# Manchester and Southport Railway

The Manchester and Southport Railway in England was formed by an Act of 22 July 1847 to link Manchester and Southport. Before the line opened it was acquired jointly by the L&YR and the East Lancashire Railway (ELR) on 3 July 1854.

## Wigan area

The line was opened in several sections. The first 3 miles (4.8 km) were constructed in Wigan when on 20 November 1848 the L&YR opened its line from Walton Junction (in north Liverpool) to Lostock Junction on the L&YR line between Salford and Preston. There were two stations on this section, Wigan and Hindley. Another station was opened later, on 1 June 1863, at Ince.

## Southport end

The second section of line to open was on 9 April 1855 from Wigan to Southport London Street, the first part of this line to Burscough Bridge was wholly owned by the L&YR, the remainder was jointly owned by the L&YR and the East Lancashire Railway (ELR). The delay in opening this section was due to L&YR finding itself in "severe financial difficulties" and it took the issue of a mandamus to spur the L&YR into action.
There were six stations on this section, described as "solid, substantial, well built of stone in the Elizabethan style, neat without undue ornament", on this section, Gathurst, Appley Bridge, Newburgh (which became Parbold), Burscough Bridge, New Lane and Bescar Lane.
The line terminated at the ELR Southport London Street station which was still under construction at the time. Operations were transferred to Southport Chapel Street in 1857 with London Street station firstly becoming a 'repairing shed' (according to the 1894 Ordnance Survey), then becoming a goods station and ultimately being absorbed into Chapel Street station when it was rebuilt in 1914. Other stations were opened later, Cop End (which became Blowick) on 1 April 1870 and Hoscar Moss on 1 November 1870. Finally Barton Street opened on 1 July 1883, this station became St Luke's and sometimes St Luke's Road.

## Manchester end

The route utilised some existing infrastructure at its Manchester end. The line from Manchester Victoria to Salford Central was opened in 1844, prior to that the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal Company had opened a line in 1838 from Salford Central to Bolton Trinity Street and this line was utilised as far as Windsor Bridge, near the site of the present day Salford Crescent station.
A new line was constructed from Windsor Bridge junction to Hindley where it joined the existing line to Bolton and Bury, the former Liverpool and Bury Railway. This line opened in sections, firstly on 13 June 1887 from Windsor Bridge to Swinton with stations at Pendleton Broad Street, Pendlebury and Swinton, Irlams o' th' Height was opened later in 1901.
The next section opened a year later on 2 July 1888, it ran as far as Atherton Central with stations at Moorside and Wardley, Walkden and Atherton Central.
The final section of line from Atherton Central to Crow Nest Junction, just before Hindley station opened on 1 October 1888, there were stations at Hag Fold and Daisy Hill.

## Subsequent ownership

The ELR was acquired by the L&YR on 13 August 1859 and from then the whole line was owned by the L&YR.
The route is still in use to day as Northern's Manchester to Southport Line.