Freshfield railway station

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Template other Freshfield railway station serves the Freshfield district of Formby, Merseyside, England. The station is located on the Southport branch of the Merseyrail network's Northern Line.

History

The line was built through the station site when the Liverpool, Crosby and Southport Railway (LC&SR) opened its line from Template:Rws to Template:Rws. The line was subsequently extended to Template:Rws in 1850 and Template:Rws in 1851. This station opened sometime before April 1854 when it first appeared in the timetables.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

The station was built at the instigation of Thomas Fresh, the first ‘Inspector of Nuisances’ in Liverpool, the station was named after him and in turn gave its name to the area around it. Next to the station was a manure siding, Fresh offered his own land for the purpose, where night-soil from Liverpool was brought for the use of local farmers who found it very beneficial in fertilising our light, sandy soils, so enabling the development of asparagus cultivation here in the mid-nineteenth century.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

The station was situated on the north side of Victoria Road which was crossed using a level crossing.Template:Sfn

The station had two platforms, one each side of the double-track, and was of timber construction. There was a signal box on the down side at the southern end of the station which managed the level crossing.Template:EfnTemplate:Sfn

In 1850 the LC&SR had been authorised to lease, sell or transfer itself to the L&YR and on 14 June 1855 the L&YR purchased and took over the LC&SR.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

The station was improved sometime between 1894 and 1927, a footbridge was provided adjacent to Victoria Road and a station building with a booking office, waiting room and glazed canopy erected on the down, coastal, side.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

By 1904 a small goods yard had opened to the north of Victoria Road, on the coastal side of the line.Template:Sfn

The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway amalgamated with the London and North Western Railway on 1 January 1922 and in turn was Grouped into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923. Nationalisation followed in 1948.Template:Sfn

The goods yard closed on 29 July 1968.Template:Sfn

In 1978 the station became part of the Merseyrail network's Northern Line (operated by British Rail until privatised in 1995).Template:Sfn

Facilities

The station is staffed, 15 minutes before the first train and 15 minutes after the last train, and has platform CCTV. There is a payphone, shelters, booking office and live departure and arrival screens, for passenger information. The station has a free car park, with 82 spaces, as well as a 10-space cycle rack and secure indoor storage for 44 cycles. Although both platforms are linked by a footbridge, wheelchair users can access both platforms via the level crossing.

Services

Trains operate every 15 minutes throughout the day from Monday to Saturday to Southport to the north, and to Liverpool Central to the south. Sunday services are every 30 minutes in each direction.

Preceding station	National Rail National Rail			Following station
Template:Rws towards Template:Rws	style="background:#Template:Merseyrail colour; color:inherit; border-left: 0px none; border-right: 0px none; border-top:1px #aaa solid; border-bottom:0px none;" |	Merseyrail Southport branch Northern Line	style="background:#Template:Merseyrail colour; color:inherit; border-left: 0px none; border-right: 0px none; border-top:1px #aaa solid; border-bottom:0px none;" |	Template:Rws towards Template:Rws
	Historical railways
Template:Rws towards Template:Rws	style="background:#Template:LYR colour; color:inherit; border-left: 0px none; border-right: 0px none; border-top:1px #aaa solid; border-bottom:0px none;" |	Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Liverpool, Crosby and Southport Railway	style="background:#Template:LYR colour; color:inherit; border-left: 0px none; border-right: 0px none; border-top:1px #aaa solid; border-bottom:0px none;" |	Template:Rws towards Template:Rws

Gallery

• The station footbridge and level crossing.
  The station footbridge and level crossing.
• The view from the footbridge, looking north.
  The view from the footbridge, looking north.
• Buildings on the Southport-bound platform.
  Buildings on the Southport-bound platform.
• A broad view of the station.
  A broad view of the station.
• Freshfield signal box 1 December 1966.
  Freshfield signal box 1 December 1966.

References

Bibliography

• Template:Clinker-Stations
• Template:Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway 1
• Template:Quick-stations-5.05

External links

• Train times and station information for Freshfield railway station from National Rail