Notes: Hoole station opened on 18 May 1882 with the extension of the WLR line from River Douglas (near Hesketh Bank) to Longton. The section of line was three miles long and was built by yet another contractor, Braddock & Matthews. The station was in an isolated spot about half-a-mile west of Much Hoole and immediately west of Station Road level crossing.

As the line was double-track Hoole station was provided with two platforms. The main station facilities were in a single-storey brick building at the north-eastern end of the ‘up’ (Southport-direction) platform. It was a plain, modest structure accommodating booking facilities, a waiting room and toilets. Opposite, on the ‘down’ (what became the Preston-direction)

Beyond the north-eastern end of the down platform, adjacent to the level crossing, was Hoole signal box, opened at the same time as the line. It was of McKenzie & Holland design and initially had that company’s 15-lever frame. The box controlled the level crossing; the main line through the station;  access to the goods yard; and access to two crossovers - one at either end of the station.

At the time of opening Hoole was served by trains running between Southport Windsor Road and Longton. The WLR completed the route to Preston in September 1882. Special trains ran on 4 September for the Preston Guild week, and public services were introduced along the full length of the WLR from 15 September 1882. To coincide with the line’s extension

By December 1895 Hoole had eight services to Preston and three to Blackburn (via Preston) on weekdays. Some of the Blackburn services did not run onwards from Preston on Thursdays. The first service for Preston was at 7:07 am and the last was at 10:25 pm. There were ten services to Southport Central, the first leaving Hoole at 6:28 am and the last at 10:37 pm. Hoole had six trains to Preston and five to Southport on Sundays.

On 1 July 1897 the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway (LYR) took over the WLR. From 16 July 1900 the LYR closed the WLR Preston station and diverted trains into Preston’s main line station. From 1 May 1901 Southport Central was closed and all WLR line trains transferred to Southport Chapel Street. 

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 1926 the LMS put a new 16-lever LYR-pattern frame in the signal box - the LMS continued to build LYR frames until about1929. By summer 1932 Hoole had 16 weekday trains to

On 1 January 1948 Hoole became part of the nationalised British Railways (London Midland Region).  By the winter of 1956 the station was served on weekdays only by ten Preston and seven Southport trains. The first departure for Preston was at 7:22 am and the last was at 9:41 pm. The first Southport service departed at 6:39 am and the last at 7:14 pm. Some extra services did run on Saturdays but on Sundays there was no service at all.

Whilst stations on the Southport – Preston line south of Banks (excluding Southport itself) were fitted with LMR totem name signs, the remainder were not, which suggested a reluctance to invest in the route. Not only did Hoole retain earlier signage but it also remained oil lit. In July 1959 Railway Magazine reported that the LMR was considering closure to all traffic of the route

On 8 December 1963 the goods yard was disconnected from the through line. It is not known when goods traffic had ceased but it was likely to have been much earlier than the disconnection date; 6 April 1964 was the official date when goods traffic ceased to be handled at Hoole. Despite local protests the passenger services were withdrawn between Meols Cop and Preston with effect from 7 September 1964. Hoole station closed completely, as did the line from Hesketh Park to Preston.

Although the line south from Hesketh Bank towards Southport was lifted during the early months of 1965 the section between Preston and the River Douglas bridge, which passed through Hoole, remained in situ for another year because it was thought that it might be required to serve a proposed nuclear power station. However Heysham was chosen instead, and the line

Tickets from Alan Castle except 2479 Michael Stewart, route map drawn by Alan Young, Bradshaw from Nick Catford . 

Sources:

• The research notes of Tony Graham taken from the National Archive
• 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
• The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Around Preston, Bob Gregson, Atkinson Publications 2011
• M Quick Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (Railway & Canal Historical Society 2009)
• 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, Banks, Hundred End, Hesketh Bank & Tarleton, River Douglas, Longton Bridge, New Longton & Hutton, Penwortham (Cop Lane) & Preston West Lancashire