West Leigh and Bedford railway station

West Leigh and Bedford
West Leigh and Bedford
General information
Location	Crankwood, Leigh, Wigan; England
Coordinates	53°29′43″N 2°34′09″W / 53.4952°N 2.5691°W
Grid reference	SD624000
Platforms	2
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Wigan Junction Railways
Pre-grouping	Great Central Railway
Post-grouping	LNER
Key dates
1 April 1884	Station opened as "Plank Lane for West Leigh"
1893	Station renamed "West Leigh and Bedford"
2 November 1964	Station closed

GCR lines to
St Helens and Wigan

Legend

Wigan Central

Wigan Darlington Street

Springs Branch

Manchester–Southport line

Ince

Lower Ince

Wigan avoiding line

to Pemberton

Hindley

to Springs Branch Junction

Manchester–Southport line

Lancashire Union Railway

Lancashire Union Railway

"The Whelley Loop"

Strangeways West Junction

Hindley South

Strangeways East Junction

Platt Bridge

Manchester and Wigan Railway

St Helens Central (GCR)

St Helens Central

Liverpool–Wigan line

Haydock

Haydock Colliery Tunnel

West Coast Main Line

Golborne North

West Leigh and Bedford

Liverpool, St Helens and

South Lancashire Railway

Wigan Junction Railways

Lowton St Mary's Junction

Chat Moss line

Liverpool–Manchester lines

Glazebrook

The West Leigh and Bedford railway station served the hamlet of Crankwood, the village of Abram, and the Plank Lane area of Leigh, England. Like many railways, the line passed between rather than through communities, with branches off to serve the key driver - goods, and in this area - coal.^[4]

Location and nearby stations

The station was on the Wigan Junction Railways line, known locally as the "Wigan Central line", which ran from Wigan Central to Glazebrook.^[5]^[6] It was situated immediately north of the bridge over Crankwood Lane, which in 2015 was still a minor road.

From 1903 to 1915 the LNWR operated Plank Lane station a short distance to the east on the same country lane but on a different line.

Services

The service patterns in 1895, 1947 and 1962 are fully documented in the authoritative Disused Stations website.

In April 1884 the service pattern was straightforward. Six "Down" (towards Wigan) trains called from Manchester Central. In addition, one "express" called at Glazebrook only and passed West Leigh and Bedford without stopping. Of the six, three called at all stations, the remaining three missed some stations between Manchester and Glazebrook. With the exception of the "express" all trains called at all stations between Glazebrook and Wigan. The "Up" service was similar.^[7]

In 1922 six "Down" trains called, All Stations from Manchester Central on "Weekdays" (Mondays to Saturdays), with a further evening train from Lowton St Mary's only. Three other trains called, apparently All Stations from Culcheth, but it is possible they originated from Liverpool Central or Warrington Central and turned west to north at Glazebrook West Junction. One of these trains ran on Fridays and Saturdays Only and the other two ran on Saturdays Only. The "Up" service was broadly similar, but the mix of Saturday Only trains was even more complicated. There was no Sunday service.^[8]

The line through West Leigh and Bedford was also a diversionary route and a route by which traffic such as Summer Saturday holiday specials could bypass busy spots, such as Wigan. Pixton, for example, has a fine 1961 shot of a Summer Saturday Sheffield to Blackpool train at Lowton St Mary's which will pass through the station then bear right immediately north of Hindley South onto the Whelley Loop, joining the WCML at Standish, bypassing Wigan altogether.^[9]

Opening, naming and closure

The line and station opened in 1884. Initially named "Plank Lane for West Leigh", the station was renamed "West Leigh and Bedford" in Summer 1893.^[1] The station closed on 2 November 1964, when the line closed to passengers. The line closed to goods in 1968 and has since been lifted.