Disused Stations: Canada Dock Station

[Source: Paul Wright]

Date opened:	1.7.1870
Location:	Between Derby Road and Bankhall Lane
Company on opening:	London & North Western Railway
Date closed to passengers:	5.5.1941
Date closed completely:	12.9.1982
Company on closing:	London Midland & Scottish Railway
Present state:	Demolished and site filled in.
County:	Lancashire
OS Grid Ref:	SJ342936
Date of visit:	1990, 29.9.2005, 19.12.2010 & 10.9.2016

Notes: Canada Dock station was the northern terminus of the London & North Western Railway (LNWR) Bootle branch which connected the north Liverpool docks with the Liverpool and Manchester railway. By the 1860s the dock system at Liverpool had begun to spread north and the new docks were able to take the largest ships of the day. The LNWR wanted direct access to the dock system and obtained an Act to build the Bootle Branch railway which opened to Canada Dock for goods services on 15 October 1866.

The passenger station at Canada Dock opened on 1 July 1870 as Bootle. The station building which housed the booking office was at street level on the east side of Derby Road opposite access gates on the west side that led to the goods station. Derby Road passed over the numerous lines at Canada Dock on a multi-arched bridge. The building was single-storey red brick structure at road overbridge level, supported on iron pillars. Groups of arched windows, in pairs or threes gave the building some distinction, particularly as the window arches were accentuated by yellow bricks which radiated from them. The slate roof was hipped. Within the building were a booking hall, booking office and waiting room. The line at this point was below street level, and from the rear of the station building a set of wooden steps led down to a single platform. The platform was constructed from brick and had one face on its north side. The rear of the platform had a brick wall. To both the north and south of the platform were numerous sidings that were part of the goods station. The platform stretched from Derby Road to Bankhall Lane which also passed over the line on a bridge.

To the east of the station the lines merged into the double-track railway of the Bootle branch and ran into Canada Dock tunnel.

Bootle station was served by trains to and from Liverpool Lime Street calling at all stations along the branch.

On 5 September 1881 a line opened from the Bootle branch to Alexandra Dock. It had its junction with the branch at Atlantic Dock Junction which was at the eastern end of the Canada Dock tunnel. With the opening of the new line Bootle station was renamed Canada Dock.

A signal box opened to the east of the passenger station in 1893. It was an LNWR type 4 box with a brick base and a timber upper cabin. It was fitted with a 30-lever frame. The box was named Bootle No. 1.

The December 1895 timetable showed Canada Dock as having 19 arrivals and 19 departures on Monday-to-Saturday. By July 1922 this had reduced to 6 arrivals and 7 departures on Monday-to-Friday as shown in the table below. On Saturdays there were only 5 arrivals and 6 departures.

Departures July 1922	To	Arrivals July 1922	From
7.25am	Liverpool Lime Street	7.09am	Liverpool Lime Street
8.00pm	Liverpool Lime Street	7.32am	Liverpool Lime Street
9.25am	Liverpool Lime Street	11.50am	Liverpool Lime Street
12.25pm	Liverpool Lime Street	12.44pm	Liverpool Lime Street
1.00pm	Liverpool Lime Street	2.09pm	Liverpool Lime Street
2.30pm SO	Liverpool Lime Street	5.39pm SX	Liverpool Lime Street
5.25pm SX	Liverpool Lime Street
6.00pm SX	Liverpool Lime Street

On 1 January 1923 Canada Dock station became part of the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS). By the summer of 1932 it had only five trains in each direction on weekdays. The first arrival was at 7.09am and it departed for a return journey to Lime Street at 7.25am. The last arrival was at 5.39pm and it departed for Lime Street at 6.00pm. By way of contrast Alexandra Dock station had twelve services in each direction.

In 1930 Bootle N0. 1 signal box was renamed Canada Dock No. 1. A year later, though, in 1931 it was reduced to a ground frame.

With the outbreak of the Second World War on 3 September 1939 Liverpool found itself in the firing line. The first bombs fell on 4 August 1940. Canada Dock goods station was hit on numerous occasions. On 4 May 1941 it suffered its worst damage when the goods station was completely destroyed by fire and the Leeds & Liverpool Canal which ran along the southern boundary of Canada Dock goods station was hit. Water from the canal poured onto the site flooding the yard and causing extensive damage. No trains could run and the passenger service was suspended. Although repairs were quickly carried out and goods trains were able to operate within a few days, the passenger service was not reintroduced. The last train departed from the goods station on 3 September 1982, the passenger station surviving intact throughout that period and even after closure. The ground frame was closed on 12 September 1982 marking the absolute end of rail traffic to Canada Dock. The passenger station was demolished in the 1992, and its site was filled in destroying all trace.

Tickets from Michael Stewart

Sources:

An Illustrated History of Liverpool’s Railways – Paul Anderson – Irwell Press 1996
Bradshaws Rail Times December 1895 - Middlewood Press 2011
Bradshaws Rail Times July 1922 - Guild Publishing 1986
LMS Time Table July 18th to September 11th 1932
Rails to Port and Starboard - J W Gahan - Countyvise 1992
Railway Passenger Stations in Great Britain a Chronology - M Quick - Railway and Canal Historical Society 2009

To see the other stations on the Canada Dock branch click on the station name: Spellow, Walton & Anfield, Breck Road, Tue Brook, Stanley & Edge Lane

See also Alexandra Dock branch stations:
Bootle Balliol Road and Alexandra Dock (LNWR)

Looking east along the single platform at Canada Dock Station in the 1930s. The station was surrounded by goods facilities which were always busier than the passenger station.
Copyright photo from Stations UK

The Canada Dock passenger station shown on a 6-inch scale map from 1890.

Canada Dock passenger station shown on an 25-inch scale map from 1890.

The 1906 map above illustrates clearly how Canada Dock passenger station was dwarfed by the goods station in which it was situated.

Looking west along the platform at Canada Dock station in February 1969. The stree- level booking office is seen at the far end of the platform. Although the station had been closed for 28 years it was just as it had been when it had opened in 1870.
Photo by Norman Daley

Canada Dock station looking north from an elevated position in 1977. The passenger station booking office can be seen to the right on Derby Road. The Canada Dock goods station dominates the view.
Photo by Derek Knowler

A view looking west at Canada Dock passenger station in the Autumn of 1982.
Photo by Nigel Apperley

Looking east along the platform at Canada Dock station in 1983. The view is similar to the 1930s photo at the top of the page.
Photo by Mike Turn

The Canada Dock passenger station booking office looking south-east in April 1988.
Photo by John Mann

Looking west from the eastern end of Canada Dock station’s single platform in August 1990.
Photo by Paul Wright

Looking west at the site of Canada Dock passenger station on 10 September 2016.
Photo by Paul Wright

Click here to see more photos

[Source: Paul Wright]

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Station Name: CANADA DOCK