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Lostock Gralam railway station

Coordinates: 53°16′05″N 2°27′54″W / 53.268°N 2.465°W / 53.268; -2.465
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Lostock Gralam
National Rail
View west towards Northwich and Chester in 2013
General information
LocationLostock Gralam, Cheshire West and Chester
England
Grid referenceSJ690746
Managed byNorthern Trains
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeLTG
ClassificationDfT category F2
History
Opened1 January 1863
Passengers
2019/20Increase 54,008
2020/21Decrease 17,744
2021/22Increase 43,012
2022/23Increase 54,108
2023/24Increase 54,324
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Lostock Gralam railway station serves the village of Lostock Gralam in Cheshire, England. The station is on the Mid-Cheshire line from Chester to Manchester Piccadilly, 18½ miles (30 km) east of Chester.

History

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Lostock Gralam railway station (building now demolished)

The station opened for passengers as Lostock on 1 January 1863 as part of the Cheshire Midland Railway. The station was renamed to Lostock Gralam later in 1863.[1] Goods traffic started from 1 May 1863; the goods yard was to the south of the station and was equipped with a 5-ton crane. The goods yard closed on 3 August 1964.[2][3] For many years the station had a run-down appearance and had been downgraded to a request stop. The main station building was demolished on 8 July 2007.

As of the December 2008 timetable, there were two additional weekday peak services to and from Stockport. On Sundays, a two-hourly service to Chester and Manchester was introduced, with the latter continuing to Southport, via Wigan Wallgate and Bolton.[4] Prior to the new service, trains to Manchester had not operated on Sundays since the early 1990s. Passengers had to change at Altrincham on to the Manchester Metrolink to continue their journeys.

Services beyond Manchester were terminated in May 2010, with all current trains now calling at Manchester Piccadilly and no further. Additional weekday peak services to/from Stockport were suspended in 2020.

Facilities

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As a result of the Lostock Triangle development, the station is no longer a request stop.[5] In the summer of 2011, new passenger shelters were constructed on both platforms.[6] Prior to this, there had been no protection from the weather for passengers on the Manchester-bound platform.[7] The station is unmanned, so tickets must be bought on the train or prior to travel. Train running details are offered via digital display screens (fitted in 2015),[8] telephone and timetable posters. Step-free access is available only on the Manchester-bound platform.[9]

Services

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From Monday to Saturday, the station gets one train per hour westbound to Chester and one train per hour eastbound to Manchester Piccadilly. 18 trains per day run to Chester, with 17 running towards Manchester. On Sundays, there is a two-hourly service each way, with 7 trains in each direction.[10] The majority of services are run by Northern Class 150 trains, with some Class 156s also serving the station.

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Northwich   Northern Trains
Mid-Cheshire Line 		  Plumley

There have been plans for a half-hourly service in each direction – it was a part of the 2015 franchise agreement[11] – but this has been repeatedly delayed due to capacity constraints between Stockport and Manchester and is yet, as of January 2022, to be implemented.[12]

Proposed future developments

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As part of Northern's proposed December 2022 timetable (which focuses on additional services within the Manchester area), an additional 4 trains per day between Chester and Stockport (2 in each direction) have been proposed during peak hours on Mondays to Saturdays. These services are aimed at those who are commuting to and/or working in Manchester and Stockport. This change will increase the number of trains departing Chester on the line to 20 per day, with the number departing Stockport also increased to 20 per day. The 2-hourly Sunday service will remain the same, at 7 trains per day.[13][14]

References

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  1. ^ Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 149. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
  2. ^ Bolger, Paul (1984). An illustrated history of the Cheshire lines committee. Heyday. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-947562-00-7.
  3. ^ Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (December 2013). Chester Northgate to Manchester. Midhurst: Middleton Press. Map XX. ISBN 9781908174512.
  4. ^ "National Rail December 2008 timetable". National Rail - table 88. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 January 2009. Retrieved 17 December 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ Lostock Gralam station revamp Northwich Guardian 10 June 2011
  7. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 11 November 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ New signs installed for rail passengers at Knutsford and Holmes Chapel stations Wilson, James Knutsford Guardian news article 11 January 2016; Retrieved 14 March 2017
  9. ^ Lostock Gralam station facilities National Rail Enquiries
  10. ^ "Northern Mid Cheshire Line Timetable - December 2021" (PDF). Northern Rail. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  11. ^ "Northern by Arriva 2015 franchise agreement" (PDF). Gov.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Fresh blow for two trains per hour Northern promise". Northwich Guardian. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  13. ^ "Proposed December 2022 Chester-Altrincham-Manchester timetable" (PDF). Northern Rail. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  14. ^ "Proposed December 2022 Manchester-Altrincham-Chester timetable" (PDF). Northern Rail. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2022.

Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lostock Gralam railway station.

53°16′05″N 2°27′54″W / 53.268°N 2.465°W / 53.268; -2.465

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