Hoscar, Bescar Lane and New Lane

[Gathursty]

Has there ever been much call for these to be closed?

In the times a train I have been on has called hardly anyone gets on, but saying that, I'm not on every train.

I can see a point for Bescar Lane remaining open as that is kinda near the village it serves. New Lane is close to Martin Mere (~1 mile walk) but Hoscar seems to me to be the most unnecessary on the Southport line out of these three.

Do any of you use these stations?

 

[raildude]

Averages about 4 journeys a day, (so probably 2 people returning).

Hoscar-Manchester is about £10 return, so assume the railway makes £20 a day from Hoscar.

You end up with about £7000 a year which isn't too bad for a 2-hourly service.

I wonder what happened in 2005 (recession?)

went from having 2070 a year to 1268 currently.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

It is way too complex and costly to close them anyway, and closure at a time of what is a sort of rail revival doesn't look great. Technically it isn't broken, so don't fix it.

 

[Gathursty]

£20 a day.

I'd like that a day, being a lowly student.

 

[PR1Berske]

I agree with the point that closing stations in a rail revival is not a good move.

However, devil's advocate time, these are very small and isolated villages, with a lot of car ownership. There is an argument that you could make the Southport service more cost effective by not having it stop quite so often after Burscough.

My default position is "More railway stations must be opened". I want more stations open in Preston, for one thing, and can think of dozens of places where access should be made available to the rail network.

It is notable when you look at Hoscar or New Lane and can't see many houses

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I can see a point for Bescar Lane remaining open as that is kinda near the village it serves. New Lane is close to Martin Mere (~1 mile walk) but Hoscar seems to me to be the most unnecessary on the Southport line out of these three.

Whilst not being able to justify the existence of Hoscar station, I will submit some historical information, if this is of interest to the forum members. Hoscar station was built by the Manchester and Southport Railway in April 1855 (which was amalgamated with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1885).

It was built to serve the villages of Lathom (mentioned in the Domesday Book as Latune) and Hoscar which were agricultural areas of long standing. Hoscar station originally had a goods yard, used by the local farming community to take their crops to the markets of Southport, Wigan and Manchester. There were also collieries in the area in the mid 19th century, which is on the eastern edge of the Middle and Lower coal measures of the Lancashire coalfield.

 

[strange6]

Whilst not being able to justify the existence of Hoscar station, I will submit some historical information, if this is of interest to the forum members. Hoscar station was built by the Manchester and Southport Railway in April 1855 (which was amalgamated with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1885).

It was built to serve the villages of Lathom (mentioned in the Domesday Book as Latune) and Hoscar which were agricultural areas of long standing. Hoscar station originally had a goods yard, used by the local farming community to take their crops to the markets of Southport, Wigan and Manchester. There were also collieries in the area in the mid 19th century, which is on the eastern edge of the Middle and Lower coal measures of the Lancashire coalfield.

Thanks for that, paul. I must admit that when I'm on ANY shift and running this road, I very rarely see anybody alighting or boarding.

 

[John55]

"Whilst not being able to justify the existence of Hoscar station, I will submit some historical information, if this is of interest to the forum members. Hoscar station was built by the Manchester and Southport Railway in April 1855 (which was amalgamated with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1885)."

According to Marshall Vol. 1 (and he is the authority on the L&Y) Hoscar Station was opened in 1871 as Hoscar Moss by the L&Y.

The railway was not actually built by the Manchester & Southport Railway as between gaining the Act of Parliament in 1847 and construction starting 4 years later the M&S became part of the L&Y and to further complicate matters the route between Wigan and Southport was jointly constructed by the L&Y and the East Lancashire Railway which later merged as the L&Y in 1859.

I do note that there are 70 stations with fewer passengers than Hoscar so perhaps closure might be a while off.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

"Whilst not being able to justify the existence of Hoscar station, I will submit some historical information, if this is of interest to the forum members. Hoscar station was built by the Manchester and Southport Railway in April 1855 (which was amalgamated with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1885)."

According to Marshall Vol. 1 (and he is the authority on the L&Y) Hoscar Station was opened in 1871 as Hoscar Moss by the L&Y.

The railway was not actually built by the Manchester & Southport Railway as between gaining the Act of Parliament in 1847 and construction starting 4 years later the M&S became part of the L&Y and to further complicate matters the route between Wigan and Southport was jointly constructed by the L&Y and the East Lancashire Railway which later merged as the L&Y in 1859.

I do note that there are 70 stations with fewer passengers than Hoscar so perhaps closure might be a while off.

My apologies. I meant to say that the Manchester and Southport Railway was first commenced in April 1855...not Hoscar station..

 

[mullin]

One of these stations helps provide me with cheap travel to Cheshire, so I see a purpose served

 

[Gathursty]

Ah yes! That was an illuminating PM when I was after a journey in that direction.