Caton railway station

Caton railway station served the village of Caton in the City of Lancaster district of Lancashire, England.

Caton
General information
Location	Caton, Lancaster, Lancashire England
Coordinates	54.0772°N 2.7186°W / 54.0772; -2.7186
Platforms	2
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Opened	17 November 1849
Closed	1 May 1961[1]
Original company	"Little" North Western Railway
Pre-grouping	Midland Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
January 1966	Line closed between Wennington and Morecambe to passengers
June 1967	Line closed between Wennington and Morecambe to freight
Location Caton Location in the present-day City of Lancaster district Show map of the City of Lancaster district Caton Location in present-day Lancashire Show map of Lancashire

The station was located near Ball Lane and Station Road, with the latter crossing the railway on the level immediately to the east. It opened with the line in November 1849, being built by the "Little" North Western Railway.^[2] The route was initially constructed as single track, with a passing loop here - the Lancaster to Hornby stretch eventually being doubled by the Midland Railway in 1889.

The station was closed in May 1961 by the British Railways Board as an economy measure,^[3] though the line remained in use until closure to passengers in 1966 between Wennington and Morecambe.

Freight services finished the following year in 1967 and the track was subsequently dismantled. The line has since been converted into a footpath and cycleway westwards towards Lancaster, including the two old railway viaducts across the River Lune at Crook o' Lune.

The station house survives as a private residence, whilst the old goods shed is now a church. The old formation eastwards is still visible from nearby roads and can be traced via satellite photos.

Preceding station		Disused railways		Following station
Claughton		Midland Railway "Little" North Western Railway		Halton (Lancashire)

References

1. Daniels, Gerald David; Dench, Leslie Alan (February 1963) [1962]. Passengers No More 1952–1962. Closures of stations and branch lines (PDF) (2nd ed.). Brighton: GLO. p. 12. OCLC 504319235.
2. Tatham area railways 1845-1914 Tatham History website; Retrieved 22 April 2021
3. Marshall, J (1981) Forgotten Railways North-West England, David & Charles (Publishers) Ltd, ISBN 0-7153-8003-6; p.158