Wigan Central railway station
Encyclopedia
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
, England and was some way away from the two main stations (North Western
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 Wallgate
Wigan Wallgate railway station
Wigan Wallgate railway station is one of two main railway stations serving the town of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. The station is on 2 lines, the Manchester-Southport Line and the Manchester-Kirkby Line. It is north west of Manchester Victoria...
) which were on the western edge of the town centre. Central station was built by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway was formed by amalgamation in 1847. The MS&LR changed its name to the Great Central Railway in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension.-Origin:...
(later to become the Great Central
Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
) and opened on 3 October 1892. It replaced Wigan (Darlington Street) station, which had opened on 1 April 1884, on the extension of the line nearer to the town centre. Wigan Central was the terminus of the Wigan Junction Railways from Glazebrook Junction (and on to Manchester Central
Manchester Central railway station
Manchester Central railway station is a former railway station in Manchester City Centre, England. One of Manchester's main railway terminals between 1880 and 1969, it now houses an exhibition and conference centre named Manchester Central.-History:...
) and closed on 2 November 1964. According to Beeching's Reshaping of British Railways (see Appendix Passenger Line Usage Map) the line was more heavily used than many which did not close; as with many unmodernised and heavily used commuter lines it was however deemed uneconomic. The line's main passenger traffic was workers travelling from the Wigan area to industrial plants in Cadishead/Partington and around the docks in Salford and Manchester; until the late 1970s the Lancashire United bus company operated a replacement daily bus service from Wigan to Partington.
Wigan Central station's building, which was on Station Road near to the town centre, was subsequently demolished. On the original site now stands the Grand Arcade Shopping Centre which was built between 2006 and 2008.
See also
- List of closed railway stations in Britain
- Wigan North Western railway stationWigan North Western railway stationWigan 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...
- Wigan Wallgate railway stationWigan Wallgate railway stationWigan Wallgate railway station is one of two main railway stations serving the town of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. The station is on 2 lines, the Manchester-Southport Line and the Manchester-Kirkby Line. It is north west of Manchester Victoria...
- Liverpool, St Helens & South Lancashire RailwayLiverpool, St Helens & South Lancashire RailwayLiverpool, St Helens & South Lancashire Railway, was formed in 1889, but no services ran until 1895 and then only freight. Passenger services did not start until 1900. The original intention was to connect to the Cheshire Lines Committee North Liverpool Extension Line at Fazakerley junction, to...
- Old Railway Lines in WiganOld Railway Lines in WiganThe railway system in Wigan took off around the 19th century during the industrial revolution. Wigan was once a proud town with railway stations widely available across the borough, used by both freight and passengers...