The

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

Southport Southport is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. It lies on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain, West Lancashire coastal plain and the east coast of the Irish Sea, approximately north of ...

and Preston Junction Railway was formed in 1884, and totaled 7 miles. In 1897 it became part of

Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) was a major History of rail transport in Great Britain, British railway company before the Railways Act 1921, 1923 Grouping. It was Incorporation (business)#Incorporation in the United Kingdom, incorpo ...

, and on 1 May 1901, its northern terminus switched from to . It connected the West Lancashire Railway's lines to the north of Southport to the CLC Southport & Cheshire Lines Extension Railway at Altcar and Hillhouse railway station. Known also as the Barton branch, it ran from 1 September 1887 to 21 January 1952. The Barton branch was notable for the " Altcar Bob" service, introduced in July 1906. The short section of line that contains is still open and has replaced a section of the original

Manchester and Southport Railway The Manchester and Southport Railway in England was formed by an Act of 22 July 1847 to link Manchester and Southport. Before the line opened it was acquired jointly by the L&YR and the East Lancashire Railway (ELR) on 3 July 1854. Wigan are ...

. This northern part was electrified in 1904 and then de-electrified sixty years later.

References

* Cotterall, J.E., (1982), ''The West Lancashire Railway'', The Oakwood Press, * Nock, O.S. (1969), ''The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway – A Concise History'', Ian Allan,

External links

On The Track of Altcar Bob
Historic transport in Merseyside Historic transport in Lancashire Pre-grouping British railway companies Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Closed railway lines in North West England Railway companies established in 1884 Railway companies disestablished in 1897 British companies disestablished in 1897 British companies established in 1884 {{England-rail-transport-stub