Southport railway station

Southport
Location
Place	Southport
Local authority	Sefton
Operations
Station code	SOP
Managed by	Merseyrail
Platforms in use	6
Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail
Annual rail passenger usage
2004/05 *	1.550 million
2005/06 *	1.582 million
2006/07 *	1.669 million
2007/08 *	1.681 million
Passenger Transport Executive
PTE	Merseytravel
Zone	D1
History
22 August 1851	Opened (as Southport Chapel Street)
National Rail - UK railway stations
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
* Annual passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Southport from Office of Rail Regulation statistics.
UK Railways Portal

Southport railway station serves the town of Southport, Merseyside, England. It is at the end of one of the branches of the Northern Line of the Merseyrail network, and at the end of the Manchester-Southport Line which runs via Wigan. The station and services to Liverpool and Hunts Cross are run by Merseyrail, and Manchester services are operated by Northern Rail.

History

The Liverpool line was originally built in 1848 by the Liverpool, Crosby and Southport Railway to a temporary station at Eastbank Street, about half a mile short of the current terminus. The current station opened as Southport Chapel Street on 22 August 1851, and became the terminus for all trains from Wigan in 1857, when passenger services were transferred from the adjacent Southport London Street.^[1]

From 1882 the West Lancashire Railway to Preston Fishergate Hill operated from Southport Derby Road (later known as Southport Central) outside Chapel Street Station.

In 1884, another line from Southport to Liverpool was opened: the Cheshire Lines Committee's (CLC) North Liverpool Extension Line from Liverpool Central to Southport Lord Street. The West Lancashire Railway sponsored the Liverpool, Southport and Preston Junction Railway to provide a connection to the CLC line, joining it at Altcar and Hillhouse. These lines ultimately proved uncompetitive, however, and the Southport services were withdrawn in January 1952.^[2]

In July 1897, both the West Lancashire and the Liverpool, Southport and Preston Junction Railways were absorbed into the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&Y). The L&Y had a large terminus at Southport Chapel Street and could see no sense in operating two termini at very close proximity. On 1 May 1901 the L&Y completed a remodelling of the approach lines to Southport Central to allow trains to divert onto the Manchester to Southport line and into Southport Chapel Street Station. Southport Central was closed to passengers and it became a goods depot eventually amalgamating with Chapel Street depot. It survived intact well into the 1970s.

The Preston line was closed to passengers on 7 September 1964,^[3] although a small section to Hesketh Park station was used for freight until 1967. This line had its electric local services to Crossens and its through steam services withdrawn on consecutive days immediately before the official closure date—the only such route to suffer that fate during the Beeching-era closures. Nowadays, the towns of Southport and Preston are linked only by the (largely dual-carriageway) A565 and A59 roads.

At its largest, Chapel Street station had eleven regular platforms and two excursion platforms. Now six truncated platforms are in use (platforms 1-3 for Liverpool trains & 4-6 for Manchester), the rest having been demolished to form a car park. In the 1970s the former terminal building was replaced with a shopping centre.

Layout and amenities

Two Merseyrail Class 507 units stand in Platforms 2 and 3.

A Northern Rail-liveried Class 156 stands in Platform 5.

The main entrance to this staffed station is located on the newly-pedestrianised Chapel Street, one of Southport's main shopping areas. The car park immediately next to the station is reserved for taxis and staff only, but a large pay car park further along London Street is available for general public use.^[4]

A new M to Go shop opened in 2007 and includes the new ticket office inside. The station itself recently underwent a £3.5m renovation project which included a renewed roof, new lighting, glazed screens, floor tiles and toilets plus a retail unit.^[5] Ticket barriers are in operation at this station.

Services

On weekdays and Saturdays, there are 4 trains per hour (tph) to Hunts Cross via Liverpool Central, 1tph to Manchester Victoria via Atherton and 1tph to Manchester Airport via Bolton and Manchester Piccadilly. On Sundays in summer, there are 4tph to Liverpool Central, two of which are extended to Hunts Cross On winter Sundays, 2tph run to Hunts Cross. On Sundays at all times of year, there is 1tph to Stockport via Bolton and Manchester Piccadilly; alternate trains continue to Chester via Altrincham.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Southport railway station

• Train times and station information for Southport railway station from National Rail
• Station information from Merseyrail
• 'Altcar Bob' at southport.gb.com

Coordinates: 53°38′49″N 3°00′07″W / 53.647°N 3.002°W / 53.647; -3.002