Station Name: LOWER INCE

 

[Source: Paul Wright]



Date opened: 1.4.1884
Location: South side of Ince Green Lane
Company on opening: Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway
Date closed to passengers: 2.11.1964
Date closed completely: 2.11.1964
Company on closing: British Railways (London Midland Region)
Present state: Demolished - the only evidence of the station is a length of low wall
County: Lancashire
OS Grid Ref: SD594047
Date of visit: 3.1.2006

Notes: The station opened as Lower Ince along with 6 other stations on the Wigan Joint Railway in 1884. The line had been the promoted by the Cheshire Lines Railway in 1874 as a branch from its main Liverpool to Manchester line at Glazebrook that would link it to the lucrative Lancashire Coalfields. Only the Manchester Sheffield and Lincolnshire constituent of the CLC remained interested in the concept and it was they who built the line which opened to goods services in 1879. When opened it connected to the main line at Glazebrook with an east to north curve which meant services could only easily go towards Manchester. In 1900 a west to north curve was put in to allow trains to head to and from Liverpool. The line became part of the GCR and in 1923 part of the LNER but it was operated as part of the CLC system. The station was situated on the south side of a road overbridge and had two platforms.

Initially passenger services ran from Manchester Central to a temporary terminus at Wigan which was replaced on the opening of Wigan Central in 1892. From 1900, when a west to north curve was put in at Glazebrook services ran to Warrington Central. Monday to Friday services in 1903 saw the GCR run 8 trains to Manchester and 6 to Warrington each day.

Services increased under the LNER especially during the war years. However after 1945 the line went into decline and the last service was the Wigan Central to Irlam or Manchester Central service. Latterly some of these services where operated by DMU's until the end came on 1.11.1964. The line lingered on for goods services until 1968.

Today the station site has been landscaped but a small section of wall and an even smaller section of glazed brick pillar still survives.

To see the other stations on the Wigan Central - Glazebrook line click on the station name: Wigan Central, Hindley South,
Bickershaw & Abram, West Leigh & Bedford, Lowton St. Marys, Culcheth & Newchurch Halt.



Stanier Tank No 42465 at Lower Ince on 27th August 1964 with the Partington to Wigan Central looking south east. In the background is the Central Wagon Co with condemned carriages in the siding.
Photo by N.F.W. Dyckhoff





Looking north towards the site of Lower Ince Station in January 2006
Photo by Paul Wright


Lower Ince Station looking north in 1964
Photo received from Steven Buckley

Click on thumbnail to enlarge


 

 

 

[Source: Paul Wright]


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