Wigton railway station
Wigton railway station serves the town of Wigton in Cumbria, England. The railway station is a stop on the Cumbrian Coast Line, 11 miles (18 km) south west of Carlisle.
Wigton  | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Wigton, Allerdale England |
| Grid reference | NY252488 |
| Managed by | Northern |
| Platforms | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Station code | WGT |
| Classification | DfT category F1 |
| History | |
| Opened | 1843 |
| Passengers | |
| 2015/16 |  52,438 |
| 2016/17 | 49,124 |
| 2017/18 | 46,900 |
| 2018/19 |  49,568 |
| 2019/20 | 67,076 |
| Location | |
| Notes | |
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road | |
The station is owned by Network Rail. It is operated by Northern who provide all passenger train services and is one of the mandatory stops on this part of the line (along with Maryport, Workington & Whitehaven). The two side platforms here are slightly offset and linked by a footbridge. Like most stations on the route, it is unstaffed (and has been so since 1969), but a ticket machine is now in service to allow intending travellers to buy before boarding.[1] There are waiting shelters on both platforms, but the surviving station buildings are no longer in railway use. Step-free access is available to each platform, whilst train running information is provided by display screens, telephone and timetable posters.
History
It was opened by the Maryport and Carlisle Railway in 1843[2] following the completion of the route from Carlisle and would act as a temporary terminus until the section onwards to Aspatria was finished two years later. It subsequently become the junction station for the eastern end of the Bolton Loop line to Mealsgate from 1878. This portion of the route did not prove profitable and the one daily return passenger train operated over it was withdrawn by the M&C in 1921.[3]
Goods facilities at the station were withdrawn by British Rail in October 1970, though a private siding for the nearby plastics factory remains in place (this has however been disused for some years). The station signal box meanwhile is still operational and acts as a 'fringe' to Carlisle PSB.
In December 2018 the Victorian-era footbridge connecting the platforms was deemed unsafe by Network Rail and access to it was prohibited. The bridge was removed in March 2019 for repairs and reinstalled in July 2019.[4]
Services
There is generally an hourly service northbound to Carlisle and southbound to Whitehaven with most trains going onward to Barrow-in-Furness (no late evening service operates south of Whitehaven).[5]
Train operator Northern introduced a regular through service to Barrow via the coast at the May 2018 timetable change - the first such service south of Whitehaven for more than 40 years. Services run approximately hourly from late morning until early evening, with later trains terminating at Whitehaven. This represents a major upgrade on the former infrequent service of four per day each way to/from Whitehaven only that previously operated.
References
- Wigton station facilities National Rail Enquiries; Retrieved 8 November 2019
- Old Cumbria Gazetteer - Wigton StationPortsmouth University; Retrieved 2013-10-17
- Cumbria Railways - The Bolton Loop www.cumbria-railways.co.uk; Retrieved 2013-10-17
- "Footbridge hoisted into place". News & Star. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
- GB eNRT December 2019 Edition, Table 100
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wigton railway station. |
- Train times and station information for Wigton railway station from National Rail
| Preceding station | National Rail |
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Cumbrian Coast Line | ||||
| Historical railways | ||||
Line open, station closed | Maryport and Carlisle Railway | Line open, station closed |
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