Plank Lane railway station

Former railway station in England

53°29′41″N 2°33′39″W / 53.4948°N 2.5609°W / 53.4948; -2.5609Grid referenceSD629000Platforms2 ^[1]Other informationStatusDisusedHistoryPre-groupingLNWRKey dates1 October 1903Station opened22 February 1915Station closed^[2]

Plank Lane railway station served the hamlet of Crankwood 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.

Location and nearby stations

The station was the only one on the Plank Lane Branch, which ran from junctions with the Eccles, Tyldesley and Wigan line south to Pennington.^[3]^[4] It was situated immediately north of the bridge over Crankwood Lane,^[5] which in 2015 was still a minor road.^[6] Throughout this station's short life the GCR operated West Leigh and Bedford station a short distance to the west on the same country lane but on a different line.

Opening and closure

The station opened in 1903 and closed in 1915, never to reopen. The line survived until well after WW2 but has since been lifted and in many places obliterated.

Preceding station		Disused railways		Following station
Platt Bridge Line and station closed		London and North Western Railway		Pennington Line and station closed

References

^ The station's history Disused Stations
^ Butt 1995, p. 186.
^ The line and mileages via railwaycodes
^ Conolly 1998, p. 45
^ Sweeney 2013, p. 57.
^ The station site on a 1948 OS Map via npe maps

Sources

Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
Conolly, W. Philip (1998). British railways pre-grouping atlas and gazetteer (9th impression; 5th ed.). Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-7110-0320-0. OCLC 221481275.
Sweeney, Dennis (2013). The Wigan Junction Railways. Leigh: Triangle Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9550030-5-9.