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Gathurst railway station

Coordinates: 53°33′34″N 2°41′37″W / 53.5594°N 2.6937°W / 53.5594; -2.6937
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Gathurst
National Rail
Gathurst railway station in 2015, the L&YR-era station building is now a public house.
General information
LocationGathurst, Wigan
England
Grid referenceSD541071
Managed byNorthern Trains
Transit authorityGreater Manchester
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeGST
ClassificationDfT category F1
History
Opened9 April 1855 (1855-04-09)
Original companyLancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Pre-groupingLancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Post-groupingLondon Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
about 1934renamed Gathurst for Shevington
5 May 1975renamed Gathurst
Passengers
2018/19Increase 94,320
2019/20Increase 106,722
2020/21Decrease 14,426
2021/22Increase 71,014
2022/23Increase 80,454
Location
Map
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Gathurst railway station is a two-platform railway station on the outskirts of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The station is on the Southport line 2+34 miles (4.4 kilometres) north west of Wigan Wallgate station. It is currently operated by Northern Trains.

The main stone-built station building survives adjacent to the Wigan-bound platform, but is now in use for non-railway purposes (as a public house), modest shelters now being provided on both platforms for rail travellers.

History

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The station opened on 9 April 1855 when the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) 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 on 3 July 1854.[1][2] 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".[3]

The station was renamed Gathurst for Shevington around 1934 and then back to Gathurst on 5 May 1975.[1]

The L&YR amalgamated with the London and North Western Railway on 1 January 1922 and in turn was grouped into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) in 1923. Nationalisation followed in 1948. When Sectorisation was introduced in the 1980s, the station was served by Regional Railways until the privatisation of British Rail. The goods yard served as an exchange with the ICI Nobels Roburite Works narrow gauge railway.

Facilities

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The station is unmanned and has no ticket machine, so all tickets must be bought prior to travel or on the train. Train running information can be obtained by phone and timetable posters. There is step-free access to both platforms.[4]

Services

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On Monday to Saturday daytimes, there are two trains an hour westbound to Southport and eastbound to Wigan. Beyond here, services run via Bolton to either Stalybridge via Manchester Victoria or Manchester Oxford Road (services beyond there towards Manchester Piccadilly and points south ended at the winter 2022 timetable change). Only a limited number now run via Atherton, mainly at peak times and late evenings (travellers to these destinations and for stations along the Calder Valley line now need to change at Wigan).[5]

Sunday services are hourly each way and continue to Blackburn eastbound.

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Northern Trains

References

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  1. ^ a b Quick 2023, p. 205.
  2. ^ Grant 2017, p. 358.
  3. ^ Marshall 1969, p. 158.
  4. ^ Gathurst station facilities National Rail Enquiries; Retrieved 20 December 2016
  5. ^ Table 101 National Rail timetable, December 2022

Bibliography

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  • Grant, Donald J. (2017). Directory of the Railway Companies of Great Britain (1st ed.). Kibworth Beauchamp, Leicestershire: Troubador Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-78803-768-6.
  • Marshall, John (1969). The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway. Vol. 1. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-4352-4.
  • Quick, Michael (2023) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (PDF). version 5.05. Railway & Canal Historical Society.
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53°33′34″N 2°41′37″W / 53.5594°N 2.6937°W / 53.5594; -2.6937