Dalton railway station

Dalton is a railway station on the Furness Line, which serves the town of Dalton-in-Furness in Cumbria, England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.

Dalton
National Rail
General information
LocationDalton-in-Furness, Westmorland and Furness
England
Coordinates54°09′15″N 3°10′44″W / 54.1542260°N 3.1788365°W / 54.1542260; -3.1788365
Grid referenceSD231737
Owned byNetwork Rail
Managed byNorthern Trains
Platforms2
Tracks2
Other information
Station codeDLT
ClassificationDfT category F2
History
Original companyFurness Railway
Pre-groupingFurness Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
British Rail (London Midland Region)
Key dates
24 August 1846 (1846-08-24)Opened
Passengers
2019/20Increase 77,968
2020/21Decrease 25,286
2021/22Increase 76,932
2022/23Decrease 68,796
2023/24Increase 74,906
Location
Dalton is located in the former Borough of Barrow-in-Furness
Dalton
Dalton
Dalton is located in Cumbria
Dalton
Dalton
Location in Cumbria, England
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History

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Construction of the Furness Railway was authorised in May 1844.[1] It was opened in stages: the line between Dalton and Barrow was in use (on an unofficial basis) by 3 June 1846, as was the line between Salthouse Junction and Piel. A line between Dalton and Kirkby was opened on 12 August 1846, when the earlier sections were officially opened.[2] Dalton station was opened to passengers on 24 August 1846.[3] An eastward extension from Dalton to Ulverston was authorised on 27 July 1846; it did not open until April 1854.[4]

The station once had three platforms; however, only two are in use today. The disused one is adjacent to the Barrow-bound platform, from which it is separated by a wooden fence. The area is now very overgrown and inaccessible to the public.

Facilities

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The station is unstaffed, with a card-only ticket machine on the southbound side; passengers have to obtain a promise-to-pay notice to pay by cash on board the train.[5] Digital signs and timetable posters are provided on each platform for train running information purposes. The station buildings are no longer in rail use, though shelters are located on each side. Access to the platforms is either via steps from the over bridge at the south end or via paths from adjacent public roads (the latter are step-free).[6]

Services

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Northern Trains
Route 6
Cumbrian Coast, Furness
& Windermere lines
 
Carlisle
 
Dalston
 
Wigton
 
Aspatria
 
Maryport
 
Flimby
 
Workington
 
Harrington
 
Parton
 
Whitehaven
 
Corkickle
 
St Bees
 
Nethertown
 
Braystones
 
Sellafield
 
Seascale
 
Drigg
 
Ravenglass
 
Bootle
 
Silecroft
 
Millom
 
Green Road
 
Foxfield
 
Kirkby-in-Furness
 
Askam
 
Barrow-in-Furness
 
Roose
 
Dalton
 
Ulverston
 
Cark & Cartmel
 
Kents Bank
 
Grange-over-Sands
 
Arnside
 
Silverdale
 
Carnforth
 
 
Windermere
 
 
Staveley
 
 
Burneside
 
 
Kendal
 
 
 
Oxenholme Lake District
 
Lancaster
 
Preston
 
Chorley
 
Bolton
 
Deansgate
 
Manchester Oxford Road
 
Manchester Piccadilly
 
Manchester Airport
Braystones & Nethertown
are request stops.

It receives a roughly hourly service (Mon-Sat) to Lancaster via Ulverston and to Barrow-in-Furness. Most trains continue to Preston and Manchester Airport southbound and some continue to Carlisle via Millom northbound. On Sundays, there is also an hourly service each way, with a few through trains and from Carlisle since the summer 2018 timetable change[7]

Freight diversionary line

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Freight trains for the Cumbrian Coast line (most notably nuclear reprocessing traffic) leave the line about a kilometre west of Dalton and take the direct line northwards to Askam. This route (the original 1846 line from Kirkby-in-Furness and Barrow to Dalton) avoids having to go through Barrow station.

References

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  1. ^ Rush, Robert W. (1973). The Furness Railway 1843-1923. The Oakwood Library of Railway History. Lingfield: Oakwood Press. p. 19. OL35.
  2. ^ Rush 1973, pp. 20, 21
  3. ^ Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 76. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
  4. ^ Rush 1973, pp. 21, 24
  5. ^ Dalton (Cumbria) Station Details Northern; retrieved 25 November 2016
  6. ^ NRE - Dalton Station Details National Rail Enquiries; retrieved 25 November 2016
  7. ^ Table 100 National Rail timetable, May 2023
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Preceding station   National Rail Following station
Roose   Northern Trains
Furness Line
  Ulverston
  Historical railways  
Furness Abbey   Furness Railway   Lindal