for along the main line before diverging onto the Tyldesley line at Springs Branch Junction. In fact the timings of the non-stop express trains were such that trains between Manchester Exchange and Wigan could (and did) take the (longer) route via Lowton. Local trains along main line Passenger services were provided to a number of smaller stations located along the main line. Except for Leyland and Balshaw Lane (which was reopened in 1998 as Euxton Balshaw Lane) these stations are now closed. Closure of some of these smaller stations started before the Beeching report (for example Boar's Head and Bamfurlong in 1949 and Golborne in 1962) and was completed in the late 1960s. Local trains called at: {| class="wikitable" |- |width="50%"|Northwards||Southwards |- | Boar's Head || Bamfurlong |- | Standish Junction || Golborne |- | Coppull || Lowton |- | Balshaw Lane & Euxton || Newton-le-Willows |- | Leyland|| Earlestown |- | Farington || |- | Preston|| Warrington Bank Quay |} There are proposals to re-open some of the closed local stations (e.g. Golborne), but none have been approved as of 2018. Wigan Central Wigan had a third station: Wigan Central which has been demolished. Wigan Central was located in Station Road, still in the town centre but some way away from the two main stations (at North Western and Wallgate). It was a terminal station on the branch line to Glazebrook and on to Manchester Central. Wigan Central was opened by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (later to become the Great Central) in October 1892 and was closed to passengers in November 1964. Platform layout Platform 1 is used for some services to Stalybridge via Bolton and Manchester Victoria on Sundays. Platform 2 was a bay platform but is no longer in use after platform 3 was extended at the end of 2020. The track serving it has been lifted and the face fenced off. Platform 3 is a bay platform, used by early morning and late evening Northern services to Manchester Victoria and via and the Calder Valley (as the December 2022 timetable rerouted Wigan to Leeds services to operate from Wigan Wallgate), Sunday services to Manchester Victoria via and as a reversing siding allowing trains and locomotives for Springs Branch depot to approach from and leave south of the depot as it can only be entered from the north. Platform 4 is used for Avanti West