Askam railway station

Askam
The northbound platform
Location
Place	Askam-in-Furness
Local authority	Barrow-in-Furness
Coordinates	54°11′20″N 3°12′18″W / 54.189°N 3.205°WCoordinates: 54°11′20″N 3°12′18″W / 54.189°N 3.205°W
Grid reference	SD215777
Operations
Station code	ASK
Managed by	Northern
Number of platforms	2
DfT category	F2
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2004/05	46,956
2005/06	49,306
2006/07	53,589
2007/08	66,066
2008/09	43,230
2009/10	72,420
2010/11	59,936
2011/12	62,610
2012/13	64,862
2013/14	63,186
2014/15	63,652
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Askam from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Askam Railway Station serves the villages of Askam-in-Furness and Ireleth in Cumbria, England. The railway station is a stop on the scenic Cumbrian Coast Line. Some through trains to the Furness Line stop here. It is operated by Northern who provide all passenger train services. Originally, the station was built here to transport the iron ore being mined in Askam out of the village.

History

The line

The railway along the Cumbrian coast was completed over many years by numerous small firms, who often would refuse to work together. However, eventually 'Grouping' forced the companies to work together on the railway, instead of constantly competing. Further problems were encountered when the people building the railway ran out of money, and so the proposed Duddon Viaduct, from Askam to Millom, was abandoned. Instead, a different route, going by way of Foxfield, was planned. This saved £37,000.^[1]

The plans were drawn up in 1843, and shortly afterwards, sections of the Furness Railway were built. The original section through Askam, coming from Millwood Junction, and going on to Kirkby Slate Warf was part of the original railway line. This was officially opened on 3 June 1846. A passenger service then began operating on 24 August of that same year.^[2]

The station

Originally, there was a simple stop in Askam. This was abolished in 1859; the later growth of Askam meant that it soon deserved a full sized station. The station that was built was actually originally designed for Millom, by Paley and Austin. The chalet-style station was opened on 1 April 1868.^[3]

Along with the station, sliding sheds were built next to the station. These were to store a banking locomotive, to aid trains with more than 16 wagons with the difficult climb to Lindal summit.^[2]

As well as carrying ore, there were dozens of smaller lines to practically every mine, furnace and factory in the area. For example, the Askam brick works had a 2 ft gauge line to transport clay. This line was operational until 1968.^[4]

Operational

Opened by the Furness Railway, it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway during the Grouping of 1923. The station then passed to the London Midland Region of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948.

When Sectorisation was introduced in the 1980s, the station was served by Regional Railways until the Privatisation of British Railways.

Services

Askam is one of the few mandatory stops on this section of the line (along with St Bees, Sellafield, Ravenglass & Millom) and as a result all trains call here. The current 2015-16 timetable has fourteen trains per weekday northbound, eleven of which run all the way through to Carlisle (the remainder terminating at either Millom or Sellafield). Southbound there are fifteen departures, three of which continue beyond Barrow to Lancaster (four on Saturdays only) and one through to Preston (2 SO).^[5]

There is currently no Sunday service, though the new Northern Rail franchise agreement includes provision for one in the future (along with extra weekday services).

Gallery

• 

  The station

• 

  View southwards 1998

• 

  Signal box and crossing

Sources

1. Rails Around the Cumbrian Coast. Dalesman Books. 1988. p. 3.
2. A Short History of Ireleth and Askam-in-Furness, by Mark Maclean.
3. Rails Around the Cumbrian Coast. Dalesman Books. 1988. p. 49.
4. Rails Around the Cumbrian Coast. Dalesman Books. 1988. p. 53.
5. Great Britain eNRT 2015-16 Edition, Table 100

References

• Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0508-1. OCLC 60251199.
• Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 0-9068-9999-0. OCLC 228266687.

External links

• Train times and station information for Askam railway station from National Rail
• Askam station on navigable 1946 O. S. map

Preceding station		National Rail		Following station
Kirkby-in-Furness		Northern Rail Cumbrian Coast Line Mondays-Saturdays only		Barrow-in-Furness