Kirkby branch line

The Kirkby Branch Line is a branch railway line from Wigan to

Kirkby. The line's original route was from Liverpool to Bury and
Kirkby branch line
later the most northern of the Liverpool to Manchester lines.[3]
The line was split at Kirkby in 1977 with the western section
forming a high frequency branch of the electrified Merseyrail
Northern Line, also referred to as the Kirkby branch line. The
Kirkby branch to Wigan remained a low frequency (one train per
hour) diesel operated service by Northern Trains from Kirby to
Manchester.[4]

A Northern Rail Class 150 at Orrell

Contents railway station

History Overview

Route description Status Operational

Services Owner Network Rail

Notes Locale North West England

References Termini Wigan Wallgate
Bibliography Kirkby
Stations Pemberton, Orrell,
Upholland, Rainford
History Service

The Liverpool and Bury Railway built the first line into Liverpool System National Rail
from the north. It ran from Bury in Lancashire (now Greater Operator(s) Northern Trains
Manchester) via the towns of Bolton and Wigan, reaching the city
History
of Liverpool in 1848. Soon afterwards, the Liverpool, Ormskirk
and Preston Railway's route to Preston was built sharing the Opened 20 November 1848[1]
L&BR line as far as Walton.[1] Mergers meant that the Bury route Technical
was built by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, which had
Line length 12.25 miles
taken over the Liverpool and Bury Railway company.[1][4] The
(19.71 km)[2][3]
opening ceremony took place on 20 November 1848.[1]
Track 1,435 mm (4 ft 81⁄2 in)
With the creation of the Merseyrail metro and the closure of the gauge standard gauge
route's former terminus at Liverpool Exchange in 1977 through
Route map
trains to Liverpool from the Wigan direction ceased. It had
originally been intended that the line be electrified all the route
from Liverpool to Wigan creating a terminal of the Merseyrail
Northern Line at Wigan Wallgate. Wigan North Western is a to Bolton
terminal of Merseyrail's City Line. Only the section between Manchester–Southport line
to Manchester
Liverpool and Kirkby was electrified in 1977 as a part of the Wigan Wallgate
Merseyrail scheme. Kirkby station was reconstructed as a terminus Pemberton
for Merseyrail's Northern Line Kirkby branch and the Manchester Orrell
to Kirkby line.[3] Services between Wigan and Kirkby are Upholland
provided by diesel-powered trains. Passengers from the Rainford
Manchester direction continuing beyond Kirkby into Liverpool divided
platform Kirkby
change at Kirkby joining a Merseyrail-operated electric metro Merseyrail
Northern line
train.[3] It is a long term aspiration of Merseyrail to complete the
electrification of the Northern Line to Wigan.[5] Merseytravel also
hope to use the route as part of rail link to the town of Skelmersdale, which has been cut off from the national
network since 1956 and is now one of the largest towns in North West England without a passenger rail
service.[6]

Proposals to extend Merseyrail's Northern Line to a new terminal station at Headbolt Lane, between Kirkby
and Rainford, were announced in 2007 but did not receive funding.[7]

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority announced in August 2019 that they were planning to use part of
a £172m funding package into opening a new station at Headbolt Lane, subject to the plans being approved.[8]
This would relocate the Merseyrail and Northern terminal from Kirkby to Headbolt Lane station.

Route description
The former main line is now "something of a backwater",[4] with the appearance of a rural branch line in
places.[3]

After leaving Wigan Wallgate station, trains pass under the West Coast Main Line almost
immediately, after which the Southport-bound Manchester to Southport Line diverges to the
west.
A series of bridges take the branch line over the River Douglas and the Leeds and Liverpool
Canal this includes the Adam Viaduct - the first prestressed concrete railway bridge in
Britain.[9]
The line reaches Pemberton station, where a now removed loop line came in on the east
side.[3] This rejoined the line to Bolton east of Wigan, avoiding the latter town.[10]
The line then passes under the M6 motorway and the 959-yard (877 m) Upholland Tunnel,
between which is Orrell station. The tunnel is situated at the highest point of the line, and is the
only major structural work on the route.[3]
Upholland station is next, followed by Rainford—until the 1950s, a junction for two passenger
lines. One, the Skelmersdale branch, ran northwestwards towards Skelmersdale and Ormskirk;
the other ran to St Helens via Crank.[3] The lines were both opened in 1858, although not at the
same time, and were usually operated as a through route. The Ormskirk line was built by the
East Lancashire Railway, while the St Helens Railway was responsible for the line to that
town.[11] Both survived until the 1960s for freight traffic.[3]
The line becomes single-track after Rainford, and continues for 5.25 miles (8.45 km) to the
single platform terminus at Kirkby.[2][3] There is a rail-connected freight terminal on this section,
serving the Potter Logistics depot at the Knowsley Industrial Park near Kirkby. Regular traffic
from this facility resumed in July 2016, after a prolonged period of disuse (services having
previously ceased in 2006).[12]

Services
Trains start from and terminate at Manchester Victoria and join the Kirkby branch at Wigan Wallgate, having
travelled via Atherton and Hindley, and change direction at Kirkby. Services are scheduled to take between 69
and 75 minutes end-to-end. There are no weekday evening (after 20.10) or Sunday service.[13]
As of 2010, the standard service on the Kirkby branch is hourly, with trains starting from Manchester Victoria
and terminating there on the return journey. These service frequencies have been unchanged since the 1980s[4]
however the high-level output specification for 2014-2019 envisages the service being cut back to a simple
shuttle between Kirkby and Wigan Wallgate. Services are operated by Northern Trains.[14] Network Rail has
considered the effects of electrification.[15]

Notes

References
1. Wright, Paul (1998–2008). "Liverpool Exchange" (http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/l/liverpool
_exchange/index.shtml). Disused Stations/Subterranea Britannica. Retrieved 4 December
2010.
2. "Electronic National Rail Timetable (eNRT): Winter 2010/2011" (http://www.networkrail.co.uk/br
owse%20documents/eNRT/Dec10/CompleteTimetable.zip) (Zipped PDF). Network Rail. 12
December 2010. p. 1541. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
3. Macfarlane 1987, p. 43.
4. Macfarlane 1987, p. 42.
5. Merseytravel Long Term Rail Strategy, P.25 (http://moderngov.merseytravel.uk.net/documents/s
12878/Enc.%201%20for%20Long%20Term%20Rail%20Strategy.pdf)
6. "A Station Back in Skelmersdale" (http://www.railfuture.org.uk/A+Station+Back+in+Skelmersdal
e)Railfuture; Retrieved 10 June 2016
7. "Millions to be spent on Mersey rail network" (http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-new
s/regional-news/tm_headline=millions-to-be-spent-on-mersey-rail-network&method=full&object
id=18852321&siteid=50061-name_page.html). Liverpool Daily Post. Trinity Mirror. 3 April 2007.
Retrieved 4 December 2010.
8. Tyrrell, Nick (30 August 2019). "Merseyside set to get two new train stations and replacement
ferries" (https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/merseyside-set-two-new-train-16
838844). Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
9. Historic England. "Adam Viaduct (1061327)" (https://HistoricEngland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-e
ntry/1061327). National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
10. Brownbill, J.; Farrer, William (eds.) (1911). "A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 4.
Townships: Pemberton" (https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol4/pp78-83). Victoria
County History of Lancashire. British History Online. pp. 78–83. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
11. Wright, Paul; Price, Bevan (1998–2008). "Crank Halt" (http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/c/cra
nk/index.shtml). Disused Stations/Subterranea Britannica. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
12. "Potter Logistics reopens Knowsley rail freight terminal" (http://www.lloydsloadinglist.com/freigh
t-directory/news/Potter-Logistics-reopens-Knowsley-rail-freight-terminal/66848.htm#.V6MkrFUr
KUk) Waters, Will;Lloyds Loading List 4 July 2016; Retrieved 4 August 2016
13. "Network Rail Table 82 - Manchester - Bolton - Wigan, Kirkby, Southport, Preston, Blackpool
North and Barrow-in-Furness 13 December 2015 to 14 May 2016" (http://www.networkrail.co.u
k/browse%20documents/eNRT/Dec15/timetables/Table%20082.pdf) (PDF). Network Rail.
December 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
14. "Network Map" (https://web.archive.org/web/20101129080239/http://www.northernrail.org/trave
l/networkmap). Northern Rail. 2010. Archived from the original (http://www.northernrail.org/trave
l/networkmap) on 29 November 2010. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
15. "Network RUS Electrification" (https://web.archive.org/web/20141012195531/http://www.networ
krail.co.uk/networkrus_electrification.pdf) (PDF). October 2009. Archived from the original (htt
p://www.networkrail.co.uk/networkrus_electrification.pdf) (PDF) on 12 October 2014. Retrieved
20 October 2013.
Bibliography
Macfarlane, Andrew (January 1987). Young, Tim (ed.). Lancashire and Cumbria by Rail. Britain
By Rail (Railway Development Society). Norwich: Jarrold and Sons. ISBN 0-7117-0297-7.

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