Kents Bank railway station explained

Kents Bank
Symbol Location:gb
Symbol:rail
Borough:Kents Bank, Westmorland and Furness
Country:England
Coordinates:54.1729°N -2.9252°W
Grid Name:Grid reference
Owned:Network Rail
Manager:Northern Trains
Platforms:2
Code:KBK
Classification:DfT category F2
Original:Ulverstone and Lancaster Railway
Pregroup:Furness Railway
Postgroup:London, Midland and Scottish Railway
British Rail (London Midland Region)
Years:1 September 1857
Events:Opened
Footnotes:Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road
Map Type:United Kingdom South Lakeland#Cumbria

Kents Bank is a railway station on the Furness Line, which runs between and . The station, situated NaNmiles north-west of Lancaster, serves the village of Kents Bank in Cumbria. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.

History

The first station on the site opened in 1857 as part of the Ulverston and Lancaster Railway, but it closed shortly afterwards owing to a lack of passenger traffic.[1] The present station buildings were designed in 1865 by the Lancaster-based architects, Paley and Austin, for the Furness Railway.[2]

Facilities

The station is unstaffed but now has ticket machines available, allowing passenger to buy before boarding. Shelters are located on each platform, along with digital information screens and a PA system. Access to the northbound platform is via a user-worked barrier level crossing,[3] so whilst it has step-free access disabled travellers should exercise caution when crossing the line.[4]

The former station building is now a private residence, but since January 2024, its basement has housed a library specialising in railway books. It has several thousand titles in stock, and these are available for reference or loan. It is run by volunteers and is free to use. An extension to the building, including a derelict toilet block, is used as an art gallery.

Services

Kents Bank is served by Northern Trains, who operate a regular service between and . Certain northbound trains are extended to and, and several southbound trains are extended to and . A (mostly) hourly service runs each way on Sundays.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Salveson . Paul . Kent Banks: a hidden gem . RAIL . 27 December 2024 . 1025 . 50–51 . Bauer Consumer Media . Peterborough.
  2. Book: Price, James . Sharpe, Paley and Austin: A Lancaster Architectural Practice 1836–1942 . Centre for North-West Regional Studies . 1998 . 1-86220-054-8 . Lancaster . 78 . Price, Paley and Austin.
  3. https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4127840 Kents Bank Station
  4. http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/KBK/details.html Kents Bank Station Information
  5. GB eNRT May 2023 Edition, Table 100