Banks station was on the West Lancashire Railway (WLR) Company’s Southport & Preston Railway which opened in stages between 19 February 1878 and 6 September 1882. The WLR was promoted by Sir Thomas George Fermor-Hesketh, Bart. Royal Assent was given for the ‘West Lancashire Railway’ on 14 August 1871. The Act authorised construction capital amounting to £150,000. James Brunlees and Charles Douglas Fox were appointed as civil engineers, and the contract for construction was let to Clarke Pruchard and Co. The first sod was cut at a special ceremony held at Little London, in Southport, attended by the Mayor, Alderman Squire JP, on 18 April 1873. From the start the WLR project struggled financially and, although construction started successfully, it stopped abruptly when the contractor faced financial difficulties. A further WLR Act of 1875 authorised the raising of a further £187,500 and granted an extension of time for the line’s completion. A new contractor, Barnes & Squire, was appointed, and work resumed.

Banks station opened on 20 February 1878 with the first section of the WLR line from Hesketh Park (in Southport) to Hesketh Bank. The station was built by Bridges of Burscough Junction. It was on the north-eastern side of a level crossing with Guinea Hall Lane. The settlement of Banks lay a short distance to the north. As the line was double-track two platforms

The goods yard was behind the down platform, north-west of the station building. The signal box, built by McKenzie & Holland of Worcester, stood at the south-western end of the down platform; it controlled the crossing and the section of line through Banks.

At its opening Banks was served by trains between Hesketh Park and Hesketh Bank, but on 10 June 1878 the line was extended southwards to Southport Windsor Road. The WLR completed the route to Preston on 6 September 1882, when trains started to operate between Banks and Preston. To coincide with the completion of the route the WLR opened the new Southport Central terminus at the southern end of the line.

On 1 July 1897 the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway (LYR) took over the WLR. In a minute from a Board Meeting dated 21 February 1899 it was recorded that a stationmaster’s house was to be built at Banks. It was constructed adjacent to the station building on its south-western end; it was an austere two-storey structure in brick with segmental-arched windows,

In 1900 a new signal box was installed at the south-western end of the up platform. By this time the goods yard was shown as having two sidings controlled by a ground frame, which was in turn controlled by the new box; the original box on the down platform was demolished. From 16 July 1900 the LYR closed the WLR Preston station and diverted trains into Preston’s main line station. From 1 May 1901 all WLR line trains were transferred to Southport Chapel Street, and Central station was closed.

The LYR introduced a ‘railmotor’ service between Tarleton and Crossens on 3 June 1912  Tarleton was at the southern end of a 1¼-mile branch which connected the Leeds & Liverpool Canal to the WLR at Hesketh Bank. The line had opened for goods in 1880. The passenger service, which called at Banks, was not a success and was withdrawn on 1 October

On 1 January 1922 the LYR was absorbed by the London & North Western Railway but a year later that company became part of the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS). In summer 1932 Banks had 17 weekday services to Southport and 16 to Preston. The first departure from Banks was at 6:05 am and the last was at 11:21 pm, both of which went to Preston.

Banks became part of the nationalised British Railways (London Midland Region) on 1 January 1948. Housing estates developed in its vicinity during the post-war period. In winter 1956/7 there were 19 weekday trains to Preston, one to Accrington and 20 to Southport. After nationalisation the updating of station signage from Southport to Preston reached no further than Banks which was the most northerly station to be fitted with BR(LMR) totem name signs (after 1956). Railway Magazine (July 1959) reported that the LMR was considering closure of the route between Crossens – the terminus of the electric service – and Preston, so the ‘modernisation’ at Banks is perhaps surprising.

The Reshaping of British Railways report of 1963 recommended the complete closure of the railway from Meols Cop through to Preston. The goods yard at Banks station closed on 6 April 1964 and, despite local protests, all passenger services were withdrawn with effect from 7 September 1964. Banks closed completely as did the line from Hesketh Park to

Shortly after closure a drainage ditch was dug on the site of the trackbed which obliterated the up platform. The down platform and the station building survived the works in a derelict state for a few more years, but the building was demolished in 1968. Sections of the down platform could still be seen in 2011.

Tickets from Michael Stewart except 517 Alan Castle & 1451 Les Fifoot, & 2395 Chris Totty, route map drawn by Alan Young, Bradshaw from Nick Catford. 

Sources:

• The research notes of Tony Graham taken from the National Archive
• Merseyside Electrics, Jonathan Cadwallader and Martin Jenkins, Ian Allan 2010
• The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Vol 1, John Marshall, David & Charles 1969
• The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Vol 2, John Marshall, 1970
• Disused Stations – Lost Termini of North West England - P T Wright – Silver Link Publishing Ltd 2010
• LMS Time Table July 18th to September 11th 1932
• British Railways (LMR) Passenger services Timetable 17 September 1956 to 16 June 1957

To See other stations on the Southport - Preston (West Lancashire) line click on the station name: Southport Central, Southport Windsor Road, Southport Ash Street, St. Lukes, Hesketh Park, Churchtown, Crossens, Hundred End, Hesketh Bank & Tarleton, River Douglas, Hoole, Longton Bridge,
New Longton & Hutton, Penwortham (Cop Lane) & Preston West Lancashire

See also Tarleton Branch
Boat Yard Crossing Halt & Tarleton