Burscough Junction railway station
Encyclopedia
Burscough Junction pronounced (Burs/co Junction) is one of two railway stations serving the small West Lancashire
town of Burscough
in the north-west of England
. The station was the scene of the Burscough Junction Station Crash
in 1880.
, and is only ten minutes away by foot. The name "Junction" is an anachronism: the station no longer serves such a purpose.
The passenger service from Ormskirk to Burscough Junction and on to Southport, which used the southern curve, was withdrawn in 1962 as can be seen from the British Rail London Midland Region Timetable of that year.
Pressure from local transport groups, West Lancashire
Borough Council and Southport MP John Pugh
has not so far persuaded Network Rail
to reinstate the curves. Various schemes have been proposed, including the full electrification of the line from Southport
via Burscough to Ormskirk
using the same third rail system as Merseyrail
. This proposal would allow users of the Ormskirk branch of Merseyrail's Northern Line
to reach Southport without having to travel via Sandhills
.
A new study being conducted by Merseytravel could see demand for a potential reinstatement and electrification of the curves in the near future. 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.
West Lancashire
West Lancashire is a non-metropolitan district with the status of a borough in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Ormskirk. The other town in the borough is Skelmersdale....
town of Burscough
Burscough
Burscough is a village and civil parish within West Lancashire in North West England, to the north of both Ormskirk and Skelmersdale.-Growth:...
in the north-west of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The station was the scene of the Burscough Junction Station Crash
Burscough Junction Station Crash
The Burscough Junction Station Crash occurred on 15 January 1880 at the Burscough Junction railway station on the Liverpool to railway line in England. The line was operated by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway company at the time...
in 1880.
Service
The line sees a Monday-Saturday service of approximately every 90 minutes and has no Sunday service. Until 1970, the station saw daily expresses from Liverpool to Scotland pass through, plus regular services to Blackpool and Liverpool call, but these were withdrawn following the severing of the Preston-Liverpool Exchange line at Ormskirk that same year.Interchange
The other station in Burscough is Burscough BridgeBurscough Bridge railway station
Burscough Bridge railway station serves the town of Burscough in Lancashire, England. It is a main stop on the Manchester-Southport Line. A bus interchange has recently been constructed next to the station, including a shop and cafe....
, and is only ten minutes away by foot. The name "Junction" is an anachronism: the station no longer serves such a purpose.
Burscough Curves
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 in May 1969, and severed shortly afterward, being lifted in 1973. 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 the 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 as can be seen from the British Rail London Midland Region Timetable of that year.
Pressure from local transport groups, West Lancashire
West Lancashire
West Lancashire is a non-metropolitan district with the status of a borough in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Ormskirk. The other town in the borough is Skelmersdale....
Borough Council and Southport MP John Pugh
John Pugh
John David Pugh is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom. He is Member of Parliament for Southport...
has not so far persuaded Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
to reinstate the curves. Various schemes have been proposed, including the full electrification of the line from Southport
Southport railway station
Southport railway station serves the town of Southport, Merseyside, England. It is at the end of one of the branches of the Northern Line of the Merseyrail network, and at the end of the Manchester-Southport Line which runs via Wigan...
via Burscough to Ormskirk
Ormskirk railway station
Ormskirk railway station is situated in the town of Ormskirk, Lancashire, England. The station is an interchange between Merseyrail services from Liverpool Central and Northern Rail services from Preston...
using the same third rail system as Merseyrail
Merseyrail
Merseyrail is a train operating company and commuter rail network in the United Kingdom, centred on Liverpool, Merseyside. The network is predominantly electric with diesel trains running on the City Line. Two City Line branches are currently being electrified on the overhead wire AC system with...
. This proposal would allow users of the Ormskirk branch of Merseyrail's Northern Line
Northern Line (Merseyrail)
The Northern Line is one of the two commuter rail lines operated by Merseyrail in Merseyside, England. The other line is the Wirral Line. A third line of the Merseyrail Network, the City Line, is not owned or operated by Merseyrail, although funded by Merseytravel.The Northern Line passes...
to reach Southport without having to travel via Sandhills
Sandhills railway station
Sandhills railway station is a railway station in Kirkdale, Liverpool, England, located to the north of the city centre on the Northern Line of the Merseyrail network.It was built by the Liverpool, Crosby and Southport Railway Company and now stands at the junction between the branch to Southport...
.
A new study being conducted by Merseytravel could see demand for a potential reinstatement and electrification of the curves in the near future. In June 2009, the Association of Train Operating Companies
Association of Train Operating Companies
The Association of Train Operating Companies is a body which represents 24 train operating companies that provide passenger railway services on the privatised British railway system. It owns the National Rail brand. The Association is an unincorporated association owned by its members...
, in its Connecting Communities: Expanding Access to the Rail Network
Connecting Communities: Expanding Access to the Rail Network
Connecting Communities: Expanding Access to the Rail Network is a 2009 report by the Association of Train Operating Companies identifying potential expansion of the National Rail passenger railway network in England, primarily through the construction or re-opening of railway lines for passenger...
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
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
, including seven new parkway stations.
Through-trains
There is now no physical connection between the electric Merseyrail line at Ormskirk, and the Ormskirk-Preston line; passengers travelling from Liverpool must change to a diesel train at Ormskirk to continue to Burscough Junction and beyond.External links
- Potential Rail Improvements in North Western England - Evidence presented to the Transport Select Committee, 2002–03