The Lancashire & Yorkshire Main Line was double track throughout from Walton Junction to Hindley No 3 Junction whether via or avoiding Wigan Wallgate and where the original embankment survives double track can be reinstated relatively easily, the obstructions being where it has been obliterated for the construction of the M57 and widening of County Road, however where the reversing siding for the bin service occupies half of the trackbed, Network Rail still plan to widen the embankment to give a new 3 track layout.
The extent of 4 tracks on the L&YR alone from Liverpool Exchange to Walton Junction and Marsh Lane Junction, continuing from Hindley No 3 Junction to Manchester Victoria via Atherton but not Westhoughton, with that line being 4 tracks from Lostock Junction to Bolton and with numerous through tracks and passing loops including at Wigan Wallgate, Bolton Trinity Street and inexplicably Entwistle, now a single platform request stop is really quite astounding, but not as much as the fact that it has all sadly been lost when the railways of today are so desperate for the additional capacity. How much would it cost to restore the 3 miles between Lostock Junction and Bolton now that it has been electrified without provision for quadrupling?
I previously calculated it to be 6.5 miles Fazakerley to Rainford, 5.1 miles Kirkby to the present start of double track, a further 1 mile from there to the new Skelmersdale junction and 1.9 miles of new construction to the new Skelmersdale station, so just subtract approximately 0.8 miles from Kirkby to Headbolt Lane and it must be about 5.3 miles.
It will obviously be cheaper and less disruptive to just replace the bridge over County Road so I am assuming this will be only done either as part of the Skelmersdale scheme if deemed necessary or if not then if it proves to be a significant bottleneck.
