Midge Hall railway station
Encyclopedia
Midge Hall railway station was located in Midge Hall
, Leyland
, closing to passengers in 1961, although the line still exists as the Ormskirk Branch Line
.
(LO&PJ) and authorised in 1846; later that year the LO&PJ was amalgamated with the East Lancashire Railway (ELR), which opened the line in 1849.
In August 1859 the ELR was amalgamated with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
(LYR), and in October that year, the station at Midge Hall was opened. It was 23+1/4 mi from , and replaced an earlier station at , 23 miles (37 km) from Liverpool.
The station was closed by British Railways on 2 October 1961.
Trains still stop at Midge Hall signal box to exchange a token for the single line onward to Rufford- this is a vestige of the 1970s and early 1980s, when the then recently singled branchline retained double track from Midge Hall into Preston.
costs, which would barely be covered by the revenue alone.
A meeting held in 2003 concluded that whilst forecasted passenger numbers will likely be higher than that of the 1991 study (due largely to residential development in recent years), numbers may only be in the region of 10,000 to 30,000 and revenue from these passengers would likely still not cover the costs for reopening and thus remains uneconomical to reopen.
Midge Hall
Midge Hall is a small village on the outskirts of Leyland in the borough of South Ribble, Lancashire, England.Notable features include the Midge Hall Pub, a mill which produces animal feed and a test track for cars and wagons from the Leyland Trucks factory....
, Leyland
Leyland, Lancashire
Leyland is a town in the South Ribble borough of Lancashire, England, approximately six miles south of the city of Preston.Throughout the 20th and 21st century, the community has seen a large growth in industry, population and farming, due to the establishment of Leyland Motors, housing...
, closing to passengers in 1961, although the line still exists as the Ormskirk Branch Line
Ormskirk Branch Line
The Ormskirk Branch Line is a railway line in Lancashire, England, running between Preston and Ormskirk. The train service is operated by Northern Rail. The line is the northern section of the former Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway; the line from Ormskirk to Liverpool is now part of...
.
History
The railway line between and Walton was proposed by the Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston RailwayLiverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway
The Liverpool, Ormskirk & Preston Railway was formed in 1846. It was purchased by the East Lancashire Railway. Today the line still operates, with the section between Liverpool and Ormskirk forming part of Merseyrail's Northern Line and the section between Ormskirk and Preston forming Northern...
(LO&PJ) and authorised in 1846; later that year the LO&PJ was amalgamated with the East Lancashire Railway (ELR), which opened the line in 1849.
In August 1859 the ELR was amalgamated with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
(LYR), and in October that year, the station at Midge Hall was opened. It was 23+1/4 mi from , and replaced an earlier station at , 23 miles (37 km) from Liverpool.
The station was closed by British Railways on 2 October 1961.
Trains still stop at Midge Hall signal box to exchange a token for the single line onward to Rufford- this is a vestige of the 1970s and early 1980s, when the then recently singled branchline retained double track from Midge Hall into Preston.
Reopening proposals
There have been talks amongst the local community for the possible reopening of the station. A study held in 1991 concluded that there would be a forecasted 7500 journeys per annum using the station, generating roughly £15,000 in revenue with an average cost of £2 per journey. This was deemed uneconomical due to the high costs of construction (£500,000) coupled with £15,000 in ongoing annual maintenanceMaintenance, Repair and Operations
Maintenance, repair, and operations or maintenance, repair, and overhaul involves fixing any sort of mechanical or electrical device should it become out of order or broken...
costs, which would barely be covered by the revenue alone.
A meeting held in 2003 concluded that whilst forecasted passenger numbers will likely be higher than that of the 1991 study (due largely to residential development in recent years), numbers may only be in the region of 10,000 to 30,000 and revenue from these passengers would likely still not cover the costs for reopening and thus remains uneconomical to reopen.