Just on a whim the other day I took a stroll along the track-bed of the former St Helens-Lowton Railway, starting by the remains of the Haydock Park Station footbridge and going as far as the bridge over Edge Green Lane in Golborne. Very pleasant and interesting it was too, and the experience prompted me to get online and research the history of this railway when I got back. (Having only lived in the area these past 12 years I've no memory at all of the railway as a going concern.)

This very website mentioned, back in 2008, that the link from the West Coast Mainline to the remaining portion of the St Helens-Lowton Line at Golborne was to be brought back into use, enabling transport by rail of quarried stone from Cumbria to the Hanson Aggregates facility there. However a posting on another website in 2011 mentioned that the entire Hanson site, "including rail link", was now up for sale.

Did the transportation of quarried stone by rail actually recommence as anticipated in 2008? And what is the present position? From what I could observe at the Golborne end, even the part that still has rails in situ hasn't had any trains pass over it in decades.

Anyone have any memories of this railway to share?

Town: Ashton

Copy and paste the following link -

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/h/haydock_park/index.shtml

There are other stations, with more information about the line, on the same site.

Town: Bryn, Ashton in Makerfield.

You may be interested in an Amateur Radio event weekend starting on Friday 21st September.
Railway stations on the air.
South Lancashire Amateur Radio Club will be on air with call sign GB1BAS from the site of the Bickershaw and Abram Station (Opposite the Queens Hotel, Bickershaw)Details on website www.slarc.co.uk Details and photos of this station can be found on the link given on the previous link. just check out the number of stations that were within 5 miles of Ashton

Town: Lowton

Town: Lowton

If you want to look at the 1924 OS map for this area there is one on our website
left click the segments to enlarge

http://lowtonwebsites.webs.com/map.htm

Town: Lowton

Thanks everyone - v. useful.

Town: Ashton