- Midge Hall railway station
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Midge Hall Location Place Midge Hall Area South Ribble Coordinates 53°42′11″N 2°44′43″W / 53.7031°N 2.7454°WCoordinates: 53°42′11″N 2°44′43″W / 53.7031°N 2.7454°W Grid reference SD509231 Operations Original company Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Pre-grouping Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Post-grouping London, Midland and Scottish Railway Platforms 2 History October 1859 Opened 2 October 1961 Closed Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom Closed railway stations in Britain
A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–ZMidge Hall railway station was located in Midge Hall, Leyland, closing to passengers in 1961, although the line still exists as the Ormskirk Branch Line.
History
The railway line between Preston and Walton was proposed by the Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway (LO&PJ) and authorised in 1846; later that year the LO&PJ was amalgamated with the East Lancashire Railway (ELR), which opened the line in 1849.[1]
In August 1859 the ELR was amalgamated with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (LYR),[2] and in October that year, the station at Midge Hall was opened.[3] It was 231⁄4 miles (37.4 km) from Liverpool (Tithebarn Street), and replaced an earlier station at Cocker Bar, 23 miles (37.0 km) from Liverpool.[4]
The station was closed by British Railways on 2 October 1961.[3]
Trains still stop at Midge Hall signal box to exchange a token for the single line onward to Rufford- this is a vestige of the 1970s and early 1980s, when the then recently singled branchline retained double track from Midge Hall into Preston.[citation needed]
Reopening proposals
There have been talks amongst the local community for the possible reopening of the station. A study held in 1991 concluded that there would be a forecasted 7500 journeys per annum using the station, generating roughly £15,000 in revenue with an average cost of £2 per journey. This was deemed uneconomical due to the high costs of construction (£500,000) coupled with £15,000 in ongoing annual maintenance costs, which would barely be covered by the revenue alone.[5]
A meeting held in 2003 concluded that whilst forecasted passenger numbers will likely be higher than that of the 1991 study (due largely to residential development in recent years), numbers may only be in the region of 10,000 to 30,000 and revenue from these passengers would likely still not cover the costs for reopening and thus remains uneconomical to reopen.[5]
References
- ^ Marshall, John (1969). The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, volume 1. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. pp. 136,138. ISBN 0 7153 4352 1.
- ^ Marshall 1969, p. 123
- ^ a b Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 159. ISBN 1 85260 508 1. R508.
- ^ Marshall 1969, p. 138
- ^ a b "Presentation on the possible reinstatement of Midge Hall Station". Lancashire County Council. 28 January, 2003. http://www3.lancashire.gov.uk/council/meetings/displayFile.asp?FTYPE=A&FILEID=1626. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
Preceding station Disused railways Following station Preston
Line and station openLancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Ormskirk Branch LineCroston
Line and station openLostock Hall
Line closed, station openCategories:- Disused railway stations in South Ribble
- Former Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway stations
- Railway stations opened in 1859
- Railway stations closed in 1961
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