Notes: The station opened as Southport Windsor Road on 10.6.1878 as a temporary wooden terminus of the West Lancashire Railways (WLR) Southport to Preston line. It was renamed as Southport Ash Street shortly after. It consisted of two wooden platforms located between St. Lukes Road and Windsor Road footbridge. At this point the WLR ran very close to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railways (LYR) Southport to Wigan line which had opened in 1855 and ran into Southport Chapel Street.

On the 5.9.1882 the WLR opened their permanent Southport terminus at Derby Road which they called Southport Central. At this time Southport Ash Street became a basic 'ticket platform' served by Preston line trains.

On 1.11.1887 the Liverpool, Southport and Preston Junction Railway opened its line from Hillhouse Junction (on the CLC Aintree to Southport Lord Street Line) to Southport Central and services began to operate between Southport Central and Altcar and Hillhouse.

In July 1897 both the WLR and the Liverpool, Southport and Preston Junction Railways were absorbed into the LYR. As the LYR had a large terminus at Southport Chapel Street and could see no sense in operating two termini at very close proximity so they closed Central on 1.5.1901 after they had completed a remodeling of the approach lines, to allow trains to divert onto the Wigan to Southport line, and into Southport Chapel Street Station.

The LYR had a station just to the east of Ash Street called St. Lukes. They extended it to include a platform on the former WLR. The Southport Gazette suggests this was a gradual process nearing completion late February 1902 and the PRO gives an opening date of 1.3.1902 which presumably means the completion date for part of the work as Railway Magazine for July 1902 gives the opening date for the new platform at St. Lukes as 1.6.1902 with Ash Street closing at the same time.

Nothing survives of the station today but one rusting track marks its site. The other lines at this location are slewed over to take up the course of the former Wigan line.

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, Butts Lane Halt, Kew Gardens, Heathley Lane Halt, Shirdley Hill, New Cut Lane Halt, Halsall, Plex Moss Lane Halt, Downholland & Altcar & Hillhouse