Headbolt Lane railway station
Headbolt Lane   | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Location | Kirkby,Knowsley England |
| Grid reference | SJ417999 |
| Managed by | Merseyrail |
| Transit authority | Merseytravel |
| Platforms | 3[1] |
| Other information | |
| Station code | HBL |
| Key dates | |
| March 2022 | Construction began |
| 5 October 2023 | Station opened |
Headbolt Laneis a railway station inKirkby,Merseyside,England,which opened on 5 October 2023.[2][3][4]
The station is the interchange betweenMerseyrail'sNorthern Lineand the unelectrified Headbolt Lanebranch line,operated byNorthern.[1]
History
[edit]The opening of a station in the area had been an objective since the Transport Plan for Merseyside, published by theMerseyside Passenger Transport Authorityin 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 andLancashire County Councilto enable Merseyrail services to serveSkelmersdale.[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 theDepartment for Transportrejected 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 Authorityannounced 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 abattery electric multiple unit(BEMU) version of the newClass 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 toRainfordfrom 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 aticket-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 currentMerseyrailservice toKirkbyandLiverpool 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 hourlyNorthernservice towardsWigan 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
|
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminus | Merseyrail |
Kirkby towardsLiverpool Central
| ||
| Northern Trains Monday-Saturday only | ||||
References
[edit]- ^abcdefRand, Lisa (9 December 2021)."Kirkby to get new train station which will be 'UK first' after plans approved - Liverpool Echo".Liverpool Echo.Archivedfrom the original on 9 December 2021.Retrieved9 December2021.
- ^"Wigan Wallgate to Kirkby line closure".www.northernrailway.co.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 21 April 2023.Retrieved3 October2023.
- ^"Next Stop: Headbolt Lane – £80m station served by UK's first battery powered trains to open this week".Merseytravel.Archivedfrom the original on 4 October 2023.Retrieved3 October2023.
- ^"Headbolt Lane opening on Thursday".3 October 2023.Archivedfrom the original on 3 October 2023.Retrieved3 October2023.
- ^abLally, Kate (7 November 2019)."Kirkby will get new train station before the Baltic Triangle".liverpoolecho.Archivedfrom the original on 11 January 2020.Retrieved11 January2020.
- ^Rudgard, Olivia (5 March 2015)."Two Merseyside lines prioritised for electrification".Liverpool Echo.Archivedfrom the original on 8 December 2015.Retrieved27 November2015.
- ^"Place North West | Priority electrification routes sent to Government".Place North West.6 March 2015.Archivedfrom the original on 6 January 2021.Retrieved24 July2020.
- ^abcHoughton, Alistair (18 September 2017)."Skelmersdale rail link moves step closer as £5m funding revealed".liverpoolecho.Archivedfrom the original on 19 September 2017.Retrieved19 September2017.
- ^Lopez, Jamie (8 July 2022)."Skelmersdale rail station plan rejected in decision branded a 'cruel joke'".LancsLive.Archivedfrom the original on 17 July 2022.Retrieved17 July2022.
- ^Tyrrell, Nick (30 August 2019)."Merseyside set to get two new train stations and replacement ferries".Liverpool Echo.Archivedfrom the original on 30 August 2019.Retrieved31 August2019.
- ^"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.Archivedfrom the original on 16 July 2020.Retrieved16 July2020.
- ^"Changes to services ahead of new Kirkby train station opening".4 October 2023.Archivedfrom the original on 4 October 2023.Retrieved4 October2023.
- ^"Battery breakthrough will see Merseyrail network extended".21 July 2021.Archivedfrom the original on 15 July 2021.Retrieved15 July2021.
- ^"Work begins on construction of new station at Headbolt Lane in Kirkby".Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.9 March 2022.Archivedfrom the original on 1 April 2023.Retrieved5 October2023.
- ^Edrich, Patrick (26 July 2022)."Major road closed as work underway on new £80m train station".liverpoolecho.Archivedfrom the original on 6 October 2023.Retrieved5 October2023.
- ^"MSN".www.msn.com.Archivedfrom the original on 31 January 2019.Retrieved3 October2023.
- ^Thorp, Liam (22 August 2023)."Train station update after construction firm administration notice".Liverpool Echo.Archivedfrom the original on 4 October 2023.Retrieved3 October2023.
- ^"Headbolt Lane".www.merseyrail.org.Retrieved14 October2023.
- ^"Merseyrail announces increased service from today".Yahoo News.27 May 2024.Retrieved13 June2024.
- ^"Wigan Wallgate to Kirkby line closure".www.northernrailway.co.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 21 April 2023.Retrieved25 May2023.
External links
[edit]
- Train timesandstation informationfor Headbolt Lane railway station fromNational Rail
53°29′28″N2°53′08″W/ 53.491136°N 2.885591°W
