Grange-over-Sands is a railway station on the Furness Line, which runs between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster. The station, situated 15+1⁄2 miles (25 km) north-west of Lancaster, serves the town of Grange-over-Sands in Cumbria. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.
Grange-over-Sands  | |||||
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| General information | |||||
| Location | Grange-over-Sands, Westmorland and Furness England | ||||
| Coordinates | 54°11′45″N 2°54′09″W / 54.1957590°N 2.9025366°W | ||||
| Grid reference | SD411781 | ||||
| Owned by | Network Rail | ||||
| Managed by | Northern Trains | ||||
| Platforms | 2 | ||||
| Tracks | 2 | ||||
| Other information | |||||
| Station code | GOS | ||||
| Classification | DfT category E | ||||
| History | |||||
| Original company | Ulverstone and Lancaster Railway | ||||
| Pre-grouping | Furness Railway | ||||
| Post-grouping | London, Midland and Scottish Railway British Rail (London Midland Region) | ||||
| Key dates | |||||
| 1 September 1857 | Opened as Grange | ||||
| 1 June 1916 | Renamed Grange-over-Sands | ||||
| 2 April 1923 | Renamed Grange | ||||
| 1 October 1930 | Renamed Grange-over-Sands | ||||
| Passengers | |||||
| 2019/20 |  0.158 million | ||||
| 2020/21 |  41,274 | ||||
| 2021/22 | 0.132 million | ||||
| 2022/23 | 0.128 million | ||||
| 2023/24 | 0.141 million | ||||
Listed Building – Grade II | |||||
| Feature | Original Furness Railway station building | ||||
| Designated | 2 May 1975 | ||||
| Reference no. | 1269659[1] | ||||
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History
editThe station was opened as Grange on 1 September 1857 by the Ulverstone and Lancaster Railway.[2][3]
The station was renamed several times, alternating between Grange and Grange-over-Sands, the current name being settled on by the London Midland and Scottish Railway in October 1930.[3]
The station building was designed by the Lancaster architect E. G. Paley for the Furness Railway Company in about 1864.[4]
Two camping coaches were positioned here by the London Midland Region from 1954 to 1964, and four coaches from 1965 to 1970.[5]
At one time the line carried a very heavy industrial traffic to support the iron and steel industry of the Furness area, including coke from County Durham.
Location
editThe station is adjacent to the Grange-over-Sands Promenade which runs along the edge of Morecambe Bay (until the River Kent changed its course, it was alongside the promenade - it is now further out in the bay towards Arnside).
| Preceding station |  National Rail
|
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kents Bank | Northern Trains Furness Line |
Arnside | ||
Facilities
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The station booking office is on the "up" (Lancaster) platform and is staffed all week; the "down" (Barrow-in-Furness) platform features a second-hand book-shop named Oversands Bookshop. There is step-free access to both platforms.[6] Digital information screens, customer help points and automatic announcements provide train running information.
There is a small car park at the station, and a bus-stop for local services. The X6 bus operated by Stagecoach also travels to Ulverston and Barrow (westbound) and Kendal (eastbound), departing every hour during the day.[7]
The station was awarded 'Heritage Station of the Year' in 2012.
Services
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It is primarily served by local services from Lancaster to Barrow-in-Furness, with some continuing to Sellafield or Carlisle via the Cumbrian Coast Line. A number of southbound services run through to Preston and Manchester Airport. There is normally one train an hour in each direction on weekdays & Saturdays (with peak extras) and an hourly service on Sundays.[8] Since the May 2018 timetable change, there is a Sunday service on the Cumbrian Coast and a handful of through trains operate (three each way - connections are available at Barrow at other times).
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Historic England. "Grange-Over-Sands Railway Station (Grade II) (1269659)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ Quick, Michael (2022) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (PDF). version 5.04. Railway & Canal Historical Society. p. 215. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 November 2022.
- ^ a b Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 108. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
- ^ Brandwood, Geoff; Austin, Tim; Hughes, John; Price, James (2012), The Architecture of Sharpe, Paley and Austin, Swindon: English Heritage, p. 221, ISBN 978-1-84802-049-8
- ^ McRae, Andrew (1997). British Railway Camping Coach Holidays: The 1930s & British Railways (London Midland Region). Vol. Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part One). Foxline. pp. 50 & 84–85. ISBN 1-870119-48-7.
- ^ Grange-over-Sands Station Details Northern Station pages; Retrieved 25 November 2016
- ^ "Stagecoach Bus X6".
- ^ GB eNRT May 2023 Edition, Table 100 (Network Rail)
External links
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- Train times and station information for Grange-over-Sands railway station from National Rail