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Headbolt Lane railway station

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Coordinates: 53°29′28″N 2°53′08″W / 53.4911°N 2.8856°W / 53.4911; -2.8856
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Headbolt Lane
Merseyrail National Rail
General information
LocationKirkby, Knowsley
England
Grid referenceSJ417999
Managed byMerseyrail
Transit authorityMerseytravel
Platforms3[1]
Other information
Station codeHBL
Key dates
March 2022Construction began
5 October 2023Station opened

Headbolt Lane is a railway station in Kirkby, Merseyside, England, which opened on 5 October 2023.[2][3][4]

The station is the interchange between Merseyrail's Northern Line and the unelectrified Headbolt Lane branch line, operated by Northern.[1]

History

[edit]

The opening of a station in the area had been an objective since the Transport Plan for Merseyside, published by the Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority in March 1972,[5] with detailed plans first developed in 2013.[1]

The station was initially planned to act as a new Merseyrail terminus, but later proposals — made after the Electrification Task Force declared the Kirkby branch line to be a Tier 1 priority for electrification in 2015[6][7] — were devised by Merseytravel and Lancashire County Council to enable Merseyrail services to serve Skelmersdale.[8] In 2017, the two authorities commissioned an initial £5 million feasibility study into establishing the new rail link, including development of Headbolt Lane.[8] It was initially estimated that it would cost around £300 million and would take up to a decade to deliver.[8] However, in July 2022 the Department for Transport rejected the Strategic Outline Business Case for the extension, suggesting that better bus links with the Kirkby–Wigan rail line would be a cheaper way of improving connectivity.[9]

In August 2019, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority announced that part of an agreed £172m funding package for the region would be used to fund the construction of the new station.[5][10] The Combined Authority approved that the first £3.3 million of funding for the project in July 2020, before signing off a further £66 million in March 2021.[1]

The station was designed with three fully accessible platforms, to accommodate any future extension of Merseyrail services to Skelmersdale.[1][11] Platforms 1 and 2 are for Merseyrail, terminating platforms with buffer stops. Platform 3 is beyond the end of those platforms and is for Northern Rail. A 270 space car park and a bus interchange were also part of the design.[1][12]

The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority announced in July 2021 that, after a trial of a battery electric multiple unit (BEMU) version of the new Class 777, it would serve the new station on opening, eliminating the need for the line from Kirkby to be electrified.[13]

Construction began on the station in March 2022.[14] Services along the Northern rail line from Wigan were cut back to Rainford from 7 April 2023 (with bus replacement services provided between Rainford and Kirkby) to allow for the line to be double-tracked and a road bridge replaced.[15] Originally intended to open in Summer 2023, delays caused by the contractor responsible for the construction of the station, the Buckingham group, going into administration meant that services did not commence until October.[16][17]

Facilities

[edit]

There is a ticket office that is staffed from 15 minutes before the start of service until 15 minutes after the last train. The station also has a ticket-vending machine. There are multiple shelters on the platforms, along with digital displays and aural announcements on when the next service will be. The station is completely step-free and accessible for all customers. There is an 80-space secure cycle area, and a car park with 270 spaces.[18]

Services

[edit]

The station is the terminus of the current Merseyrail service to Kirkby and Liverpool Central, which currently has a 4 train per hour service, with trains departing every 15 minutes.[19] Also, the station serves as the terminus of the hourly Northern service towards Wigan Wallgate. Almost all Northern services extend beyond Wigan to Manchester Victoria and Blackburn via Todmorden.[20] There is no late evening or Sunday service on this route.

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Terminus   Merseyrail
  Kirkby
Northern Trains
Monday-Saturday only

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f Rand, Lisa (9 December 2021). "Kirkby to get new train station which will be 'UK first' after plans approved - Liverpool Echo". Liverpool Echo. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  2. ^ "Wigan Wallgate to Kirkby line closure". www.northernrailway.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Next Stop: Headbolt Lane – £80m station served by UK's first battery powered trains to open this week". Merseytravel. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Headbolt Lane opening on Thursday". 3 October 2023. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  5. ^ a b Lally, Kate (7 November 2019). "Kirkby will get new train station before the Baltic Triangle". liverpoolecho. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  6. ^ Rudgard, Olivia (5 March 2015). "Two Merseyside lines prioritised for electrification". Liverpool Echo. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  7. ^ "Place North West | Priority electrification routes sent to Government". Place North West. 6 March 2015. Archived from the original on 6 January 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  8. ^ a b c Houghton, Alistair (18 September 2017). "Skelmersdale rail link moves step closer as £5m funding revealed". liverpoolecho. Archived from the original on 19 September 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  9. ^ Lopez, Jamie (8 July 2022). "Skelmersdale rail station plan rejected in decision branded a 'cruel joke'". LancsLive. Archived from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  10. ^ Tyrrell, Nick (30 August 2019). "Merseyside set to get two new train stations and replacement ferries". Liverpool Echo. Archived from the original on 30 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  11. ^ "Kirkby Headbolt Lane station scheme moves a step closer with £3.3m funding secured and CGI images are unveiled | Liverpool City Region Combined Authority - News". 16 July 2020. Archived from the original on 16 July 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  12. ^ "Changes to services ahead of new Kirkby train station opening". 4 October 2023. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  13. ^ "Battery breakthrough will see Merseyrail network extended". 21 July 2021. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  14. ^ "Work begins on construction of new station at Headbolt Lane in Kirkby". Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. 9 March 2022. Archived from the original on 1 April 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  15. ^ Edrich, Patrick (26 July 2022). "Major road closed as work underway on new £80m train station". liverpoolecho. Archived from the original on 6 October 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  16. ^ "MSN". www.msn.com. Archived from the original on 31 January 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  17. ^ Thorp, Liam (22 August 2023). "Train station update after construction firm administration notice". Liverpool Echo. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  18. ^ "Headbolt Lane". www.merseyrail.org. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  19. ^ "Merseyrail announces increased service from today". Yahoo News. 27 May 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  20. ^ "Wigan Wallgate to Kirkby line closure". www.northernrailway.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
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53°29′28″N 2°53′08″W / 53.4911°N 2.8856°W / 53.4911; -2.8856

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