View source for Bury Bolton Street railway station

{{Short description|Heritage railway station in Bury, Greater Manchester}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}
{{Infobox station
| name                = Bury Bolton Street
| type                = Station on [[heritage railway]]
| image               = [[File:Bolton Street station at Bury East Lancashire Railway.jpg|265px|right]]
| borough             = [[Bury, Greater Manchester|Bury]], [[Greater Manchester]]
| country             = England
| coordinates         = {{coord|53.5934|-2.2997|region:GB_type:railwaystation|display=inline,title}}
| grid_name           = [[Ordnance Survey National Grid|Grid reference]]
| grid_position       = {{gbmapscaled|SD802107|25|SD802107}}
| manager             = [[East Lancashire Railway]]
| platforms           = 4
| years               = 28 September 1846
| events              = Opened as ''Bury''
| years1              = February 1866
| events1             = Renamed ''Bury Bolton Street''
| years2              = 17 March 1980
| events2             = Closed by British Rail
| years3              = 25 July 1987
| events3             = Re-opened as heritage railway station
}}
'''Bury Bolton Street railway station''' is a heritage railway station in [[Bury, Greater Manchester]], England. Located on the [[East Lancashire Railway]].
[[File:Bury (Bolton Street) railway station 1954623 014957cf.jpg|thumb|right|265px|The station in 1963]]

== History ==
It was formerly the main station serving the town, with links north to [[Ramsbottom]], thence via Stubbins Junction either to [[Rawtenstall]] and [[Bacup]] or to [[Haslingden]] and [[Accrington]]; and south to [[Radcliffe Metrolink station|Radcliffe Central]], [[Whitefield, Greater Manchester|Whitefield]], [[Prestwich]] and [[Manchester Victoria railway station|Manchester Victoria]] or via {{stnlnk|Radcliffe Bridge}} to [[Clifton Junction]] and the Bolton line. There was also a local branch to [[Holcombe Brook]] and a curve to connect with [[Knowsley Street railway station|Bury Knowsley Street]] station.

The station was opened by the [[East Lancashire Railway 1844–1859|East Lancashire Railway]] (ELR), on 28 September 1846, as Bury station. The ELR was absorbed by the [[Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway]] on 13 May 1859. The station was renamed Bury Bolton Street in February 1866. The building is situated in a cutting with a low level yard on the east side, approached by an incline from Bolton Street and a flight of steps from Bank Street. To the north is the Bolton Street Tunnel.

In its original incarnation, it boasted the headquarters of the East Lancashire Railway, situated on the up platform adjacent to the yard. This fine [[neo-classical structure]] in the [[Italianate style]] had the usual station accommodation on the ground floor and the company offices (including a boardroom) on the upper floors. The headquarters building supported an overall train shed roof in the [[Joseph Paxton|Paxton]] style, supported on the other side by a row of iron columns on an island platform. The west side had through lines and a rope-hauled incline giving access to the wagon works, now the site of Bury Leisure Centre.

The station was rebuilt in the 1880s and the existing platform canopy dates from that time. Street frontage buildings were also provided.

The Manchester - Prestwich - Radcliffe Central - Bury line was electrified in 1916.

The station passed to the [[London Midland and Scottish Railway]] in 1923. From 1 January 1948, the station was operated by [[British Railways]].

The street level buildings were destroyed by fire on 14 May 1947 and were replaced with a new brick and concrete entrance and footbridge in 1952. The old headquarters building was demolished in January 1974.

British Rail closed the station on 17 March 1980, when it was replaced by a new [[Bury Interchange|bus/rail interchange station]] further east into the town centre. Bury Interchange railway station served up until 1991 before the entire Bury Line was converted to [[light rail]] operation. It reopened in 1992 for [[Manchester Metrolink|Metrolink]] operation.

== Station information ==
{{Bury Lines RDT|collapse=yes}}
The station was extensively remodelled by the [[Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway]] (the company absorbed the ELR in 1859) who gave it its present form. There are four platforms, viz:

Platform 1. A [[bay platform]] at the south east end.

Platform 2. The up platform on the east side.

Platform 3. The down platform, one side of the island platform.

Platform 4. A bidirectional platform, one side of the island platform and adjacent to the Western retaining walls which had a unique bidirectional signal mounted on a wall bracket.

The platforms were equipped with normal canopies and a new entrance was created on Bolton Street, with street frontage buildings across the tracks accessing a footbridge.

Since re-opening as part of the heritage railway operated by the East Lancashire Railway, a new platform building, incorporating a façade from the former Bury tram depot, has been erected on the up platform and the station is undergoing a comprehensive refurbishment and redevelopment plan. It is once again signalled and the old Bury South box is back in operation.

== Original services ==
Passenger trains on the Holcombe Brook branch ended in 1952. Those on the lines to Accrington, Bacup & Clifton Junction were withdrawn in 1966, with the Rawtenstall trains following suit in 1972. That left only the link to [[Manchester Victoria railway station|Manchester Victoria]] which in turn was severed in 1980 with the opening of [[Bury Interchange]]. Bolton Street Station, with its original features, was rescued from demolition and placed in the care of the [[East Lancashire Railway]], a preservation group. The line to Ramsbottom and Rawtenstall was re-opened as a heritage railway, under the name [[East Lancashire Railway]] in 1987 and has since been extended to Heywood. The line and station have since become a leading tourist attraction in the area.

== Gallery ==
{{East Lancashire Railway|collapse=yes}}
<gallery>
Image:Bury Station, East Lancs Railway.jpg|View of platform 2, showing the 'refreshment room'
Image:Bolton Street Station.JPG|View of platform 4
Image:Bury bolton street 2.JPG|View of the entire station, taken from the bottom of the station
Image:BurySouth signal box interior1.JPG|Interior view of Bury South signal box
Image:BurySouth signal box interior2.JPG|Interior view of Bury South signal box
</gallery>

== Present day services ==
{{Heritage rail start}}
{{rail line|previous={{stnlnk|Heywood}}|route=[[East Lancashire Railway]]|next={{stnlnk|Burrs Country Park}} |col={{heritage rail colour|line=East Lancashire Railway}} }}
{{Disused Rail Insert}}
{{rail line |next=[[Woodhill Road Halt railway station|Woodhill Road]]<br /><small>Line and station closed</small> |route=[[Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway]]<br /><small>[[Bury and Tottington District Railway]]</small> |col={{LYR colour}} }}
{{rail line two to one |previous2={{stnlnk|Knowsley Street}}<br /><small>Line open, station closed</small> |previous1=[[Withins Lane railway station|Withins Lane]]<br /><small>Line and station closed</small> |next={{stnlnk|Summerseat}}<br /><small>Line and station open</small> |route=[[Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway]]<br /><small>[[East Lancashire Railway (1844–1859)|East Lancashire Railway]]</small> |col={{LYR colour}} }}
{{rail end}}

== References ==
*Lost Railways of Lancashire by Gordon Suggitt ({{ISBN|1-85306-801-2}})
*The Directory of Railway Stations, R.V.J. Butt, 1995, Patrick Stephens  ({{ISBN|1-85260-508-1}})
*Encyclopedia of British Railway Companies, Christopher Awdry, 1990, Guild Publishing (CN 8983)

[[Category:Heritage railway stations in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury]]
[[Category: Former Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway stations]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Bury, Greater Manchester]]
[[Category: Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1846]]
[[Category: Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1980]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1987]]
[[Category:1846 establishments in England]]