Notes: Parkside was one of the original passenger stations of the famous Liverpool and Manchester Railway the world's first railway to cater for passengers as one of its primary functions. It was also arguably the worlds first inter city railway. When the line first opened on the 15th September 1830 no details exist of the initial intermediate stops and Walkers accurate description of the line at the time of opening says that fares for intermediate stops had not been settled implying that initially there might not have been any stops.

The earliest known company timetable is 1st March 1831, this did not show times at intermediate stops but did list stops in fare tables. The company minutes of 26th September 1832 did give a full list but no further list was given until January 1846.

There were many early changes of stopping place and name so the early history of intermediate stops is patchy. At first trains stops at, for example, level crossings where the gatekeeper issued tickets; perhaps a room in his cottage was available as a shelter. Many of the stations consisted of little more than a basic cottage. In 1841 platforms and nameboards were added to stations lacking them.

When the line opened Parkside was chosen as a location for watering facilities being that it was located about equal distance between the two Lancashire cities. It was at Parkside during the lines opening ceremony that the MP William Huskisson was killed by a train hauled by 'The Rocket' as he had alighted from his train and had walked down the track to speak to the Duke of Wellington who was traveling on another train. A memorial was erected close to the spot of the accident which can still be seen today.

In 1832 a line from Wigan (The Wigan Branch Railway) joined the LMR at Parkside. Running east to north the junction allowed trains from Manchester to proceed directly from the LMR towards Wigan. Those from the Liverpool direction had to reverse. This added to Parkside's importance. On 4.7.1837 The Grand Junction Railway (GJR) which connected to the LMR a couple of miles to the west of Parkside opened. This line connected the LMR to Birmingham. In 1838 the Wigan Branch Railway was doubled and extended to Preston. All of this development which added to the importance of Parkside led to the LMR the GJR and the Northern Union Railway (NUR), which owned the Wigan Junction line, to build a new station at Parkside. It opened in 1839 and the original station closed.

The 1949 Ordnance Survey map shows the new station opened in 1839 but it also still shows the original station as a 'luggage station' indicating that the original station remained in use for luggage.

Click here for a detailed history of the Edge Hill cutting and tunnels, including pictures inside the 1829 Crown Street Tunnel

Further reading: Liverpool & Manchester Railway Operations 1831 - 1845 by Thomas J Donaghy
David & Charles 1972 ISBN 0 71535705 0

To see the other closed stations on the Liverpool & Manchester Railway click on the station name: Liverpool Crown Street, Huyton Quarry, Lea Green, Collins Green, Parkside 2nd, Kenyon Junction, Glazebury and Bury Lane, Flow Moss, Astley, Lambs Cottage, Barton Moss 1st, Barton Moss 2nd, Weaste, Seedley, Cross Lane, Ordsall Lane, Manchester Liverpool Road