Workington Central railway station
| Workington Central | |
|---|---|
Workington Central in 1951
|
|
| Location | |
| Place | Workington |
| Area | Allerdale |
| Coordinates | 54°38′34″N 3°32′50″W / 54.6428°N 3.5472°WCoordinates: 54°38′34″N 3°32′50″W / 54.6428°N 3.5472°W |
| Grid reference | NY002286 |
| Operations | |
| Original company | Cleator and Workington Junction Railway |
| Platforms | 2 plus bay |
| History | |
| 1 October 1879 | Opened as Workington |
| 10 July 1880 | Renamed Workington Central |
| 13 April 1931 | Closed to passengers |
| 4 May 1964 | Closed to goods |
| 26 September 1965 | Line through station closed |
| Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom | |
| Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z |
|
 |
|
Workington Central railway station was opened by the Cleator and Workington Junction Railway (C&WJR) in 1879 to serve the town of Workington in Cumbria, England. It was situated almost half a mile nearer the town centre than its rival Workington station.
The line was one of the fruits of the rapid industrialisation of West Cumberland in the second half of the Nineteenth Century, specifically being born as a reaction to oligopolistic behaviour by the London and North Western and Whitehaven, Cleator and Egremont Railways. The line and station opened to passengers on 1 October 1879. Central Station was initially the northern terminus; the line was extended northwards to Siddick Junction a year later.
All lines in the area were primarily aimed at mineral traffic, notably iron ore, coal and limestone, none more so than the new line to Workington, which earned the local name "The Track of the Ironmasters". General goods and passenger services were provided, but were very small beer compared with mineral traffic.
The founding Act of Parliament of June 1878 confirmed the company's agreement with the Furness Railway that the latter would operate the line for one third of the receipts.
The line and station became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway at the Grouping of 1923. The station closed to passengers eight years later under this management.
The substantial stone station housed the headquarters of the C&WJR. There were sidings to the south of the platforms. An engine shed and wagon shops were added there in November 1897. The shed was closed in May 1923; the building was then used as a wagon repair shop for many years.
Passenger trains consisted of antiquated Furness stock hauled largely by elderly Furness engines referred to as "rolling ruins" by one author after a footplate ride in 1949.
No Sunday passenger service was ever provided on the line.
The initial passenger service in 1879 consisted of:
...
Wikipedia