Burscough Junction railway station

Infobox UK station
name = Burscough Junction


code = BCJ
manager = Northern Rail
start =
platforms = 1
lowusage0405 = 41,198
lowusage0506 = 43,276
lowusage0607 = 44,642
locale = Burscough
borough = West Lancashire

Burscough Junction pronounced (Burs/co Junction) is one of two railway stations serving the small West Lancashire town of Burscough in the north-west of England.

Service

The line sees a Monday-Saturday service of approximately every 90 minutes and has no Sunday service.

Interchange

The other station in Burscough is Burscough Bridge, and is only ten minutes away by foot. The name "Junction" is an anachronism: the station no longer serves such a purpose.

Burscough Curves

During the rail restructuring of the 1960s and 1970s, the "Burscough Curves", which formed a link between the Ormskirk-Preston and Southport-Wigan lines were removed, although the formation survives.

The passenger service from Ormskirk to Burscough Junction and on to Southport, which used the southern curve, was withdrawn in 1962 as can be seen from the British Rail London Midland Region Timetable of that year.

Pressure from local transport groups, West Lancashire District Council and Southport MP John Pugh has not so far persuaded Network Rail to reinstate the curves. Various schemes have been proposed, including the full electrification of the line from Southport via Burscough to Ormskirk using the same third rail system as Merseyrail. This proposal would allow users of the Ormskirk branch of Merseyrail's Northern Line to reach Southport without having to travel via Sandhills.

A new study being conducted by Merseytravel could see demand for a potential reinstatement and electrification of the curves in the near future. [The Champion, 27 February 2008]

Through-trains

There is now no physical connection between the electric Merseyrail line at Ormskirk, and the Ormskirk-Preston line; passengers travelling from Liverpool must change to a diesel train at Ormskirk to continue to Burscough Junction and beyond.

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Notes

References

* "New study into Curves rail link", Harry James, The Champion, February 27 2008, p.9

External links

* [http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200203/cmselect/cmtran/782/782ap38.htm Potential Rail Improvements in North Western England] - Evidence presented to the Transport Select Committee, 2002-03