Site chosen for town’s new station
LANCASHIRE County Council has identified the former Glenburn Sports College/Westbank Campus site as the preferred location for a new railway station for Skelmersdale.
The decision follows a comparative assessment of two possible sites, identified in an earlier study by Network Rail.
The alternative site considered was the land next to the Concourse shopping centre.
The study assessed the potential station sites against a number of criteria, including impact on the highway; whether it would be able to provide a station building with good passenger and staff accommodation along with the ability to provide a retail facility; and whether or not it would be able to provide a park and ride sufficient for 250 vehicles but capable of expansion to cater for up to 500 vehicles.
County Councillor John Fillis, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “This is a really exciting step forward in the process of bringing a railway station to Skelmersdale.
“This was a comprehensive study and clearly identified the Glenburn Sports College and Westbank Campus site as the most suitable option.
“The site is big enough to provide a high quality station with scope to expand to meet future demand. It has good highway access and good connectivity to the town and the surrounding area.
“There is still a long way to go on this project but identifying the right site is a really significant milestone on the way.”
Glenburn Sports College closed for good on August 31, 2016. The site is owned by Lancashire County Council.
The news has also been welcomed by West Lancs MP Rosie Cooper, who said the new station was one of a number of changes which would help bring Skelmersdale into the 21st century.
However, she added that it would only be time to celebrate once the station is built.
Speaking about the study’s findings, the MP said: “The people of Skelmersdale will be delighted a site for the railway station has been identified and this project continues to move forward.
“Although only once there is a new railway station in Skelmersdale, and in the town centre, can we truly celebrate. For now this is another step in the right direction towards that goal.
“Having launched the campaign for a railway station with local residents when we were standing collecting signatures on petitions in the shopping centre of a weekend to demonstrate the support for this scheme, to speaking in Parliament on the subject and banging on at every opportunity about the transformation a railway station would bring to Skelmersdale, we have come a long way in our aim of securing a railway station in the town.
“I have consistently said that a railway station in the heart of Skelmersdale will open up a world of economic and social opportunities for the town and its residents.’’
She added that the new station would be a big part of bringing Skelmersdale in line with other modern towns.
“Slowly the face of Skelmersdale is beginning to change.
“It has a new further education college.
“We should begin to see work start on the town centre redevelopment at last.
“Add to that a railway station connecting the town into Liverpool, Manchester and beyond.
“Now Skelmersdale begins to look like a 21st century town and it is nothing more than the people and the town deserve.”