Wigan Chapel Lane railway station explained

Wigan Chapel Lane
Status:Disused
Borough:Wigan
Country:England
Coordinates:53.5418°N -2.63°W
Grid Name:Grid reference
Original:Wigan Branch Railway
Years:3 September 1832
Events:Opened
Years1:31 October 1838
Events1:Closed

Wigan Chapel Lane railway station served the town of Wigan in Lancashire, England.

Wigan Branch Railway

The station opened as Wigan on 3 September 1832 as the terminus of the Wigan Branch Railway (WBR) when it opened the 6miles long line from on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway.[1]

The station building was located to the south of the running line adjacent to Chapel Lane, no other details are known. The station was only known as Wigan and Chapel Lane was added in an explanatory way as to the location of the Railway's office.[2]

The station was short-lived as the line was extended northwards to in 1838 necessitated taking it over Wallgate, the turnpike to Warrington, which required the building of substantial embankments, a new station, was constructed to the south of this new bridge over Wallgate.[3]

Goods station

After closure in 1838 the station site became Wigan goods station.[3] The goods station and yard gradually expanded until there were three sheds, it was able to accommodate most types of goods including live stock, and was equipped with a ten-ton crane.[4] Sometime between 1938 and 1956 the yard lost its capacity to deal with livestock and its crane was downgraded to one of four tons.

The goods yard was still in use in 1957 but by 2008 the goods sheds had been demolished and the goods yard site was occupied by a retail warehouse and car park.

References

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Engineer's Line References PJL, NGJ & CGJ5 Parkside to Wigan Chapel Lane . Railway Codes . 4 July 2018 . 2 October 2020.
  2. News: Opening of the Wigan Branch Railway . Preston Chronicle . 25 August 1832 . 1 . 2 October 2020 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  3. Web site: Wigan Station on OS Six-inch map Lancashire XCIII (includes: Billinge and Winstanley; Orrell; Wigan.) . 1849 . National Library of Scotland . 2 October 2020.
  4. Web site: Wigan Goods Yard on OS 25 inch map Lancashire XCIII.8 (Aspull; Ince In Makerfield; Wigan) . 1929 . National Library of Scotland . 2 October 2020.