North Union Railway
Encyclopedia
The North Union Railway was an early British
railway company, formed in 1834.
at Parkside, serving local coal mines (particularly by a branch to New Springs) and the town of Wigan
. The latter was originally promoted as a separate company, to connect Wigan with Preston, now the county town. The new company was formed on 22 May 1834.
The line was fully opened on 31 October 1838, and ran from the Liverpool and Manchester Railway
at Parkside, near Warrington
, northwards to Preston, via Wigan
. It later absorbed the Bolton and Preston Railway, whose line made a junction with it at Euxton
, on 10 May 1844. It was leased to the Grand Junction Railway
, in association with the Manchester and Leeds Railway
, on 27 July 1846.
(LNWR) and the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
(LYR). Early rationalisation of the joint venture saw that part of the North Union between Euxton Junction and Parkside vested in the LNWR and that between Euxton Junction and Bolton with the LYR.
The part between Euxton Junction and Preston – including the major part of Preston station
– remained in joint ownership up to the 1923 Grouping
. This stretch of the West Coast Main Line
between London Euston and Carlisle
was the only part not wholly owned by the LNWR.
To cope with ever increasing traffic, the line was quadrupled between 1889 and 1891 (Biddle, 1989).
(Butt, 1995; Dewick, 2002; Wignall, 1983)
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
railway company, formed in 1834.
Origins
The North Union Railway resulted from the first railway amalgamation in British history. The two companies were the Wigan Branch Railway and the Wigan and Preston Junction Railway. The former was a branch line from the Liverpool and Manchester RailwayLiverpool and Manchester Railway
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the world's first inter-city passenger railway in which all the trains were timetabled and were hauled for most of the distance solely by steam locomotives. The line opened on 15 September 1830 and ran between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in North...
at Parkside, serving local coal mines (particularly by a branch to New Springs) and the town of Wigan
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...
. The latter was originally promoted as a separate company, to connect Wigan with Preston, now the county town. The new company was formed on 22 May 1834.
The line was fully opened on 31 October 1838, and ran from the Liverpool and Manchester Railway
Liverpool and Manchester Railway
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the world's first inter-city passenger railway in which all the trains were timetabled and were hauled for most of the distance solely by steam locomotives. The line opened on 15 September 1830 and ran between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in North...
at Parkside, near Warrington
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
, northwards to Preston, via Wigan
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...
. It later absorbed the Bolton and Preston Railway, whose line made a junction with it at Euxton
Euxton
Euxton is a village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley, in Lancashire, England. The village is pronounced "Exton") and is situated just to the south of Leyland, and to the west of Chorley.-Early Industry:...
, on 10 May 1844. It was leased to the Grand Junction Railway
Grand Junction Railway
The Grand Junction Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed between 1833 and 1846 when it was merged into the London and North Western Railway...
, in association with the Manchester and Leeds Railway
Manchester and Leeds Railway
The Manchester and Leeds Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom which opened in 1839, connecting Manchester with Leeds via the North Midland Railway which it joined at Normanton....
, on 27 July 1846.
Joint ownership
The North Union eventually (on 26 July 1889) came into the joint ownership of the successors to those earlier companies: respectively, the London and North Western RailwayLondon and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
(LNWR) and 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...
(LYR). Early rationalisation of the joint venture saw that part of the North Union between Euxton Junction and Parkside vested in the LNWR and that between Euxton Junction and Bolton with the LYR.
The part between Euxton Junction and Preston – including the major part of Preston station
Preston railway station
Preston railway station serves the city of Preston in Lancashire, England and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line.It is served by Northern Rail, Virgin Trains, and TransPennine Express services, plus First ScotRail overnight sleeper services between London and Scotland.-Station layout...
– remained in joint ownership up to the 1923 Grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
. This stretch of the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
between London Euston and Carlisle
Carlisle railway station
Carlisle railway station, also known as Carlisle Citadel station, is a railway station whichserves the Cumbrian City of Carlisle, England, and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line, lying south of Glasgow Central, and north of London Euston...
was the only part not wholly owned by the LNWR.
To cope with ever increasing traffic, the line was quadrupled between 1889 and 1891 (Biddle, 1989).
Stations
- (renamed Farington 1857; closed 1960)
- (originally called Golden Hill for the first few months) (closed 1895; the modern-day Euxton Balshaw Lane is nearby) (closed 1968)
- Standish Lane (renamed Standish 1844; closed 1949) (closed 1949)
- WiganWigan 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...
(renamed Wigan North Western 1924) (closed 1950) - Golborne (renamed Golborne South 1949; closed 1961) (closed 1902)
- Preston Junction (renamed Lowton 1877; closed 1949) (closed 1878)
(Butt, 1995; Dewick, 2002; Wignall, 1983)