The station opened as
Wigan on 3 September 1832 as the terminus of the
Wigan Branch Railway (WBR) when it opened the long line from on the
Liverpool and Manchester Railway. The station building was located to the south of the running line adjacent to Chapel Lane, no other details are known. The station was only known as
Wigan and
Chapel Lane was added in an explanatory way as to the location of the Railway's office. The station was short-lived as the line was extended northwards to in 1838 necessitated taking it over Wallgate, the
turnpike to
Warrington, which required the building of substantial embankments, a new station, was constructed to the south of this new bridge over Wallgate. ==Goods station==