Headbolt Lane progress updates

[Baxenden Bank]

May be it is tied in with Buckinghams (site contractors) who have gone into administration and the Authorities have yet to established which contractor is going to complete the remaining work. It can be complicated and could take time - hopefully it will completed as soon as possible. Fingers cross.

The Boys from the Blackstuff, specifically Yosser Hughes, could get the job finished. "Gis a job, i can lay bricks."

For younger listeners the reference is to a BBC TV drama series broadcast in the early 1980's. A true classic.

 

[Llandudno]

The Boys from the Blackstuff, specifically Yosser Hughes, could get the job finished. "Gis a job, i can lay bricks."

For younger listeners the reference is to a BBC TV drama series broadcast in the early 1980's. A true classic.

A classic indeed!

The Boys from the Blackstuff would have finished the project months ago, mind you they wouldn’t have worried about health and safety and probably would have worked whilst the trains were running as well!

 

[PeterStoba]

Kier have bought Buckingham's rail division, which includes this project. Work has noticeably resumed as of w/c 18th September.

 

[H&I]

Will Headbolt Lane open on Monday, 2 October? As mentioned on the forum, Realtime Trains shows Northern services from Monday but not Merseyrail services. However, I have not found any press releases confirming the start of Northern services to the station.

 

[Urban-Savage]

Drove that way today
lots of work going on

 

[Kite159]

Will Headbolt Lane open on Monday, 2 October? As mentioned on the forum, Realtime Trains shows Northern services from Monday but not Merseyrail services. However, I have not found any press releases confirming the start of Northern services to the station.

Northern on twitter seem to be thinking it's open on Monday

"Hello, Headbolt Lane will be open from the 2nd we have been advised.^AH"

https://twitter.com/northernassist/status/1707386455348089033?t=SCH7Mh_BucvIwBizupINJw&s=19

 

[GarethCoates]

Northern on twitter seem to be thinking it's open on Monday

"Hello, Headbolt Lane will be open from the 2nd we have been advised.^AH"

https://twitter.com/northernassist/status/1707386455348089033?t=SCH7Mh_BucvIwBizupINJw&s=19

That was a reply to a question I asked. They've now said that trains will not be running from Headbolt Lane next week.

 

[H&I]

Northern on twitter seem to be thinking it's open on Monday

"Hello, Headbolt Lane will be open from the 2nd we have been advised.^AH"

https://twitter.com/northernassist/status/1707386455348089033?t=SCH7Mh_BucvIwBizupINJw&s=19

Thank you. Unfortunately, based on a response from Northern’s X (formerly Twitter) account saying that the station would open on Monday, I had already bought Advance tickets for travel from London to Wigan and back to be on what would have been the first passenger service to the station.

 

[py_megapixel]

Thank you. Unfortunately, based on a response from Northern’s X (formerly Twitter) account saying that the station would open on Monday, I had already bought Advance tickets for travel from London to Wigan and back to be on what would have been the first passenger service to the station.

Surely one's intended destination station not existing must be grounds for a refund?!?

 

[JBuchananGB]

I drove past the end of Headbolt Lane today, and it doesn’t look as though the station will be opening any time soon.

 

[mcnw35282]

Which is a shame. The only thing that's unfinished is the access path from the Northwood side of the tracks and the car park...these areas could easily be temporarily fenced off while completion works are ongoing.

 

[Purple Train]

If theye had to name it after Frankenstein's monster (not that I remember it having bolts through its neck in Shelley's novel), could they not have named it Kirkby Headbolt Lane? Or would that have entailed renaming the existing Kirkby station?

 

[jamesst]

If theye had to name it after Frankenstein's monster (not that I remember it having bolts through its neck in Shelley's novel), could they not have named it Kirkby Headbolt Lane? Or would that have entailed renaming the existing Kirkby station?

Unless it's changed recently its listed on the 777s as Kirkby Headbolt lane

 

[Purple Train]

Unless it's changed recently its listed on the 777s as Kirkby Headbolt lane

How interesting. If Northern don't do the same, then surely it would be the wrong way round - metro operator giving the precise location, longer-distance operator giving random street name...

 

[LPJOHN]

I boarded the 09:13 at Kirkby and the screens were showing “Kirkby H’bolt Lane”.

I also noticed it on the “777 0142” earlier in the week at Kirkdale depot. It looked like it was getting ready for a test run.

 

[Djgr]

Interesting. Looks like somebody has been touched with the sensible stick.

I have ranted numerous times about naming a terminus station with a lane, that even people in Kirkby have never heard.

However, the consensus of the forum has been that there is no problem with doing this.

 

[mcnw35282]

If it has been renamed, it'll only be on the trains and PIS...the station building and platform signage is already in place.

Oh, and as a Kirkby lad myself, trust me when I say that almost everyone in Kirkby knows where Headbolt Lane is, or has at the very least heard of it.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Northern have updated their engineering works page:

Update 29/09/23​

Headbolt Lane station opening date to be confirmed soon.

A rail replacement bus service will continue to operate between Rainford, Headbolt Lane and Kirkby until further notice.

There will be no services on Wednesday 4 October 2023 due to industrial action.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Northern have updated their engineering works page:

A rail replacement bus service will continue to operate between Rainford, Headbolt Lane and Kirkby until further notice.

That makes it sound like the busses will start calling at Headbolt Lane, which doesn't seem to be on the schedules (to be fair, I don't see any busses at all anywhere)

 

[Baxenden Bank]

That makes it sound like the busses will start calling at Headbolt Lane, which doesn't seem to be on the schedules (to be fair, I don't see any busses at all anywhere)

The schedules, as reflected by Realtime Trains, are all-over the place. Most likely due to the very fluid situation.

Tomorrow (Monday 2) shows all as non-passenger.
Tuesday (3rd) shows public services and non-passenger services for the same Northern service. Click on the public service and it shows stations Rainford to Blackburn (which are WTT). Click on the non-passenger (which are VST) and it shows the Rainford - Headbolt Lane - Rainford working off those WTT passenger services.

 

[Geeves]

The screens at Victoria today are showing 'Headbolt Lane'

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Journey check is showing every train to Rainford as to Headbolt Lane but cancelled to Rainford, it also shows that the busses now stop at Headbolt Lane, so the station is technically open, but only to busses, so it will kind of have 2 openings, one with busses and one with trains.

03/10/23 05:34 Manchester Victoria to Headbolt Lane due 06:39 will be terminated at Rainford.
It will no longer call at Headbolt Lane.
This is due to engineering works not being finished on time.
Additional Information
Due to engineering works not being finished on time, Headbolt Lane station will remain closed until further notice. Train services will continue to terminate and start at Rainford. An hourly road replacement bus service will continue to operated between Rainford - Kirkby in either direction and will now call additionally at Headbolt Lane station.
The bus pick up point for Headbolt Lane is located 500m away from the station at the bus stops on Bank Lane adjacent to St Peter & St Paul Church.

 

[danbarnstall]

It could be an interesting week on the HBL front

 

[JBuchananGB]

Those bus stops are a ridiculously long way (500m) from the station. They may be serving the general area, but they are not serving the station!

 

[Gricer99]

RTT now showing the first Train from Manchester on Thursday morning

 

[py_megapixel]

Journey check is showing every train to Rainford as to Headbolt Lane but cancelled to Rainford, it also shows that the busses now stop at Headbolt Lane, so the station is technically open, but only to busses, so it will kind of have 2 openings, one with busses and one with trains.

This is bizarre - the implication is, as you touch upon in your post, is that the station is now open but subject to an engineering blockade (an engineering blockade which has been in place for as long as the station has been there!).

Presumably doing that was for some reason considered better than pushing back the official opening date.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Those bus stops are a ridiculously long way (500m) from the station. They may be serving the general area, but they are not serving the station!

Doesn't really matter, as there are no trains at the station with which to connect.

If the nearest bus stops to the station are 500 metres away, it won't be very useful for bus/rail interchange when it does open!

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Doesn't really matter, as there are no trains at the station with which to connect.

If the nearest bus stops to the station are 500 metres away, it won't be very useful for bus/rail interchange when it does open!

The nearest bus stops are not 500m away. They are a decent bit closer, but one is on a curvier road with a smaller area to stand and wait, and one isn't on the route I think the busses are taking.
When it opens the car park/entrance has (At least) 2 bus stops at it, which already are in the open data feed.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

RTT now showing the first Train from Manchester on Thursday morning

If that comes to pass, will that count as the official opening day for this station?

 

[norbitonflyer]

The nearest bus stops are not 500m away. They are a decent bit closer, but one is on a curvier road with a smaller area to stand and wait, and one isn't on the route I think the busses are taking.
When it opens the car park/entrance has (At least) 2 bus stops at it, which already are in the open data feed.

That's encouraging. Presumably they have decided that until the station has some trains the detour to the station car park would be a waste of time so they have sensibly decided not to do it.