Full details here www.transportforleigh.org.uk/Tra ... lcome.html

Full details here www.transportforleigh.org.uk/Tra ... lcome.html

Quote ="DaisyHillLeyther"Full details here www.transportforleigh.org.uk/Tra ... lcome.html'" Thanks for that DHL - very comprehensive and illuminating. The planned rail route would go under tha East Lancs via the old 'tunnel'/bridge on the 'Cheshire' line that eventually passed through Lowton St Mary's station. It would then run parallel to the East Lancs Rd, to the By Pass, cross under the By Pass and run parallel to its East side, with a station opposite the fire station - on the South side of St Helens Rd.

Quote ="DaisyHillLeyther"Full details here www.transportforleigh.org.uk/Tra ... lcome.html'" Thanks for that DHL - very comprehensive and illuminating. The planned rail route would go under tha East Lancs via the old 'tunnel'/bridge on the 'Cheshire' line that eventually passed through Lowton St Mary's station. It would then run parallel to the East Lancs Rd, to the By Pass, cross under the By Pass and run parallel to its East side, with a station opposite the fire station - on the South side of St Helens Rd.

So from that the only major engineering work would be to go beneath the bypass? It'd obviously need massive work on the infrastructure around the station though, not to mention potential NIMBY opposition.

Well, it would be just behind us, but I'm in favour.

I'm sure there will be house price related opposition, though I'm sure the increase in noise would surely be offset by suddenly being flung in to the commuter belt for both Liverpool and Manchester.

They reckon that easier access to Liverpool & Manchester would improve house prices.

I can't see how this is an improvement on the original 'Xanadu' idea.

Which is better? Catch a bus from Leigh town centre to a station which is a dead end junction on a branch line with only a terminus. This must mean very infrequent trains so no one will bother with it.

Or extend the bypass to Kenyon and build a station there that is actually on the main line and has quick links from Leigh.

On the point of NIMBY opposition I live in Culcheth and feel the second idea would be mostly welcomed here.

I still think the old line should be re-opened, from the centre of Leigh start at bond street just follow the route through Tyldesley take a left past Woodland Cemetery and connecting to the Atherton - Manchester line just before Walkden Railway Station. The route is easy to follow on Google map. This gives a rail link to Leigh and Tyldesley.

It can't be re-opened. Various Councils over the years have built houses on what was the old line. That's why they were planning to have the misguided busway instead of a train or tram in the first place.

Wigan Council have over the years allowed an unbelievable number of houses to be built in the Astley/Tyldesley area. A train from Leigh to
Kenyon isn't going to help.

Before you get too excited, read the letters in the journal. It appears the elected representatives are the stumbling block. Lord Smith of Leigh, the only chance of a train station is to vote them out.

Not got a Journal but if thats correct when are the next local by-elections?.

Or catch a bus too Atherton and catch a train from there which would save roughly £52m. Simples

The busway follows the same route, there are no houses on the old line, follow it on google map

A train from Leigh would probably take half the time as it would from the Atherton staion with the number of stops.

I take it the Atherton station is on the line from Liverpool to Manchester ?

It`s on the Kirby to Man/Victoria line as opposed to the proposed link up which would be Liverpool to Man/Oxford Rd.

The old Leigh line used to go to Newton-Le-Willows/Earlstown, we had friends who had to leave the Casino early to get the last train, we then had to ask if they would let us back in.

do we have any proof or any more proof as to weather this is true or not?.

Local politicians are a joke, indeed our MP was until the current one started to get things built in the town. They are recruited from bus drivers and bin men, and no disrespect to those professions, and voted in by folk loyally ticking the labour box without asking what policies they have.
Look at our town centre planners, they have driven shoppers away from the town with stupidity and lack of vision. Although Leigh has won an award for Bargain shops and fast food

The cherry on the cake is the traffic lights, the lack of filter lanes and the joke at the top of Lord st.
We need some sort of campaign to let these fools know what the taxpayers want.

The railway station will never happen. The Manchester/Liverpool line is being electrified to speed the journey of the trains between the two citites. A de-tour to Leigh would make the journey just as long, so would not have any speed benefits to the Liverpool/Manchester route. Complete non-starter I'm afraid.

Depends on how many services there are - think of it like the Metrolink and the de-tour to Piccadilly, I'd say.

I'd imagine the services would be Leigh-Manchester or Leigh-Liverpool rather than Manchester-Leigh-Liverpool. There again, no reason why not as long as there are still direct Manchester-Liverpool services.

I wish the bus companies would syncranise their timetables with trains. On Sundays when Leigh are at home I get a train to Atherton it arrives at 12 34pm. (17 minutes) then go to the bus stop for the 582 to Leigh. A bus leaves there at 12-33pm and the next one due at 12-53pm is always late but the 12-33pm never is.

Just electrifying a line will not speed it up. You need to lay new lines an all sorts. What will speed the journey is to make fewer stops between the two cities as. The electrification is an enviromental issue. You will still get trains that need to stop at every station but they won't be too often.

Agreed - it may well not happen. By the way, the plan appears to be separate services to Manchester and Liverpool, not a detour on the Manchester to Liverpool one.

Which would again suggest that extending the by pass to the line and putting a regular bus service tied in with trains that would stop as a better option surely