Old_railway_lines_in_Wigan
The railway system in Wigan started development in the 19th century during the Industrial Revolution. The first railway built in the town was the Wigan Branch Railway which was opened on 3 September 1832 to serve the many collieries in the area; this was a branch line of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, the first inter-city railway.[1] By the turn of the 20th century, Wigan had numerous railway stations widely available across the borough, used by both freight and passengers. Many of the lines were originally built for freight which were later converted, as the owners saw the profitability of allowing passengers, to carry passenger trains.[citation needed]
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After the Beeching Report (1963), which led to many low-usage railway lines and stations closing across the country, some railways and stations around Wigan fell into disuse. The Manchester and Wigan Railway closed in 1969,[2] the Chorley-to-Wigan line (operated by the Lancashire Union Railway) closed to passengers in 1960 and to goods on 25 May 1971,[3] and one of the last lines to close was the Whelley Loop which was closed to both freight and passengers in 1976.[4]