Atherton railway station
Atherton 
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Atherton railway station in 2010
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| Location | |
| Place | Atherton |
| Local authority | Wigan |
| Coordinates | 53°31′44″N 2°28′44″W / 53.529°N 2.479°WCoordinates: 53°31′44″N 2°28′44″W / 53.529°N 2.479°W |
| Grid reference | SD684037 |
| Operations | |
| Station code | ATN |
| Managed by | Northern |
| Number of platforms | 2 |
| DfT category | E |
| Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries |
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| Annual rail passenger usage* | |
| 2011/12 |
 0.424 million |
| 2012/13 |
0.448 million |
| 2013/14 |
 0.434 million |
| 2014/15 |
0.442 million |
| 2015/16 |
0.436 million |
| Passenger Transport Executive | |
| PTE | Greater Manchester |
| History | |
| 1 July 1888 | Station opens as Atherton Central |
| 1954 | Station renamed Atherton |
| National Rail – UK railway stations | |
| * Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Atherton from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year. | |
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Atherton railway station serves the town of Atherton, Greater Manchester, England, and is the main station on the line between Wigan and Manchester on the Manchester to Southport Line, and according to Strategic Rail Authority figures is the busiest station on the line (excluding Wigan & Manchester; Salford Crescent is technically not on the line).
The station is located 11¾ miles (19 km) north west of Manchester Victoria with regular Northern services to Kirkby and Southport.
Atherton is the nearest station to Leigh, one of the largest towns in Britain without its own railway station. The 582 bus service provides a frequent service to Leigh and Bolton, a connection not overly promoted by Transport for Greater Manchester.
Although it lies some distance from the centre of the town, the present Atherton station was originally named Atherton Central to differentiate it from Atherton Bag Lane (on the line from Bolton Great Moor Street to Kenyon Junction) which was closed in 1954 and Howe Bridge on the line between Wigan North Western and Manchester Exchange.
The station dates from 1888, when the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway opened a direct line between Windsor Bridge Junction and Crow Nest Junction (near Hindley) to shorten its main line between Manchester & Liverpool and avoid the congested Bolton area. It was well used from the beginning and was subsequently quadrupled shortly after the turn of the century, later carrying through expresses from Manchester to Blackpool, Windermere and Glasgow (again to avoid Bolton) in addition to Liverpool workings.
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Wikipedia