Kents Bank railway station

Kents Bank
General information
Location	Kents Bank, Westmorland and Furness England
Coordinates	54°10′22″N 2°55′31″W
Grid reference	SD396756
Owned by	Network Rail
Managed by	Northern Trains
Platforms	2
Other information
Station code	KBK
Classification	DfT category F2
History
Original company	Ulverstone and Lancaster Railway
Pre-grouping	Furness Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland and Scottish Railway British Rail (London Midland Region)
Key dates
1 September 1857	Opened
Passengers
2019/20	33,622
2020/21	9,534
2021/22	23,956
2022/23	24,938
2023/24	26,724
Location Kents Bank Location in South Lakeland, Cumbria Show map of the former South Lakeland district Kents Bank Location in Cumbria, England Show map of Cumbria
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Kents Bank is a railway station on the Furness Line, which runs between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster. The station, situated 17+1⁄4 miles (28 km) north-west of Lancaster, serves the village of Kents Bank in Cumbria. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.

History

The first station on the site opened in 1857 as part of the Ulverston and Lancaster Railway, but it closed shortly afterwards owing to a lack of passenger traffic.[1] The present station buildings were designed in 1865 by the Lancaster-based architects, Paley and Austin, for the Furness Railway.[2]

Facilities

The station is unstaffed but now has ticket machines available, allowing passenger to buy before boarding. Shelters are located on each platform, along with digital information screens and a PA system. Access to the northbound platform is via a user-worked barrier level crossing,[3] so whilst it has step-free access disabled travellers should exercise caution when crossing the line.[4]

The former station building is now a private residence, but since January 2024, its basement has housed a library specialising in railway books. It has several thousand titles in stock, and these are available for reference or loan. It is run by volunteers and is free to use. An extension to the building, including a derelict toilet block, is used as an art gallery.[1]

Services

Northern Trains Route 6
v t e
Cumbrian Coast, Furness & Windermere lines
Carlisle Dalston Wigton Aspatria Maryport Flimby Workington Harrington Parton Whitehaven Corkickle St Bees Nethertown Braystones Sellafield Seascale Drigg Ravenglass Bootle Silecroft Millom Green Road Foxfield Kirkby-in-Furness Askam Barrow-in-Furness Roose Dalton Ulverston Cark & Cartmel Kents Bank Grange-over-Sands Arnside Silverdale Carnforth Windermere Staveley Burneside Kendal Oxenholme Lake District Lancaster Preston Chorley Bolton Deansgate Manchester Oxford Road Manchester Piccadilly Manchester Airport
Braystones & Nethertown are request stops.

Kents Bank is served by Northern Trains, who operate a regular service between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster. Certain northbound trains are extended to Whitehaven and Carlisle, and several southbound trains are extended to Preston and Manchester Airport. A (mostly) hourly service runs each way on Sundays.[5]

References

1. Salveson, Paul (27 December 2024). "Kent Banks: a hidden gem". RAIL. 1025. Peterborough: Bauer Consumer Media: 50–51.
2. Price, James (1998). Sharpe, Paley and Austin: A Lancaster Architectural Practice 1836–1942. Lancaster: Centre for North-West Regional Studies. p. 78. ISBN 1-86220-054-8.
3. Kents Bank Station "The Carlisle Kid" Geograph.org; Retrieved 24 November 2016
4. Kents Bank Station Information National Rail Enquiries; Retrieved 25 November 2016
5. GB eNRT May 2023 Edition, Table 100

External links

• Media related to Kents Bank railway station at Wikimedia Commons
• Train times and station information for Kents Bank railway station from National Rail

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Cark and Cartmel		Northern Trains Furness Line		Grange-over-Sands