Euxton Balshaw Lane railway station
Encyclopedia
Euxton Balshaw Lane is situated in the village of Euxton
(icon), Lancashire
, England. It is a local station on the West Coast Main Line
on the stretch between Wigan
and .
and was opened by the North Union Railway
(NUR) on 31 October 1838, and among the original stations was one at , close to the Bay Horse public house on the south side of Euxton Lane. The NUR was split up in 1888, part of it (including Euxton station) becoming wholly owned by the London and North Western Railway
(LNWR). Euxton station closed on 2 September 1895 at the behest of the Anderton Family.
A new station named Balshaw Lane and Euxton, between and and about 1/2 mi south of the original Euxton station, was opened by the LNWR on 2 September 1905.
Balshaw Lane & Euxton station was closed by British Rail
on 6 October 1969 as part of the Beeching
review of the UK railway network.
Euxton also had a station at the Royal Ordnance Factory
site, ROF Chorley
, on the Preston to Manchester line which opened along with the factory in the 1930s; the station was named 'ROF Halt' and closed in 1965.
As well as this another station on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Company's line (Preston to Manchester) was built named 'Euxton Junction' which was near to the Pack Saddle Bridge. Access to this station was via a footbridge from next to today's gastro pub, 'The Railway at Euxton'. However, this station closed in 1895.
DJ and, latterly, Radio Lancashire
presenter and transport enthusiast, Andy Peebles
), and was now named Euxton Balshaw Lane. It has two platforms on the slower north/south lines of the West Coast Main Line
and is served by the Northern Rail
company with trains to Blackpool North
and Liverpool
. Euxton Balshaw Lane does not have any full-time staff, PA system or ticket office, nor, unlike Horwich Parkway railway station
, a station built around the same period, any clocks or display screens.
The use of "Balshaw Lane" in the station's name was added, at the time of opening, at Lancashire County Council's behest (the main station's sponsor and funder) in view of the possibility, at some future stage, of the opening of a station on the site of the Royal Ordnance Factory at Euxton
and to distinguish itself (and avoid a subsequent name change) from that station. It was expected that the station at the ROF site might be named either "Euxton" or "Euxton ROF". In fact, the station that eventually opened in October 2011, on the Manchester-Preston route, is called .
Euxton
Euxton is a village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley, in Lancashire, England. The village is pronounced "Exton") and is situated just to the south of Leyland, and to the west of Chorley.-Early Industry:...
(icon), Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England. It is a local station on the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
on the stretch between Wigan
Wigan North Western railway station
Wigan North Western railway station is one of two railway stations serving the town centre of Wigan, Greater Manchester, UK.It is a moderately-sized station on the West Coast Main Line. It is operated by Virgin Trains, and is also served by Northern Rail...
and .
History
The railway line between WiganWigan North Western railway station
Wigan North Western railway station is one of two railway stations serving the town centre of Wigan, Greater Manchester, UK.It is a moderately-sized station on the West Coast Main Line. It is operated by Virgin Trains, and is also served by Northern Rail...
and was opened by the North Union Railway
North Union Railway
The North Union Railway was an early British railway company, formed in 1834.-Origins:The North Union Railway resulted from the first railway amalgamation in British history. The two companies were the Wigan Branch Railway and the Wigan and Preston Junction Railway...
(NUR) on 31 October 1838, and among the original stations was one at , close to the Bay Horse public house on the south side of Euxton Lane. The NUR was split up in 1888, part of it (including Euxton station) becoming wholly owned by the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
(LNWR). Euxton station closed on 2 September 1895 at the behest of the Anderton Family.
Balshaw Lane & Euxton station was closed by British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
on 6 October 1969 as part of the Beeching
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...
review of the UK railway network.
Euxton also had a station at the Royal Ordnance Factory
Royal Ordnance Factory
Royal Ordnance Factories was the collective name of the UK government's munitions factories in and after World War II. Until privatisation in 1987 they were the responsibility of the Ministry of Supply and later the Ministry of Defence....
site, ROF Chorley
ROF Chorley
ROF Chorley was a UK government-owned, munitions filling, Royal Ordnance Factory . It was planned as a Permanent Royal Ordnance Factory with the intention that it, unlike some other similar facilities, would remain open for production after the end of World War II; and, together with ROF Bridgend...
, on the Preston to Manchester line which opened along with the factory in the 1930s; the station was named 'ROF Halt' and closed in 1965.
As well as this another station on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
Company's line (Preston to Manchester) was built named 'Euxton Junction' which was near to the Pack Saddle Bridge. Access to this station was via a footbridge from next to today's gastro pub, 'The Railway at Euxton'. However, this station closed in 1895.
The present station
The former Balshaw Lane and Euxton station was reopened in 1998 (the opening ceremony being performed by former Radio 1BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
DJ and, latterly, Radio Lancashire
BBC Radio Lancashire
BBC Radio Lancashire is the BBC Local Radio service for the county of Lancashire, in North West England. It began as BBC Radio Blackburn on 26 January 1971 on 96.4FM, then adding 854 kHz AM in 1972 and changing to its current name on 4 July 1981...
presenter and transport enthusiast, Andy Peebles
Andy Peebles
-Early life:The son of a head postmaster, Peebles attended Bishop's Stortford College, Hertfordshire before training in hotel management.After DJing at a college dance he was offered a job at Samanthas in Bournemouth.He worked at Chelsea Village,The Scotch of St James in London and at the Hardrock...
), and was now named Euxton Balshaw Lane. It has two platforms on the slower north/south lines of the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
and is served by the Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
company with trains to Blackpool North
Blackpool North railway station
Blackpool North railway station is the main railway station serving the seaside resort of Blackpool in Lancashire, England. It is the terminus of the main Blackpool branch line from Preston....
and Liverpool
Liverpool Lime Street railway station
Liverpool Lime Street is a railway station serving the city centre of Liverpool, England. The station lies on a branch of the West Coast Main Line from London Euston, and on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network...
. Euxton Balshaw Lane does not have any full-time staff, PA system or ticket office, nor, unlike Horwich Parkway railway station
Horwich Parkway railway station
Horwich Parkway is a railway station serving the town of Horwich and Middlebrook near Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically located within Lancashire, the station is 16¼ miles north west of Manchester Piccadilly on the Manchester to Preston commuter line...
, a station built around the same period, any clocks or display screens.
The use of "Balshaw Lane" in the station's name was added, at the time of opening, at Lancashire County Council's behest (the main station's sponsor and funder) in view of the possibility, at some future stage, of the opening of a station on the site of the Royal Ordnance Factory at Euxton
ROF Chorley
ROF Chorley was a UK government-owned, munitions filling, Royal Ordnance Factory . It was planned as a Permanent Royal Ordnance Factory with the intention that it, unlike some other similar facilities, would remain open for production after the end of World War II; and, together with ROF Bridgend...
and to distinguish itself (and avoid a subsequent name change) from that station. It was expected that the station at the ROF site might be named either "Euxton" or "Euxton ROF". In fact, the station that eventually opened in October 2011, on the Manchester-Preston route, is called .