Westhoughton railway station
Encyclopedia
Westhoughton railway station serves the town of Westhoughton
, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton
, Greater Manchester
, north-western England
. The station is 15½ miles (25 km) north west of Manchester Piccadilly.
and the Manchester-Southport Line at Hindley
near Wigan
The station is located in Church Street, about ten minutes' walk from the town centre. The town of Westhoughton is also served by Daisy Hill railway station
which is around 15 minutes on foot from Westhoughton centre and is situated on the Manchester-Southport Line (via Atherton).
Unlike the town's other station at Daisy Hill, Westhoughton station has been unstaffed since 1974 (when all the track-side and road-side buildings were demolished). This is despite the fact that Westhoughton enjoyed higher (around 33%) levels of patronage (see usage figures right). Westhoughton station's passenger usage seems set to grow further as there has been considerable housing development on "brown-field" land (the site of a former mine) within a few hundred yards of the station. Indeed the town overall continues to grow as a commuter "suburb." http://www.swanonline.co.uk/survey_res.html . When usage figures were released for 2007/8 they revealed an increased year-on-year increase of some 20% with a further even larger imcrease for 2008/9. (http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529).
In the late 1980s Westhoughton very nearly had a new third station at Dobb Brow and planning went so far as the proposed station to appear on railway maps as "may open during the course of this timetable." At the last moment, however, plans were shelved. In 2000 these plans were revived but as yet without fruition http://archive.thisislancashire.co.uk/2000/10/28/708192.html.
As yet (2008) unspecified development is planned for the station http://www.gmfuturetransport.co.uk/MyDistrict/bolton/train.aspx.
As noted above the station is unstaffed. There are no toilet nor refreshment facilities nor pay phone nor "remote travel information."
There is a public house The Commercial right next door to the station and bus stops for services to many parts of the town (and the town's other station: Daisy Hill).
Access to the Bolton platform is by a long steep multi-stepped ramp and to the Wigan platform via a steep unstepped ramp. Those with prams and pushchairs should be warned that access to both platforms is difficult, and for wheel chair users (except for the most adventurous, or more accurately, reckless) impossible. See Network Rail site, right.
There is a free car-park with convenient (if un-signposted) access to the station.
Monday to Saturdays daytimes there are two trains per hour westbound to Wigan Wallgate
(with one onwards to Southport
) and an hourly service to both Manchester Airport
via Piccadilly and to Manchester Victoria. There a few trains a day to Wigan North Western and (after reversal) on to Liverpool Lime Street. At other times Liverpool is reached by changing at Kirkby or crossing the road from Wigan Wallgate to Wigan North Western station.
On evenings and Sundays there is an hourly service to Southport and to Manchester Piccadilly (and beyond). For many years there was no Sunday service.
Trains from Westhoughton to Bolton pass by, but cannot stop at, Lostock (Junction) station (there being no platforms on the Wigan line). Passengers wishing to travel from Westhoughton to Preston and Blackpool must either change at Wigan Wallgate (usually crossing the road to Wigan North Western - 100 yards walk) or via Bolton. Connections to London (Euston) can be made at Wigan (recommended as there is always only one change) or Manchester Piccadilly (by changing sometimes additionally at Salford Crescent).
Westhoughton
Westhoughton is a town and civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England. It is southwest of Bolton, east of Wigan and northwest of Manchester....
, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton
Metropolitan Borough of Bolton
The Metropolitan Borough of Bolton is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Bolton, but covers a far larger area which includes Blackrod, Farnworth, Horwich, Kearsley and Westhoughton, and a suburban and rural element from the West Pennine...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, north-western 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 is 15½ miles (25 km) north west of Manchester Piccadilly.
Overview
It is the only station located on a connecting line between the Manchester-Preston Line at BoltonBolton 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...
and the Manchester-Southport Line at Hindley
Hindley railway station
Hindley railway station serves the area of Hindley in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan.Hindley is one of the principal stations that lie on the Wigan to Manchester line, just before the route branches to use either the Atherton line or the Eastern Branch line via Westhoughton and Bolton...
near 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 station is located in Church Street, about ten minutes' walk from the town centre. The town of Westhoughton is also served by Daisy Hill railway station
Daisy Hill railway station
Daisy Hill railway station serves the Daisy Hill area of Westhoughton, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England.Daisy Hill is one of the principal stations that lie on the Atherton line, between Wigan and Manchester...
which is around 15 minutes on foot from Westhoughton centre and is situated on the Manchester-Southport Line (via Atherton).
Unlike the town's other station at Daisy Hill, Westhoughton station has been unstaffed since 1974 (when all the track-side and road-side buildings were demolished). This is despite the fact that Westhoughton enjoyed higher (around 33%) levels of patronage (see usage figures right). Westhoughton station's passenger usage seems set to grow further as there has been considerable housing development on "brown-field" land (the site of a former mine) within a few hundred yards of the station. Indeed the town overall continues to grow as a commuter "suburb." http://www.swanonline.co.uk/survey_res.html . When usage figures were released for 2007/8 they revealed an increased year-on-year increase of some 20% with a further even larger imcrease for 2008/9. (http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529).
In the late 1980s Westhoughton very nearly had a new third station at Dobb Brow and planning went so far as the proposed station to appear on railway maps as "may open during the course of this timetable." At the last moment, however, plans were shelved. In 2000 these plans were revived but as yet without fruition http://archive.thisislancashire.co.uk/2000/10/28/708192.html.
As yet (2008) unspecified development is planned for the station http://www.gmfuturetransport.co.uk/MyDistrict/bolton/train.aspx.
Location and facilities
http://www.multimap.com/maps/?hloc=GB|BL5%203LEAs noted above the station is unstaffed. There are no toilet nor refreshment facilities nor pay phone nor "remote travel information."
There is a public house The Commercial right next door to the station and bus stops for services to many parts of the town (and the town's other station: Daisy Hill).
Access to the Bolton platform is by a long steep multi-stepped ramp and to the Wigan platform via a steep unstepped ramp. Those with prams and pushchairs should be warned that access to both platforms is difficult, and for wheel chair users (except for the most adventurous, or more accurately, reckless) impossible. See Network Rail site, right.
There is a free car-park with convenient (if un-signposted) access to the station.
Services
For many years Westhoughton had an hourly service (see BR Timetable 1973, table 95). Since the 1980s services have dramatically improved:Monday to Saturdays daytimes there are two trains per hour westbound to Wigan Wallgate
Wigan Wallgate railway station
Wigan Wallgate railway station is one of two main railway stations serving the town of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. The station is on 2 lines, the Manchester-Southport Line and the Manchester-Kirkby Line. It is north west of Manchester Victoria...
(with one onwards to Southport
Southport railway station
Southport railway station serves the town of Southport, Merseyside, England. It is at the end of one of the branches of the Northern Line of the Merseyrail network, and at the end of the Manchester-Southport Line which runs via Wigan...
) and an hourly service to both 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 Piccadilly and to Manchester Victoria. There a few trains a day to Wigan North Western and (after reversal) on to Liverpool Lime Street. At other times Liverpool is reached by changing at Kirkby or crossing the road from Wigan Wallgate to Wigan North Western station.
On evenings and Sundays there is an hourly service to Southport and to Manchester Piccadilly (and beyond). For many years there was no Sunday service.
Trains from Westhoughton to Bolton pass by, but cannot stop at, Lostock (Junction) station (there being no platforms on the Wigan line). Passengers wishing to travel from Westhoughton to Preston and Blackpool must either change at Wigan Wallgate (usually crossing the road to Wigan North Western - 100 yards walk) or via Bolton. Connections to London (Euston) can be made at Wigan (recommended as there is always only one change) or Manchester Piccadilly (by changing sometimes additionally at Salford Crescent).