Notes: In 1906 the LYR started a Railmotor Service on its Southport Chapel Street to Altcar and Hillhouse line. The line had opened in 1887 and the last half a mile of track into Altcar and Hillhouse was the Cheshire Lines Railways Southport Lord Street to Aintree Line.

To coincide with the introduction of the Railmotor service two halts where opened at Plex Moss Lane and New Cut Lane. As service frequency and passenger numbers picked up two more halts where opened in March 1907 at Healthley Lane and Butts Lane. The service became known locally as the 'Altcar Bob'. There is some debate as to the origin of this name. The use of Altcar is quite simple as it was the southern terminus but there have been a number of suggestions with regards to why the name 'Bob' was chosen. It has been suggested that one of the original drivers was called Bob, that small engines where often referred to as Bob and that the service was named after the slang term for a shilling which was called locally a 'Bob'.

In common with the other halts Butts Lane was a simple cinder based low platform which was no higher than track level. It was situated just to the south of Butts Lane Bridge on an embankment. Immediately south of the station was Butts Lane Junction from which a line branched off from the Altcar line and ran down to Pool Hey Junction on the Southport to Wigan line of 1855.

By 1910 sixteen return trips daily operated along the branch (9 on a Sunday) which for a line that south of Butts Lane Halt ran through extremely thinly populated areas was not bad. However even by 1910 many services ran only as far as Barton (renamed Downholland from 1924). In 1926 the service ceased to operate as far as Altcar and Hillhouse and terminated at Downholland. On the 26.9.1938 the service ended and all of the stations on the line to the south of and including Butts Lane Halt closed. The line to Downholland remained open for Goods until 1952 and a section from Butts Lane Junction to Shirdley Hill remained in use as storage sidings for excursion stock until 1964.

The line through Butts Lane Halt is still open today as in 1965 the direct line from Pool Hey Junction to St. Lukes closed and trains from and to Wigan where diverted to run via the former Altcar line and a section of the former Southport to Preston line. Interestingly one station from the Altcar Branch has remained open at Meols Cop which is just over half a mile to the northwest of the site of Butts Lane Halt. It is however served by Wigan and Southport trains today.

Nothing remains of Butts Lane Halt.

For more about Altcar Bob see the Southport.gb.com web site.

To see the other stations on the Southport - Altcar & Hillhouse line click on the station name: Southport Central, Southport Ash Street, St. Lukes, Meols Cop, Kew Gardens, Heathley Lane Halt, Shirdley Hill, New Cut Lane Halt, Halsall, Plex Moss Lane Halt, Downholland & Altcar & Hillhouse