Notes: Hey's Crossing Halt was situated on the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway (LYR) Rainford Junction and Ormskirk line which had opened as a through route on 1 March 1858. When the line opened to passengers there was only one intermediate station and that was at Skelmersdale (originally called Blaguegate). The line made an end on connection with the St Helens and Rainford Junction railway at Rainford which allowed for through running. Passenger services however ran into Rainford Junction station which was located on the Liverpool and Wigan line. At Rainford Junction there were timetabled connections to and from St Helens as well as the travel opportunities offered by the main line. The line was originally single track but it was doubled in 1875.

In 1907 the LYR introduced a railmotor service onto the line using Hughes Railmotor's and trailer carriages. A halt was opened at White Moss (one had been opened at Westhead in 1906) to serve the railmotor.

Four years later in September 1911 another halt was opened at Hey's Crossing. With the introduction of the railmotor the passenger service was intensified and there were 19 trains in each direction Monday-to-Saturday. As with the services on the line prior to the introduction of the railmotor there were connections with St Helens services at Rainford Junction.

Hey's Crossing Halt appears to have had no facilities other than short platforms. It is hard to see why there was ever a station at the location as it would have only served 2-3 farms, plus a few houses about ½ mile away.

On 1 January 1923 Hey's Crossing Halt became part of the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS). By the 1930s the LMS had replaced the railmotor with a push and pull locomotive and coaches.

The LMS timetable for the summer of 1947 showed 14 trains to Ormskirk and 13 trains to Rainford Junction Monday-to-Saturday. Eight of the Rainford Junction services connected with a St Helens train Monday-to-Friday and 9 did on Saturdays. There was also a terminating train from Ormskirk. There were 8 trains in each direction on Sundays but St Helens could not be reached as no trains ran from Rainford Junction to the town on that day.

On 1 January 1948 Hey's Crossing Halt became part of British Railways [London Midland Region] (BR[LMR]).

On 18 June 1951 BR[LMR] withdrew the passenger service between St Helens and Rainford Junction and closed all of the intermediate stations. They also closed the three halts on the Rainford Junction - Ormskirk line Heys Crossing Halt seeing its last trains on Saturday 16 June 1951. Consisting of only short platforms all traces of the Halt would have quickly disappeared.

A passenger service continued to operated between Rainford Junction and Ormskirk calling at the Skelmersdale until it was axed on 5 November 1956. Goods services continued to pass through the site of the halt until 16 September 1961 when the section of line between White Moss Crossing and Bushey Lane Junction was closed. Track lifting trains started to pass through from 21 September 1964. They lifted the line from Bushey Lane Junction through Hey's Crossing and back to Skelmersdale the work being complete by 2 November 1964.

Route map by Alan Young.

The 8D Association - Dedicated to promoting the history of South Lancashire and North Cheshire railways. Web Site

Sources:

• Industrial Railways of St Helens, Widnes and Warrington - Part 2 St Helens Coalfield and the Sandfields - C H A Townley & J A Peden - Industrial Railway Society 2002
• The St Helens Railway, Its Rivals and Successors – J M Tolston – The Oakwood Press 1982

For other Stations on the Rainford Junction - Ormskirk line click on the station name: Rainford Junction, White Moss Level Crossing Halt, Skelmersdale & Westhead Halt

See Also stations on the St Helens - Rainford Junction line: St. Helens 3rd, Gerards Bridge, Moss Bank, Crank, Old Mill Lane, Rookery 1st, Rookery 2nd, Rainford Village & Rainford Junction.