Liverpool, Southport and Preston Junction Railway

Liverpool, Southport and Preston Junction Railway
Overview
Locale	Lancashire Merseyside
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Route map Southport Central until 1901 Southport Ash Street until 1902 Southport Chapel Street (MSR) from 1901 Liverpool, Crosby & Southport Rly St Luke's from 1902 West Lancashire Railway Meols Cop Blowick Butts Lane Halt from 1907 Manchester and Southport Rly Kew Gardens Heathey Lane Halt from 1907 Shirdley Hill New Cut Lane Halt from 1906 Halsall Plex Moss Lane Halt from 1906 Barton Southport & Cheshire Lines Extn Rly Altcar and Hillhouse Southport & Cheshire Lines Extn Rly

Railway Junctions Diagram of Hillhouse Junction

Site of Butts Lane Halt

The Liverpool, Southport and Preston Junction Railway was formed in 1884, and totaled 7 miles. In 1897 it became part of Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, and on 1 May 1901, its northern terminus switched from Southport Central to Southport Chapel Street.

It connected the West Lancashire Railway's lines to the north of Southport to the CLC Southport & Cheshire Lines Extension Railway at Altcar and Hillhouse railway station. Known also as the Barton branch, it ran from 1 September 1887 to 21 January 1952. The Barton branch was notable for the "Altcar Bob" service, introduced in July 1906.

The short section of line that contains Meols Cop is still open and has replaced a section of the original Manchester and Southport Railway. This northern part was electrified in 1904 and then de-electrified sixty years later.

References

• Cotterall, J.E., (1982), The West Lancashire Railway, The Oakwood Press, ISBN 0-85361-288-9
• Nock, O.S. (1969), The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway – A Concise History, Ian Allan, ISBN 0-7110-0130-8

External links

• On The Track of Altcar Bob