Bickershaw and Abram railway station

Bickershaw and Abram railway station served the communities of Bickershaw and Abram southeast of Wigan, England.^[4]

Bickershaw and Abram
General information
Location	Bickershaw, Wigan England
Coordinates	53.5149°N 2.5781°W / 53.5149; -2.5781
Grid reference	SD618022
Platforms	2
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Wigan Junction Railways
Pre-grouping	Great Central Railway
Post-grouping	London and North Eastern Railway
Key dates
1 April 1884	Station opened[1]
2 November 1964	Station closed[2][3]

v t e GCR lines to St Helens and Wigan
Legend
Wigan Central Wigan Darlington Street Springs Branch Manchester–Southport line Ince Lower Ince Wigan avoiding line to Pemberton Hindley to Springs Branch Junction Manchester–Southport line Lancashire Union Railway Lancashire Union Railway "The Whelley Loop" Strangeways West Junction Hindley South Strangeways East Junction Platt Bridge Manchester and Wigan Railway St Helens Central (GCR) St Helens Central Liverpool–Wigan line Haydock Haydock Colliery Tunnel Bickershaw and Abram Ashton-in-Makerfield Haydock Park Park Lane Halt Golborne South West Coast Main Line Golborne North West Leigh and Bedford Liverpool, St Helens and South Lancashire Railway Wigan Junction Railways Lowton St Mary's Junction Lowton St Mary's Chat Moss line Kenyon Junction Culcheth Newchurch Halt Liverpool–Manchester lines Glazebrook

Map showing the location of Bickershaw and Abram station in the early 1900s

Location and nearby stations

The station was on the Wigan Junction Railways line, known locally as the "Wigan Central line", which ran from Wigan Central to Glazebrook.^[5][6] It was situated immediately south of the B5237 level crossing over the tracks.^[7][8]

Services

The service patterns in 1895, 1947 and 1962 are fully documented in the authoritative Disused Stations website.^[9]

In April 1884 the service pattern was straightforward. Six "Down" (towards Wigan) trains called from Manchester Central. In addition, one "express" called at Glazebrook only and passed Lower Ince without stopping. Of the six, three called at all stations, the remaining three missed some stations between Manchester and Glazebrook. With the exception of the "express" all trains called at all stations between Glazebrook and Wigan. The "Up" service was similar.^[10]

In 1922 six "Down" trains called, All Stations from Manchester Central on "Weekdays" (Mondays to Saturdays), with a further evening train from Lowton St Mary's only. Three other trains called, apparently All Stations from Culcheth, but it is possible they originated from Liverpool Central or Warrington Central and turned west to north at Glazebrook West Junction. One of these trains ran on Fridays and Saturdays Only and the other two ran on Saturdays Only. The "Up" service was broadly similar, but the mix of Saturday Only trains was even more complicated. There was no Sunday service.^[11]

The line through Bickershaw and Abram was also a diversionary route and a route by which traffic such as Summer Saturday holiday specials could bi-pass busy spots, such as Wigan. Pixton, for example, has a fine 1961 shot of a Summer Saturday Sheffield to Blackpool train at Lowton St Mary's which will pass through the station then bear right immediately north of Hindley South onto the Whelley Loop, joining the WCML at Standish, bypassing Wigan altogether.^[12]

Opening, naming and closure

The line and station opened in 1884. The station closed on 2 November 1964, when the line closed to passengers.^[13] The line closed to goods in 1968 and has since been lifted.

After closure

By 2006 the site had been razed to the ground. A lone gatepost remained as a reminder of the station.

Preceding station		Disused railways		Following station
Hindley South Line and station closed		Great Central Railway Wigan Junction Railways		West Leigh and Bedford Line and station closed

References

1. Dow 1962, p. 194.
2. "Bickershaw & Abram". Disused Stations UK.
3. James 2004, p. 47.
4. Sweeney 2013, pp. 62–72.
5. "Wigan Junction Line". Railway Codes.
6. Smith & Turner 2012, Map 45.
7. "1948 OS Map". npe maps.
8. Shannon & Hillmer 2003, p. 91.
9. "Wigan line timetables". Disused Stations.
10. Dow 1962, p. 354.
11. Bradshaw 1985, pp. 714–715.
12. Pixton 1996, p. 119.
13. Butt 1995, pp. 120–121.

Sources

• Bradshaw, George (1985) [July 1922]. Bradshaw's General Railway and Steam Navigation guide for Great Britain and Ireland: A reprint of the July 1922 issue. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-8708-5. OCLC 12500436.
• Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
• Dow, George (1962). Great Central, Volume Two Dominion of Watkin 1864-1899. Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-7110-1469-5. OCLC 655324061.
• Pixton, Bob (1996), The Archive Photographs Series Widnes and St Helens Railways, Stroud: The Chalford Publishing Company, ISBN 978-0-7524-0751-7
• James, David (2004), Lancashire's Lost Railways, Catrine: Stenlake Publishing, ISBN 978-1-84033-288-9
• Shannon, Paul; Hillmer, John (2003). British Railways Past and Present, Manchester and South Lancashire. Kettering: Past & Present Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85895-197-3. No 41.
• Smith, Paul; Turner, Keith (2012), Railway Atlas Then and Now, Shepperton: Ian Allan, ISBN 978-0-7110-3695-6
• Sweeney, Dennis (2013). The Wigan Junction Railways. Leigh: Triangle Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9550030-5-9.

External links

• The station on a 1948 OS map npe Maps
• The station on a 1909 OS map National Library of Scotland
• The station and line on multiple overlain maps Rail Map Online
• The station, line and mileages Railway Codes
• Train entering the station Wigan World