Ince & Elton railway station
Ince & Elton | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Location | Ellesmere Port and Neston |
| Managed by | Northern Rail |
| Platforms | 1 (Helsby) 2 (Ellesmere Port) |
| Other information | |
| Station code | INE |
| Key dates | |
| 1 July 1863 | opened as Ince Bhead |
| 17 April 1884 | Renamed Ince and Elton |
Ince and Elton railway station, on the Ellesmere Port to Warrington Line, serves both Ince and Elton in Cheshire, England.
The station is unstaffed, generally as the station rarely sees a train at any meaningful time of day. 845 passengers are recorded as using the station in 2006-7.
A rail user group, the Merseyside & Cheshire Railways Campaign, known as MCRC, supports and actively campaigns for an improved service at this station and for this railway line;[1] support also comes from the North Cheshire Rail User Group. [2]
Northern Rail's 'Adopt-a-Station' scheme is in operation at this station. Members of the local community support the station by carrying out regular duties such as picking up litter and ensuring the station remains in a good overall condition.
Some station signs are outdated, displaying information about long gone services to Chester and Hooton (see image of sign on Platform 2).
Accessibility
There is level access from the small car park at the front of station onto the Helsby platform. From this platform, to reach the Ellesmere Port platform, turn left, go down the platform end ramp, and providing the level crossing warning lights indicate that it is safe, cross the lines using the foot crossing and then up the platform end ramp.
The road leading down from the main road at Ince to the station is step-free, although there is no pavement. The alternative exit, via the narrow path involves walking up steep steps, which is not accessible for passengers with pushchairs and/or mobility problems.
Service
Four trains a day call here in each direction (towards Helsby and Ellesmere Port). One of these trains each evening continues to Liverpool Lime Street via Warrington Bank Quay. Typically, these services are operated by Class 156 diesel multiple units, (DMUs), however occasionally Class 142 'Pacer' trains are used.
The line on which the station is situated is only electrified at Ellesmere Port; therefore no electric trains can run here. This means that Merseyrail would not be capable of extending the Liverpool Central to Ellesmere Port services to Helsby via Ince and Elton, as they use class 507 and class 508 3rd Rail Electric rolling stock. The likelihood of electrifying the line in the future is low, as there are many dangerous substances and cables surrounding the trackside as the line passes through the Stanlow & Thornton Shell oil refinery.
There is no service on Sundays. A Saturday service operates on most Bank Holidays. In the event of buses replacing trains, only one service in each direction runs, usually in the late afternoon.
In British Rail terminology, this station's rail service(s) would be referred to as a 'Parliamentary train'. This means that the Train Operating Company only runs the minimum number of services required legally, and usually at the least busy times of day, in order to still comply with the law, but to keep operating costs down to an absolute minimum. It is cheaper to run this service than going through a lengthy legal process of applying for station closures.
Freight
Freightliner usually run a class 66 'heavy-haul' service to Ellesmere Port twice a day from/to Fiddlers Ferry on Monday to Fridays. On Saturdays there is one scheduled working.[3]
When the Shell oil refinery at Stanlow used the railways to transport freight, over fifteen trains per day used this line. Since then, the sidings and signal box have been removed, and freight is becoming increasingly rare on this line.
No freight trains currently use the station, other than to pass through it.
History
Ince station was opened on 1 July 1863 by the Birkenhead Joint Railway.[4] It was renamed Ince and Elton on 17 April 1884.[4]
Bridgwater was the scene of a violent rear-end collision during the evening of October 23rd 1974, when the 6V86 19.42 Derby - Plymouth freight hauled by 125 ran into the rear of the 6V35 Ince & Elton - Plymouth Friary Shellstar train. Due to the speed involved the collision blocked all lines for twenty four hours. The driver and second man on 125 were badly injured, regrettably the guard, traveling in the rear cab, died in the impact. 125 was eventually moved to Bristol and headed out towards Derby on November 7th with 46024 hauling 125 & 46018 - 46024 itself had a cracked bogie.[5]
This station was earmarked for closure, along with Stanlow and Thornton, Helsby and Ellesmere Port, under the proposals made by Dr. Beeching, see (Beeching Axe).[6] This was never implemented, although services gradually began to reduce. Services originally operated regularly between Helsby and Hooton via Ellesmere Port. This was then reduced to a low-frequency service between Helsby and Ellesmere Port only, no longer serving Hooton. This low-frequency service was eventually withdrawn, and a very limited service, which sees very few trains, was put in operation, and remains in force today.
Public Transport Interchange
At the station exit, there are two buses each hour. The number 36, operated by GHA Coaches, operates towards Runcorn, or in the opposite direction, towards Ellesmere Port[7]. Buses run until around 19:00 local time.
These services only run Monday-Saturday, (NOT Bank Holidays). This means that Ince and Elton villages are not served by any public transport on Sundays and public holidays.
There is a free small car park located just outside the station. There is no CCTV or staff at this station.
Future
Template:Future uk public transportation Quinn Glass, (part of the Quinn Group is located in Elton, and is currently undergoing expansion near this railway station. The Network Rail Route Strategy Guide states that Quinn Glass is interested in additional passenger and freight services on this line. It is also interpreted that planning permission requires Quinn Glass to maximise upon existing public transport links, as well as create new ones.[8] These plans could potentially lead to new services on this line, as well as improved station facilities and rolling stock.
References
Notes
- ^ Welcome to MCRC!
- ^ www.ncrug.org.uk/
- ^ http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/s22-fhh_12sa_supdoc.pdf
- ^ a b Butt (1995). Page 127.
- ^ http://www.derbysulzers.com/74.html
- ^ http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/BRB_Beech001a.pdf
- ^ "Number 36 Bus Timetable" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-05-03.
- ^ "Quinn Glass Planning Application" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-05-04.
Sources
- Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
- Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063. CN 8983.
External links
- Train times and station information for Ince & Elton railway station from National Rail
| Preceding station |  National Rail
|
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanlow and Thornton | Northern Rail Ellesmere Port to Warrington Rail Line |
Helsby | ||