Ulverston railway station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ulverston
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| Location | Ulverston, South Lakeland England |
| Coordinates | 54°11′30″N 3°05′53″W / 54.1917155°N 3.0979329°W |
| Owned by | Network Rail |
| Platforms | 2 |
| Tracks | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Station code | ULV |
| Classification | DfT category E |
| History | |
| Original company | Ulverstone and Lancaster Railway |
| Pre-grouping | Furness Railway |
| Post-grouping | London, Midland and Scottish Railway British Rail (London Midland Region) |
| Key dates | |
| 1 September 1857 | Opened |
| Traffic | |
| Passengers (2015/16) |  0.270 million |
| Passengers (2016/17) | 0.302 million |
| Passengers (2017/18) | 0.307 million |
| Passengers (2018/19) |  0.280 million |
| Passengers (2019/20) | 0.323 million |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Designated | 24 June 1974 |
| Reference no. | 1270170 |
| Location | |
 Ulverston
Location in South Lakeland
Ulverston
Location in Cumbria
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Ulverston is a railway station located in the town of Ulverston in Cumbria, England. It sits on the Furness Line, which connects Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster. The station is about 9.5 miles (15 km) north-east of Barrow-in-Furness. Network Rail owns the station, and Northern Trains manages it.
History of Ulverston Station
When Did Ulverston Get Its First Train?
The first railway line to reach Ulverston was built by the Furness Railway. This line connected Barrow-in-Furness and Dalton. It was finished on 7 June 1854.
Three years later, on 1 September 1857, the Ulverstone and Lancaster Railway opened a new line. This line went south to Carnforth, passing through Arnside. They built a brand new station at the current site in Ulverston. The older Furness Railway station then became a place for storing goods. In 1862, the Furness Railway took over the Ulverstone and Lancaster company.
What Do the Station Buildings Look Like?
The buildings you see at Ulverston station today are quite special. They were rebuilt in 1873 by the Furness Railway. This was because Ulverston was becoming a very important station.
The station has a beautiful clock tower and glass roofs over the platforms. These features, along with their fancy ironwork, have been carefully fixed up and repainted. The waiting room for passengers still has many old-fashioned details from that time.
How Was the Station Layout Different in the Past?
Ulverston station has an unusual platform design. The platform for trains heading north has tracks on both sides. This unique layout is a reminder of a time when Ulverston was a busy connection point.
It used to be where people changed trains for the branch line to Lakeside. This branch line left the main track a few miles south of Ulverston. It then went north-east through Greenodd and Haverthwaite, ending at Lakeside on the southern shore of Windermere.
The special platform allowed passengers coming from the south to easily switch trains to go to Lakeside. If they wanted to leave the station, they could get off on the other side of the platform. Today, only platforms one and three are used for trains.
When Did the Lakeside Branch Line Open and Close?
The branch line to Lakeside opened on 1 June 1869. It was very popular with tourists in the summer. They could easily transfer to steamboats on Windermere from Lakeside.
However, the line was much quieter in winter. Year-round passenger services stopped in autumn 1938. After that, trains only ran during the summer months. This continued until 6 September 1965, when the line was closed as part of the Beeching cuts.
The northern part of the line was reopened on 2 May 1973, as the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway. But the rest of the tracks were removed in the early 1970s. The old track path was used to improve the A590 road. Today, if you want to go to Lakeside, you have to continue your journey by road.
Station Facilities and Services
What Facilities Does Ulverston Station Have?
Ulverston station has staff working there throughout the week, except late in the evening. You can find the ticket office and a waiting room in the main building on platform 1. There is also a ticket machine in this building.
In 2007, new digital screens were put in place. These screens show passengers when their train is coming and if it's on time. There are also help points and an automatic announcement system. The platforms are connected by an underground walkway. However, there are no ramps or lifts, so it's not easy for everyone to access both platforms.
What Trains Run from Ulverston Station?
Usually, there is one train every hour in each direction. These trains go to Barrow and Lancaster from Monday to Saturday during the day. Some extra trains run during busy times.
A few trains each day go beyond Barrow to Carlisle, passing through Whitehaven. One train goes to Millom. If you want to go to other stations along the Cumbrian Coast, you can change trains at Barrow.
Trains heading south often continue to Preston and Manchester Airport. On Sundays, a similar service runs. Since summer 2018, direct trains to Carlisle also run on Sundays. This is the first time this has happened since 1976.
