1961 Closure of Midge Hall Station, Leyland?

[Chrius56000]

. . .Was there any reason why Midge Hall Station on the Preston–Ormskirk line succumbed in 1961?

. . .Even today trains have to come to a stop alongside what's left of the platform as it's a signalling token exchange point – is this why the platform wasn't demolished?

. . .A guard I spoke to on one of the Preston–Ormskirk line DMUs in the late 1970s said "it would cost hardly anything to reopen it and I can't understand why Lancashire hasn't done so!"

Chris Williams

 

[MadMac]

At the time the station was closed, it was still a through line to Liverpool Exchange and presumably, double track, so it would have removed a poorly patronised stop giving some time benefit.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

. . .Was there any reason why Midge Hall Station on the Preston–Ormskirk line succumbed in 1961?

One of a number of stations in the Ormskirk area that were all being considered for closure in the early 1960 in order to "effect economies". The local stations in scope were Midge Hall, New Lane, Bescar Lane, Rufford and Hoscar, and the review also looked at the viability of the Ormskirk to Southport through rail service. Source "Liverpool Echo". Wednesday 27 January 1960.

 

[Bletchleyite]

One of a number of stations in the Ormskirk area that were all being considered for closure in the early 1960 in order to "effect economies". The local stations in scope were Midge Hall, New Lane, Bescar Lane, Rufford and Hoscar, and the review also looked at the viability of the Ormskirk to Southport through rail service. Source "Liverpool Echo". Wednesday 27 January 1960.

Interestingly, Hoscar, New Lane and Bescar Lane would, in retrospect, have been better closure targets, as the area around Midge Hall has been subject to significant housing development, whereas the areas around those three have not. They would also have allowed a fully clock face Southport service.

 

[52290]

Interestingly, Hoscar, New Lane and Bescar Lane would, in retrospect, have been better closure targets, as the area around Midge Hall has been subject to significant housing development, whereas the areas around those three have not. They would also have allowed a fully clock face Southport service.

The 112 Preston to Midge Hall bus takes around 1hr 15 mins to complete it's journey. Hopefully the long standing campaign to reopen the station will eventually be successful.

 

[Elecman]

As the area managers project manager in the mid 1989s I was tasked with obtaining +\- 30.% estimates for the reopening on behalf of LCC. The costs even then outweighed finance available and there was projected very limited scope for revenue generation

 

[Springs Branch]

Through the 1950s and into the 60s, Midge Hall's claim to fame - such as it was - was as the location where an afternoon express from Liverpool Exchange spilt into portions for Blackpool Central and Skipton (via Colne). The stop at Midge Hall was not advertised as a passenger stop and it continued for a year or two after the station had closed.

There was a forum thread on the subject a couple of years ago here.

Express services starting from small villages (1962)

Hi, This one has me wondering why start an express passenger service from here: It's in my 1962 WTT, 1L64 - 5 19 pm from Midge Hall to Skipton SX (attached). I had to find out where Midge Hall is, apparently it's on the line Preston to Ormskirk & Liverpool. It's South West of Preston near...

www.railforums.co.uk

A specific example was an afternoon Liverpool Exchange with Blackpool and East Lancs portions which split at Midge Hall. Seems other splits took place there. Lostock Hall provided the engine for the East Lancs portion. Midge Hall was the last place such a split could be made and was the closest to the shed for the additional engine. I never heard of Liverpool to Glasgow doing a split there but seems a possibility but probably not in the day the L&Y and Midland Railways ran Liverpool to Glasgow trains through Midge Hall and on to Hellifield etc

Having checked, the reference to Midge Hall that I mentioned upthread was in "Lost Railways of Lancashire" by Gordon Suggitt (2004 revised edition) which asserted that trains from Liverpool for Glasgow/Skipton were split at this location, typically three coaches continuing to Glasgow and seven coaches to Skipton (via Colne, presumably), with crews sourced from the relatively nearby Lostock Hall engine shed.

Timeline was the start of the 1963 summer season.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Interestingly, Hoscar, New Lane and Bescar Lane would, in retrospect, have been better closure targets...

Does seem strange that these three particular stations survived when many others (including nearby Midge Hall station) didn't.

 

[Gloster]

Could it be that the line through Midge Hall was regarded as a mainline and at the beginning of the 1960s the LMR was weeding out minor stations on main lines. The Wigan-Southport line was not seen as one of the more important main lines and might even have been seen a ripe for downgrading, so there wasn’t the pressure or will to remove stations.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Could it be that the line through Midge Hall was regarded as a mainline and at the beginning of the 1960s the LMR was weeding out minor stations on main lines. The Wigan-Southport line was not seen as one of the more important main lines and might even have been seen a ripe for downgrading, so there wasn’t the pressure or will to remove stations.

It could well be something like that if you consider how actually useful stations were closed when the likes of Kempston Hardwick* stayed open. Basically, local stations on mainlines required local train services which got in the way of expresses.

Notably the "Southport three" *do* get in the way of a clean clock face service (if there were four you could skip stop and thus have perfect clock face times at other stations), though perhaps that doesn't really matter when the service isn't clean anyway because half of it goes to Victoria and half to Oxford Road anyway.

* Yes, I know, theme park - but that's 60 odd years later.

 

[RT4038]

It could well be something like that if you consider how actually useful stations were closed when the likes of Kempston Hardwick* stayed open. Basically, local stations on mainlines required local train services which got in the way of expresses.

Notably the "Southport three" *do* get in the way of a clean clock face service (if there were four you could skip stop and thus have perfect clock face times at other stations), though perhaps that doesn't really matter when the service isn't clean anyway because half of it goes to Victoria and half to Oxford Road anyway.

* Yes, I know, theme park - but that's 60 odd years later.

Kempston Hardwick would have had a modicum of trade when the Eastwoods and Coronation brickyards were in full production (although the Brickyards contracted private buses to bring the bulk of 'immigrant' workers in post WW2). Wootton Broadmead Halt and Kempston & Elstow station (either side of Kempston Hardwick) were closed. From the time of the first line closure proposal in 1959, it has been an 'all or nothing' closure scenario, until now with the (sensible) proposal to consolidate the number of stops. As you say, the Universal studios development may reprieve Kempston Hardwick, whether at the current site or one more convenient for access.