Tanhouse Lane railway station

Tanhouse Lane
General information
LocationWidnes, Halton
England
Coordinates53°21′46″N 2°42′41″W / 53.36278°N 2.71139°W / 53.36278; -2.71139
Grid referenceSJ527853
Platforms2[1]
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companySheffield and Midland Railway Companies' Committee
Pre-groupingSheffield and Midland Railway Companies' Committee
Post-groupingSheffield and Midland Railway Companies' Committee
Key dates
1 September 1890 (1890-09-01)Station opened as "Tanhouse"
Before 1922Station renamed as "Tanhouse Lane"
5 October 1964 (1964-10-05)Station closed

Tanhouse Lane railway station is a closed station on the former Sheffield and Midland Railway Companies' Committee line, which formed a loop off the Cheshire Lines Committee (CLC) line in the Widnes area between Liverpool Central and Manchester Central.[2] It was opened on 1 September 1890 as "Tanhouse",[3] being changed later to "Tanhouse Lane". It closed on 5 October 1964.[4][5][6]

In 1922 13 "Down" (towards Liverpool) trains called on "Week Days" (Mondays to Saturdays). Eight ran from Warrington Central, two from Manchester Central and two started at Tanhouse Lane itself, all headed for Liverpool Central. One ran from Tanhouse Lane to Garston and there was the 12:15 from London Marylebone to Liverpool Central which called at Tanhouse Lane at 18:59. "Up" services were similar.[7]

The station was situated in an industrial area and was popular with workers travelling to and from it.[8] With the rise in the use of the motor car, the station was nominated for closure in the Beeching Report.[8][9] The final services ran on 3 October 1964, with the first service of the morning to terminate at Tanhouse Lane being a workmen's train;[8] and the station closed from 5 October 1964.[5][6] The goods yard remained in use until the late 1990s to serve the Blue Circle cement facility on Tanhouse Lane.[8] The area fell into dereliction[10] until a short section of the former Widnes Loop was converted into a heritage feature.[8] A short section of a wall from the station can still be seen.[8]


Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Widnes Central
Line and station closed 		  Sheffield and Midland Railway Companies' Committee
Widnes Loop 		  Sankey
Line closed, station open
  1. ^ Pixton 2007, p. 74.
  2. ^ Conolly, W. Philip (2004) [1958]. British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer. Hersham, Surrey: Ian Allan. p. 45, section D4. ISBN 978-0-7110-0320-0.
  3. ^ Dow 1962, p. 128
  4. ^ "Disused Stations: Tanhouse Lane station". Disused Stations. 20 April 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  5. ^ a b 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. 226. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
  6. ^ a b Quick, Michael (2009) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (4th ed.). Oxford: Railway & Canal Historical Society. p. 375. ISBN 978-0-901461-57-5. OCLC 612226077.
  7. ^ Bradshaw 1985, pp. 720–5
  8. ^ a b c d e f "The GC & MR Joint". The 8D Association. October 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  9. ^ Beeching, Richard (1963). "The Reshaping of British Railways" (PDF). HMSO. p. 120.
  10. ^ Shannon & Hillmer 2003, p. 113