Station code GST DfT category F1 Number of platforms 2 | Grid reference SD541071 Managed by Northern 2011/12 91,032 | |
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Similar Wigan Wallgate railway st, Orrell railway station, Bescar Lane railway st, New Lane railway station, Daisy Hill railway station | ||
West coast class 47 s ecs through gathurst railway station wigan
On the outskirts of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, the semi-rural Gathurst is a two-platform station on the Southport line 2 3⁄4 miles (4.4 kilometres) north west of Wigan Wallgate station. The station also serves the nearby village of Shevington, indeed until 1973 (see British Rail Timetable of 1972) was named Gathurst for Shevington. It is currently operated by Northern.
Contents
The main stone-built station building survives adjacent to the Wigan-bound platform, but is now in use for non-railway purposes (as a public house), modest shelters now being provided on both platforms for rail travellers.
History
The station was built by the Manchester and Southport Railway and opened on 9 April 1855, and from January 1885 was part of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR). The main stone-built station building (no longer in use) was built during this time, in the standard L&YR style. The L&YR amalgamated with the London and North Western Railway on 1 January 1922 and in turn was grouped into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) in 1923. Nationalisation followed in 1948. When Sectorisation was introduced in the 1980s, the station was served by Regional Railways until the privatisation of British Rail.
Facilities
The station is unmanned and has no ticket machine, so all tickets must be bought prior to travel or on the train. Train running information can be obtained by phone and timetable posters. There is step-free access to both platforms.
Services
There is generally an hourly service from Gathurst westbound to Southport and eastbound to Manchester Victoria via Atherton. Some Southport to Manchester Airport via Bolton services also call at Gathurst at peak times and late evenings, whilst the last eastbound train of the day terminates at Wigan Wallgate.
On Sundays, trains also call hourly but the eastbound service goes instead to Stockport via Manchester Piccadilly, with trains continuing to Hazel Grove & Chester via Altrincham on alternate hours.