Meols Cop railway station
Encyclopedia
Meols Cop railway station serves the Blowick
suburb of the coastal town of Southport
, Merseyside
, England
. The station has an island platform
and is served by Northern Rail's - via branch services, on which it is the last stop before the terminus. The station is unstaffed and passengers must buy their tickets on the train.
. It is the only part of that line still in use, having replaced a section of the Manchester and Southport Railway
.
The line through Meols Cop was electrified in 1909 by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
, though the third rail
was only used for access to the nearby carriage works after the 1964 closure of the Southport- service. The works, Meols Cop Electric depot, closed in 1970, and the third rail was lifted shortly afterward.
) on weekdays & Saturdays, with a few peak hour and late evening trains to Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport
via Bolton
.
The station was closed on Sundays up until the December 2008 timetable change, but is now served hourly in each direction (to eastbound, with alternate trains continuing to via Altrincham).
Blowick
-History and etymology:Blowick is part of the ancient parish of North Meols and was formerly a detached settlement, on the northern fringe of what is now Southport....
suburb of the coastal town of Southport
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England...
, Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, 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...
. The station has an 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...
and is served by Northern Rail's - via branch services, on which it is the last stop before the terminus. The station is unstaffed and passengers must buy their tickets on the train.
History
Meols Cop railway station opened on 1 November 1887, originally as part of the Liverpool, Southport and Preston Junction RailwayLiverpool, Southport and Preston Junction Railway
The Liverpool, Southport & Preston Junction Railway was formed in 1884, and totaled 7 miles. In 1897 it became part of Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, and on 1 May 1901, its northern terminus switched from to ....
. It is the only part of that line still in use, having replaced a section of the Manchester and Southport Railway
Manchester and Southport Railway
The Manchester and Southport Railway in England opened on 9 April 1855. It merged with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in January 1885. The line eventually formed part of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, 59.5 km Liverpool to Manchester route via a junction with the Liverpool and Bury...
.
The line through Meols Cop was electrified in 1909 by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
, though the third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
was only used for access to the nearby carriage works after the 1964 closure of the Southport- service. The works, Meols Cop Electric depot, closed in 1970, and the third rail was lifted shortly afterward.
Services
There is an hourly service in each direction to Southport and Manchester Victoria (via AthertonAtherton railway station
Atherton railway station serves the town of Atherton, Greater Manchester, and is the main station on the line between Wigan and Manchester on the Manchester to Southport Line, and according to Strategic Rail Authority figures) is the busiest station on the line .The station is located 19 km...
) on weekdays & Saturdays, with a few peak hour and late evening trains to Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport
Manchester Airport railway station
Manchester Airport railway station is the railway station that serves Manchester Airport and is built into the airport's terminal buildings. The station was opened together with the second airport terminal in 1993.- Description:...
via Bolton
Bolton railway station
Bolton Interchange is a transport interchange combining the railway station and a four stand bus station in the town of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England. The station is located on the Manchester spur of the West Coast Main Line and is managed by Northern Rail...
.
The station was closed on Sundays up until the December 2008 timetable change, but is now served hourly in each direction (to eastbound, with alternate trains continuing to via Altrincham).