Wigan North Western is one of two stations serving Wigan town centre, the station is managed by…read moreAvanti West Coast, who run services from this station on the Glasgow Central/Edinburgh Waverley - London Euston line, which provides services into Scotland, Birmingham, London and others. The station is also served by Northern, with limited services by TPExpress: this means you can also get into other towns and cities including Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, St Helen's and Blackpool. The station is fairly basic, but it is only a small category B station with 5 active platforms, an underpass with lift/stair access connects the platforms. I was surprised that this station didn't have ticket-gates, and there were no staff until getting to the platform, but the staff did seem friendly and happy to help, there was also a good amount of seats and a waiting room in the place, where you can wait before boarding a service. The facilities inside the station are minimal, but with it being a short walk away from the town centre (I like the map outside which gives you a rough time and direction to get to the DW Stadium and town centre), this isn't too bad. Bus services also stop outside. 3* - Nothing too excited, pretty average station, which provides a good number of services which is better than many towns of a similar size to Wigan gets.

I would like to prays the staff on duty today I was on a train to preston when there was a incident…read moreon on a train the staff had to put up with a lot of abuse from a passenger but they all worked so hard to make the train safe for all the passengers well done

Wigan Wallgate is in a good location within the town centre, one of two train station in Wigan,…read morealongside the larger Wigan North Western. The location is good, just a couple minutes away from the town's main shops. All services are run by Northern Trains who operate the station, mainly serving "local" destinations including Manchester, Bolton, Blackburn and Southport. The station facilities are minimal but it does have a waiting area, where you can keep warm ahead of getting a train. The station is clean in most areas. The staff were OK. Step-free station so they do have lift access etc, I like the station from the outside as it looks pretty unique and different as you can see from photos. 3*

Very little to be said other than that it is a typical train station. Seemed quite clean but…read morecertainly in need of modernising. As it is only a small station there is little confusion when it comes to platforms and the staff as with other stations are quite helpful

Bryn is on the main line between Liverpool and Wigan. It is an unstaffed station so there is…read morenowhere to buy a tickets or asking questions, this makes me feel quite unsafe as a woman on her own at night. It's not a very busy station either so there isn't always a lot of people around and it isn't close to the road either. The bus stops right outside but you have to get down some stairs to get to the platform so it's not good for wheel chairs or prams.

Appley Bridge is a nice little train station on the Manchester-Southport line. A sign states that…read morethe station is 'Adopted by Shevington Parish Council' which might explain the attractive floral displays and the pay phone in the platform shelter. In contrast to Parbold, this is an unmanned station with no waiting room, although the platform shelters should keep you dry if not warm. There are four or five Bicycle Locker Users' Club (BLUC) lockers, but I've never seen any of them in use, despite having a look through the peepholes each time I pass! The nearby canal and River Douglas are both nice to walk alongside with the canal path being easier going. Parbold offers more in the way of food and refreshment, and getting off at Appley Bridge and walking the canal path to Parbold would be one way to do it. If you're making an onward journey by bike, all else being equal, Parbold is preferable as Appley Bridge is in a valley with steep ascents on all sides. By car, the station car park is full by early morning so don't bother looking - instead, drive up the main road until you find a space.

Parbold Train Station gets the basics right. The waiting room is a six-seater affair, with a high…read morelevel of décor and wintertime cosiness! You can read about the history of the station in the newspaper cuttings framed on the walls. The staff exude a rural charm, and man the ticket office well into the evening. Even if it's the last train you're on, Parbold station feels safe - it's well lit, with the lively The Railway pub adjacent and a couple of hot food takeaways over the road. For those walking or cycling the canal path it's good to check out the options the railway gives you, either for linear routes or for bailing out early in case of bad weather or mechanical problems. Parbold to Appley Bridge (which also has a station) is a lovely walk along the canal, especially in the right weather. Tourist information centres will have information on the longer routes. And Parbold itself is a lovely, lively village worth exploring in its own right or as a starting point for an adventure in the Lancashire countryside.