Plank Lane railway station served the hamlet of Crankwood and the Plank Lane area of Leigh, near Wigan in England. Like many railways, the line passed between rather than through communities, with branches off to serve the important traffic, which was goods and – in this area – coal.
Location and nearby stations The station was the only one on the Plank Lane Branch, which ran from junctions with the Eccles, Tyldesley and Wigan line south to Pennington.The line and mileages via railwaycodes It was immediately north of the bridge over Crankwood Lane, which in 2015 was still a minor road.The station site on a 1948 OS Map via npe maps
Throughout this station's short life the GCR operated West Leigh and Bedford station a short distance to the west, on the same country lane but on a different line.
Opening and closure The station opened in 1903 and closed in 1915, never to reopen. The line survived until well after WW2 but has since been lifted and in many places obliterated.
References
Sources
External links The station site on a 1948 OS Map npe Maps The line and mileages Railway Codes The station on an Edwardian OS Map National Library of Scotland The station and local lines on various maps Rail Map Online