Whitehaven railway station
Encyclopedia
Whitehaven Railway Station serves the town of Whitehaven
in Cumbria
, England. The railway station
is a stop on the scenic Cumbrian Coast Line
63 kilometres (39.1 mi) south west of Carlisle
.
It is operated by Northern Rail
who provide all passenger train services. A new transport interchange is planned as part of a new development with Tesco
. A brand new bus station and platforms are included in the plans. Whitehaven is now one of Northern Rail's top rural stations showing year-on-year passenger and revenue growth.
On the southern side of the town, the first section of the Whitehaven and Furness Junction Railway (W&FJR) opened on 1 June 1849 from a terminus at Whitehaven (Preston Street) to , but there was no connection between this line and the WJR suitable for passenger trains. In between the two stations stood the town centre, and to the east of that Hospital Hill, so a tunnel 1333 yards (1,218.9 m) long was built beneath the latter, being completed in July 1852. In 1854, the W&FJR passenger trains began using the WJR station at Whitehaven (Preston Street becoming a goods-only station). In 1865, the W&FJR was absorbed by the Furness Railway
(FR), and in 1866, the WJR was absorbed by the London and North Western Railway
(LNWR).
The LNWR station (formerly WJR) was replaced on 20 December 1874 by a new one named Whitehaven Bransty; it was jointly owned by the LNWR and the FR. This station had its name simplified to Whitehaven on 6 May 1968.
The station formerly had four operational platforms, but today only two remain in use (the former platforms three and four having lost their tracks in the mid eighties). The double line from Parton
becomes single opposite the station signal box
(which still bears the original station name Whitehaven Bransty) and then splits into two - one runs into platform one (a bay used by most terminating services from Carlisle) and other runs into platform two, which is the through line to Sellafield
and beyond. Trains heading south must collect a token for the single line section to St Bees
from a machine on the platform (with permission from the signaller) before they can proceed. Conversely trains from Barrow must surrender the token upon arrival, the driver returning it to the machine before departing for Workington. Only then can the signaller allow another train to enter the single line section.
The line then passes through the 1219m long Bransty Tunnel to pass beneath the town on its way south. The route onwards from here was opened in 1850 by the Whitehaven & Furness Junction Railway, which later became part of the Furness Railway
.
from mid-morning until early evening (ten trains per day in total). Four of the latter continue via the Furness Line
to Lancaster
. One train from the Carlisle direction runs through from Newcastle, but there is currently no corresponding service in the opposite direction.
On Sundays, three trains a day run to and from Carlisle but there is no service to Barrow.
A Sunday service over the whole length of the Coastal route is set to operate on a one-off basis on Sunday 27 September 2009 (first time a revenue earning passenger service has operated south of Whitehaven since May 1976) to celebrate the ACoRP Community Rail Festival which is being held in Carlisle over that weekend. If the Sunday service is a success, Northern hope to gain funding to operate a Barrow-Carlisle Sunday service during the Summer months from 2010.
Whitehaven
Whitehaven is a small town and port on the coast of Cumbria, England, which lies equidistant between the county's two largest settlements, Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness, and is served by the Cumbrian Coast Line and the A595 road...
in Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, England. The railway station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
is a stop on the scenic Cumbrian Coast Line
Cumbrian Coast Line
The Cumbrian Coast Line is a rail route in North West England, running from Carlisle to Barrow-in-Furness via Workington and Whitehaven. The line forms part of Network Rail route NW 4033, which continues via Ulverston and Grange-over-Sands to Carnforth, where it connects with the West Coast Main...
63 kilometres (39.1 mi) south west of 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...
.
It is operated by Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
who provide all passenger train services. A new transport interchange is planned as part of a new development with Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
. A brand new bus station and platforms are included in the plans. Whitehaven is now one of Northern Rail's top rural stations showing year-on-year passenger and revenue growth.
History
The first station at Whitehaven was opened on 19 March 1847 by the Whitehaven Junction Railway (WJR) as the terminus of their line from . This station lay to the south of the present station, with the main entrance on Bransty Row (at ).On the southern side of the town, the first section of the Whitehaven and Furness Junction Railway (W&FJR) opened on 1 June 1849 from a terminus at Whitehaven (Preston Street) to , but there was no connection between this line and the WJR suitable for passenger trains. In between the two stations stood the town centre, and to the east of that Hospital Hill, so a tunnel 1333 yards (1,218.9 m) long was built beneath the latter, being completed in July 1852. In 1854, the W&FJR passenger trains began using the WJR station at Whitehaven (Preston Street becoming a goods-only station). In 1865, the W&FJR was absorbed by the Furness Railway
Furness Railway
The Furness Railway was a railway company operating in the Furness area of Lancashire in North West England.-History:The company was established on May 23, 1844 when the Furness Railway Act was passed by Parliament...
(FR), and in 1866, the WJR was absorbed by the London and North Western Railway
London 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).
The LNWR station (formerly WJR) was replaced on 20 December 1874 by a new one named Whitehaven Bransty; it was jointly owned by the LNWR and the FR. This station had its name simplified to Whitehaven on 6 May 1968.
The station formerly had four operational platforms, but today only two remain in use (the former platforms three and four having lost their tracks in the mid eighties). The double line from Parton
Parton railway station
Parton Railway Station serves the village of Parton in Cumbria, England. The railway station is a stop on the scenic Cumbrian Coast Line south east of Carlisle, operated by Northern Rail who provide all passenger train services...
becomes single opposite the station signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
(which still bears the original station name Whitehaven Bransty) and then splits into two - one runs into platform one (a bay used by most terminating services from Carlisle) and other runs into platform two, which is the through line to Sellafield
Sellafield railway station
Sellafield railway station serves the nuclear facility of Sellafield in Cumbria, England. The railway station is a stop on the scenic Cumbrian Coast Line. Some through trains to the Furness Line stop here...
and beyond. Trains heading south must collect a token for the single line section to St Bees
St Bees railway station
thumb|left|Double headed goods at St Bees 2009thumb|left|St Bees station from the northSt Bees Railway Station serves the village of St Bees in Cumbria, England.-Description:...
from a machine on the platform (with permission from the signaller) before they can proceed. Conversely trains from Barrow must surrender the token upon arrival, the driver returning it to the machine before departing for Workington. Only then can the signaller allow another train to enter the single line section.
The line then passes through the 1219m long Bransty Tunnel to pass beneath the town on its way south. The route onwards from here was opened in 1850 by the Whitehaven & Furness Junction Railway, which later became part of the Furness Railway
Furness Railway
The Furness Railway was a railway company operating in the Furness area of Lancashire in North West England.-History:The company was established on May 23, 1844 when the Furness Railway Act was passed by Parliament...
.
Service
Following the recent December 2008 timetable change, there have been modest improvements to the weekday service from the station. There is an hourly service northwards to Carlisle for much of the day (with one or two longer gaps in the late afternoon) and also southwards to Barrow-in-FurnessBarrow-in-Furness railway station
Barrow-in-Furness railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, England. It is located on the Furness Line to Lancaster and the Cumbrian Coast Line to Workington and Carlisle...
from mid-morning until early evening (ten trains per day in total). Four of the latter continue via the Furness Line
Furness Line
The Furness Line, in North West England, runs from Barrow-in-Furness to Ulverston and Grange-over-Sands, connecting with the West Coast Main Line at Carnforth...
to Lancaster
Lancaster railway station
Lancaster railway station is a railway station that serves the city of Lancaster in Lancashire, England...
. One train from the Carlisle direction runs through from Newcastle, but there is currently no corresponding service in the opposite direction.
On Sundays, three trains a day run to and from Carlisle but there is no service to Barrow.
A Sunday service over the whole length of the Coastal route is set to operate on a one-off basis on Sunday 27 September 2009 (first time a revenue earning passenger service has operated south of Whitehaven since May 1976) to celebrate the ACoRP Community Rail Festival which is being held in Carlisle over that weekend. If the Sunday service is a success, Northern hope to gain funding to operate a Barrow-Carlisle Sunday service during the Summer months from 2010.