Ulverston railway station
Encyclopedia
Ulverston railway station is a railway station
that serves the town of Ulverston
in Cumbria
, England
.
It is located on the Furness Line
from Barrow-in-Furness
to Lancaster. It is operated by First TransPennine Express
.
It is primarily served by regional express services operated by TransPennine Express from Manchester Airport to Barrow-in-Furness. Additionally it is served by local services operated by Northern Rail
from Lancaster to Barrow-in-Furness, with some continuing to Sellafield
or Carlisle
via the Cumbrian Coast Line
.
The current buildings are architecturally fine and date from 1873, when they were rebuilt as befitting one of the main stations of
the Furness Railway
. The clock tower and glass awnings, now extensively restored, are particularly fine.
was the first railway to serve the town, being completed on 7 June 1854. Three years later the Ulverston and Lancaster Railway
opened the line southwards to Carnforth
via Arnside
and built a new through station on the current site, which opened on 26 August 1857, leaving the old FR terminus to be used as a goods depot. The Furness Railway then took over the Ulverston & Lancaster company in 1862.
The unusual platform layout (where the northbound line has a face on both sides) is a legacy of the station's former role as the interchange for the branch line to Lakeside
, which diverged from the main line at Plumpton Junction a few miles to the south before heading north-eastwards through Haverthwaite
to its terminus at Lakeside
on the southern shore of Windermere
. The island platform
allowed easy cross-platform interchange
for those passengers travelling from the south changing onto the connecting service to Lakeside whilst those wishing to exit the station could do so by alighting on the opposite side platform. Today only platforms one and three are used.
The branch opened on 1 June 1869 and was well-patronised from the outset in the summer months by tourists, who could make a convenient transfer to the Windermere steamboats at Lakeside. The line was much quieter in winter though and year-round services ended in the autumn of 1938 - passenger trains thereafter running only during the summer. This continued until 6 September 1965, when the line fell victim to the Beeching Axe
. Its northern end was subsequently reopened on 2 May 1973 as the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway
but the remainder was lifted in the early seventies and the trackbed used for improvements to the A590 road (over which passengers must continue their journey if heading to Lakeside today).
, Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport (except for two services that reverse at Lancaster and head north to Windermere
) whilst the local Northern services normally terminate at Lancaster. Northbound there are four through trains each day beyond Barrow to Carlisle via Whitehaven and one to Millom
(connections for Cumbrian Coast stations are available at Barrow at other times).
In the evenings and on Sundays (afternoons only during winter months), there is a two-hourly all-stations service in each direction.
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
that serves the town of Ulverston
Ulverston
Ulverston is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria in north-west England. Historically part of Lancashire, the town is located in the Furness area, close to the Lake District, and just north of Morecambe Bay....
in Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, 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...
.
It is located on the Furness Line
Furness Line
The Furness Line, in North West England, runs from Barrow-in-Furness to Ulverston and Grange-over-Sands, connecting with the West Coast Main Line at Carnforth...
from Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
to Lancaster. It is operated by First TransPennine Express
First TransPennine Express
First TransPennine Express is a British train operating company. It is a joint operation between First Group and Keolis . It operates regular passenger services in northern England, including services linking the west and east coasts across the Pennines...
.
It is primarily served by regional express services operated by TransPennine Express from Manchester Airport to Barrow-in-Furness. Additionally it is served by local services operated by 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...
from Lancaster to Barrow-in-Furness, with some continuing to Sellafield
Sellafield
Sellafield is a nuclear reprocessing site, close to the village of Seascale on the coast of the Irish Sea in Cumbria, England. The site is served by Sellafield railway station. Sellafield is an off-shoot from the original nuclear reactor site at Windscale which is currently undergoing...
or Carlisle
Carlisle railway station
Carlisle railway station, also known as Carlisle Citadel station, is a railway station whichserves the Cumbrian City of Carlisle, England, and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line, lying south of Glasgow Central, and north of London Euston...
via the Cumbrian Coast Line
Cumbrian Coast Line
The Cumbrian Coast Line is a rail route in North West England, running from Carlisle to Barrow-in-Furness via Workington and Whitehaven. The line forms part of Network Rail route NW 4033, which continues via Ulverston and Grange-over-Sands to Carnforth, where it connects with the West Coast Main...
.
The current buildings are architecturally fine and date from 1873, when they were rebuilt as befitting one of the main stations of
the Furness Railway
Furness Railway
The Furness Railway was a railway company operating in the Furness area of Lancashire in North West England.-History:The company was established on May 23, 1844 when the Furness Railway Act was passed by Parliament...
. The clock tower and glass awnings, now extensively restored, are particularly fine.
History
The Furness Railway's line from Barrow & Dalton-in-FurnessDalton-in-Furness
Dalton-in-Furness is a small town of 8,394 people, north east of Barrow-in-Furness, in Cumbria, England.-History:Dalton is mentioned in the Domesday Book, written as "Daltune" as one of the townships forming the Manor of Hougun held by Earl Tostig. Historically, it was the capital of Furness...
was the first railway to serve the town, being completed on 7 June 1854. Three years later the Ulverston and Lancaster Railway
Ulverston and Lancaster Railway
The “Ulverstone” and Lancaster Railway Company was short-lived as a business but the line that it built is still in daily use. The line runs from Lindal-in-Furness to Carnforth where it joins what was then the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway...
opened the line southwards to Carnforth
Carnforth railway station
Carnforth railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Carnforth in Lancashire. The building was designed by architect William Tite and was famously used as the location in the 1945 film Brief Encounter. It is now operated by TransPennine Express.-History:Carnforth station was...
via Arnside
Arnside railway station
Arnside railway station is a railway station that serves the village of Arnside in Cumbria, England.It is located on the Furness Line from Barrow-in-Furness to Lancaster. It is operated by First TransPennine Express. A short distance west of the station, the railway crosses the Kent estuary on an...
and built a new through station on the current site, which opened on 26 August 1857, leaving the old FR terminus to be used as a goods depot. The Furness Railway then took over the Ulverston & Lancaster company in 1862.
The unusual platform layout (where the northbound line has a face on both sides) is a legacy of the station's former role as the interchange for the branch line to Lakeside
Lakeside, Cumbria
Lakeside is a small settlement at the south end of Windermere, England. Now in the English county of Cumbria, before county reorganisation of 1974 it was in Lancashire, as part of the region known as Furness...
, which diverged from the main line at Plumpton Junction a few miles to the south before heading north-eastwards through Haverthwaite
Haverthwaite
Haverthwaite is a small village and civil parish in the Furness region of Cumbria. It is also within the boundaries of the Lake District National Park. It is located several miles east of Ulverston and is near the southern end of Windermere...
to its terminus at Lakeside
Lakeside
-Australia:*Lakeside Joondalup Shopping City, Joondalup, Western Australia*Lakeside, near Reservoir, Victoria*Lakeside International Raceway, Pine Rivers, Queensland*Lakeside Mental Hospital, formerly known as Ballarat Lunatic Asylum, Ballarat, Victoria...
on the southern shore of Windermere
Windermere
Windermere is the largest natural lake of England. It is also a name used in a number of places, including:-Australia:* Lake Windermere , a reservoir, Australian Capital Territory * Lake Windermere...
. The island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
allowed easy cross-platform interchange
Cross-platform interchange
A cross-platform interchange is a type of interchange between different lines in a metro system. The term originates with the London Underground; such layouts exist in other networks but are not commonly so named...
for those passengers travelling from the south changing onto the connecting service to Lakeside whilst those wishing to exit the station could do so by alighting on the opposite side platform. Today only platforms one and three are used.
The branch opened on 1 June 1869 and was well-patronised from the outset in the summer months by tourists, who could make a convenient transfer to the Windermere steamboats at Lakeside. The line was much quieter in winter though and year-round services ended in the autumn of 1938 - passenger trains thereafter running only during the summer. This continued until 6 September 1965, when the line fell victim to 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...
. Its northern end was subsequently reopened on 2 May 1973 as the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway
Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway
The Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway is a heritage railway in Cumbria, England.-Location:The L&HR runs from Haverthwaite at the southern end of the line via Newby Bridge to Lakeside at the southern end of Windermere...
but the remainder was lifted in the early seventies and the trackbed used for improvements to the A590 road (over which passengers must continue their journey if heading to Lakeside today).
New facilities
In 2007 new digital information screens were installed allowing passengers to see the status of their train. These spent most of the New Year and Christmas period of 2007 and 2008 showing a Christmas message. These signs showed these messages until at least mid February 2008 but are now fully operational.Services
There is normally one train per hour in each direction to Barrow and Lancaster on Monday to Saturday daytimes (with some peak period extras), although the varying nature of the services involved (most TransPennine Express regional trains are limited stop whilst the Northern Rail local trains serve all stations on the line) means that gaps between departures aren't regular (they can be anywhere between 30 and 90 minutes). TPE trains continue southbound to PrestonPreston railway station
Preston railway station serves the city of Preston in Lancashire, England and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line.It is served by Northern Rail, Virgin Trains, and TransPennine Express services, plus First ScotRail overnight sleeper services between London and Scotland.-Station layout...
, Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport (except for two services that reverse at Lancaster and head north to Windermere
Windermere railway station
Windermere railway station is the railway station that serves Windermere in Cumbria, England. It is just south of the A591, about 15 min walk or a short bus ride from the lake. The station is located behind a branch of the Booths supermarket chain, which occupies the site of the original station...
) whilst the local Northern services normally terminate at Lancaster. Northbound there are four through trains each day beyond Barrow to Carlisle via Whitehaven and one to Millom
Millom railway station
Millom Railway Station serves the town of Millom in Cumbria, England. The railway station is a stop on the scenic Cumbrian Coast Line north of Barrow-in-Furness...
(connections for Cumbrian Coast stations are available at Barrow at other times).
In the evenings and on Sundays (afternoons only during winter months), there is a two-hourly all-stations service in each direction.