diesel operated. The station at Kirkby became the interchange point between the two. Electrification eastwards from Kirkby was deemed too expensive at the time. The modern station consists of a single platform on either side of the road overbridge, with a ticket office and waiting room at street level. The single track is broken up by a large buffer stop, which separates the electric Merseyrail trains from the diesel-run Northern services. Passengers wishing to go from one to another must walk a dozen yards or so along the platform to move between trains (a similar layout exists at Ormskirk). This layout was adopted both to avoid the need for through travellers to change platforms when changing trains and also for operational convenience – the lines to and Rainford are both single track (as noted previously), which facilitates the easy turnaround of trains here. Accidents and incidents On 27 June 1857, a goods train collided with an excursion train stopped at Kirkby. The goods train passed a signal at danger protecting the stationary passenger train, overrunning it by . More than 200 people were injured, some of them severely. The driver and guard of the goods train were found to be at fault for the incident, having not reacted to an adverse signal in a timely fashion despite clear weather and good visibility. The report also found that the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway had neglected to make best use of available safety measures. In 1987, a Class 508 electric multiple unit collided with the buffer stop. In 1991, a passenger train collided with the buffer stop. In 1997, Class 507 electric multiple unit 507 031 collided with the buffer stop. 2021 train crash On 13 March 2021, 507 006, operated by Merseyrail, overshot the platform and overran the buffer stop, having approached the station at . The train impacted a concrete structure separating the Merseyrail tracks from the Kirkby Branch Line and was derailed, causing some damage to the platform. Twelve people sustained minor injuries. Services at the station were interrupted due to the need to remove the train and assess and repair damage on both sides of the buffer stops, with rail replacement buses running until the end of March. An investigation by the British Transport Police revealed that the driver had been using his mobile phone whilst driving, and entered the station at excessive speed. He pleaded guilty to