Lostock Gralam railway station


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 east of Chester.

History

The station opened for passengers as Lostock railway station on 1 January 1863 as part of the Cheshire Midland Railway. The station was renamed to Lostock Gralam later in 1863. 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.
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 Sunday 8 July 2007.

Facilities

As a result of the Lostock Triangle development, the station is no longer a request stop. In the summer of 2011, new passenger shelters were constructed on both platforms. Prior to this, there had been no protection from the weather for passengers on the Manchester-bound platform. 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, telephone and timetable posters. Step-free access is available only on the Manchester-bound platform.

Services

Monday to Saturday there is an hourly service westbound to Chester and eastbound to Manchester Piccadilly. There are extra peak-hour services in both directions. On Sundays, there is now a two-hourly service to Chester and Manchester, with the latter continuing to Wigan Wallgate and Southport.
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.