operated and managed by Northern Trains, and is between New Lane and Hoscar, 27 miles 58 chains (44.6 km) from Manchester Victoria (measured via Wigan Wallgate).[3] There is a bus interchange next to the station. The station has been identified by Merseytravel as a potential interchange between the Liverpool to Ormskirk line and the Southport to Wigan line in its Liverpool City Region Long Term Rail Strategy.[4]

Until 1962, when this passenger service was withdrawn, trains from Southport to Burscough Bridge could continue to Burscough Junction and onto Ormskirk by means of one of the two curves that linked Wigan to Southport route with the ex-East Lancashire Railway main line between Preston and Liverpool Exchange.[5] Both connections have since been lifted, but the formations remain and there have been calls from various parties to reopen them to allow through running from Southport to both Ormskirk and Preston.[6]

History

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Looking towards Wigan in 1964

The station opened on 9 April 1855,[7] when the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) and the East Lancashire Railway (ELR) jointly opened the line from Wigan Wallgate to Southport London Street, the line and station had been planned, authorised and construction started by the Manchester and Southport Railway before it was acquired by the L&YR and ELR on 3 July 1854.[8] The main stone-built station building (no longer in use) was built during this time, in the standard L&YR style which had been described as "solid, substantial, well built of stone in the Elizabethan style, neat without undue ornament".[9]

There was a tragic incident at the station in September 1924 when a member of the public was hit while crossing the line by the staff crossing, rather than obeying the signs and using the road bridge. Alfred Rimmer, aged 55, of Burscough was caught by the first carriage of an express train, knocking him under the wheels. His body was "terribly mutilated".[10]

The main buildings on the Wigan-bound platform still stand, but are now in private use.[11]

Facilities

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The bus interchange, including former ticket office and cafe, at Burscough Bridge

A ticket office was built within the complex; this opened in 2005, but was closed on 25 June 2016 due to council budget cuts (as it was not operated by Northern).[12] A public notice from Lancashire County Council informs passengers that the nearest staffed station is either Ormskirk or Parbold.[13] The ticket office was mistakenly reported as open in 2018.[12]

There is step-free access to both platforms. There are also toilets, ticket machines, shelters, cycle storage and live departure screens.[14]

Passenger volume

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Passenger volume at Burscough Bridge[15]
2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
Entries and exits 136,966 155,437 178,147 194,615 211,512 215,558 222,382 219,206 210,842 219,590 227,888 233,552 241,534 241,684 216,156 217,920 51,210 140,864 165,298 167,468 166,054

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Services

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On Monday to Saturday, there are two trains an hour westbound to Southport and eastbound to Wigan. Eastbound trains now continue via Bolton to both Manchester stations. One runs to Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge and the other to Manchester Oxford Road. Passengers for Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport and points south need to change at Oxford Road. On Sundays, there is an hourly service to Southport and Blackburn via Manchester Victoria. These run via Atherton.[16]

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
New Lane or
Meols Cop or
Southport		   Northern Trains
Manchester–Southport line		   Hoscar or
Parbold
Disused railways
Rufford   Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Burscough Curves North		   Terminus
Terminus   Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Burscough Curves South		   Burscough Junction

Community rail

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The station, along with all others on the line, is supported by Community Rail Lancashire, a Community Rail Partnership.[17]

Future proposals

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During the rail restructuring of the 1960s and 1970s, the "Burscough Curves", which formed a link between the Ormskirk-Preston and Southport-Wigan lines were removed, although the formation survives. The North Curve was taken out of use and severed in July 1969, being lifted in 1973: it was last used for a Saturdays only empty train from Blackpool to Southport.[18] The South Curve was singled in 1970, but remained in use to serve the extensive sidings at the MOD depot located just to the north of Burscough Junction station. It saw its last train in 1982.

The passenger service from Ormskirk to Burscough Junction and on to Southport, which used the southern curve, was withdrawn in 1962.[5]

In June 2009, the Association of Train Operating Companies, in its Connecting Communities: Expanding Access to the Rail Network report, called for funding for the reopening of this line as part of a £500m scheme to open 33 stations on 14 lines closed in the Beeching Axe, including seven new parkway stations.[19][20] The uses of the curves in a new service pattern has been identified by Network Rail, if electrified along with the through lines.[21]

Additionally, Network Rail has identified electrification of Wigan to Southport, together with the Ormskirk to Preston Line and the Burscough Curves as a possible source of new services.[21]

Battery trains as enabler to open the curves

[edit]

The New Merseyrail Fleet A Platform For Future Innovations document, mentions regarding Ormskirk-Preston enhancements, that there is the potential to use battery powered Merseyrail units that may improve the business case for opening the curves. The document states there will be a review after the Merseyrail units have been tested for battery operation in 2020.[22]

MP unification

[edit]

In March 2020, the MPs for Southport, South Ribble, West Lancs and Preston (Damien Moore, Katherine Fletcher, Rosie Cooper and Sir Mark Hendrick) along with Lancashire County Council leader Geoff Driver united in a bid to pressure Network Rail and the Government to reinstate the curves.[23] The bid that was put forward was seeking just £50,000 funding to look further into feasibility studies and start preparation for a formal business case. However, the Department for Transport made the decision to turn down the application.[24]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "Railway Codes". railwaycodes.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  2. ↑ Historic England, "Burscough Bridge Railway Station (1196638)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 19 August 2026
  3. ↑ Brailsford, Martyn, ed. (2022). Railway Track Diagrams; 4: Midlands & North West (5th ed.). Frome: TRACKmaps. p. 41. ISBN 978 1999627157.
  4. ↑ "Liverpool City Region Long Term Rail Strategy" (PDF). Merseytravel. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 September 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
  5. 1 2 "Demands for direct links between Southport, Preston and Ormskirk". www.liverpoolecho.co.uk. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  6. ↑ "Southport, Preston and West Lancs MPS launch Burscough curve rail bid". 29 March 2020.
  7. ↑ Quick 2023, p. 112.
  8. ↑ Grant 2017, p. 358.
  9. ↑ Marshall 1969, p. 158.
  10. ↑ "Burscough Man's Terrible Fate". Lancashire Evening Post. 18 September 1924. p. 6.
  11. ↑ "Burscough Bridge | Community Rail Lancashire". Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  12. 1 2 Marshall & Pipe 2018, p. 68-69.
  13. ↑ "Burscough Bridge ticket office closes" McCoid-Sou, Sophie Southport Visiter news article 28 June 2016; Retrieved 19 December 2016
  14. ↑ "Burscough Bridge Station | National Rail". www.nationalrail.co.uk. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  15. ↑ "Estimates of station usage | ORR Data Portal". dataportal.orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  16. ↑ Table 101 National Rail timetable, May 2025
  17. ↑ "Community Rail Lancashire". Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  18. ↑ British Railways London Midland Region Working Timetable May 1969-May 1970.
  19. ↑ "England - Operators call for new rail lines". BBC News. 15 June 2009. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
  20. ↑ "Connecting Communities – Expanding Access to the Rail Network" (PDF). London: Association of Train Operating Companies. June 2009. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  21. 1 2 "Network RUS Electrification" (PDF). October 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 October 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  22. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). moderngov.merseytravel.uk.net. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  23. ↑ Houston, Hayley (29 March 2020). "Southport, Preston and West Lancs MPs launch Burscough curve rail bid". accrington. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  24. ↑ Lopez, Jamie (4 November 2021). "Preston to Southport rail link plan rejection hard to understand". Lancashire Live. Retrieved 31 October 2022.

Bibliography

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53°36′18″N 2°50′31″W / 53.605°N 2.842°W / 53.605; -2.842

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