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St Helens Junction railway station

Coordinates: 53°26′02″N 2°42′00″W / 53.434°N 2.700°W / 53.434; -2.700
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St Helens Junction
General information
LocationSt Helens
Managed byNorthern Rail
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeSHJ
Fare zoneA1
Key dates
between 1833 and 1837Opened

St Helens Junction railway station is a railway station serving St Helens, Merseyside, England. It is in Sutton, 3 miles south-west of St Helens town centre. The station is on the northern route of the Liverpool to Manchester Line, 12 miles (19 km) east of Liverpool Lime Street (on the former Liverpool and Manchester Railway). The station and all trains calling there are operated by Northern Rail.

History

The station was first opened in 1833,[1] following commencement of operations on the main Liverpool - Manchester railway and was named "Junction" because it was located at the junction of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway with the former St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway branch to the present St Helens Central. That route which opened on 21 February 1833 closed to passengers in 1965 (and completely in 1989), but the name remains. The station originally had three platforms - two through lines and a bay platform on the northern side of the main building which mostly dealt with local services (this is now part of the station roadway approach and car park arrangements).

To the west of the station on the south side of the line stood the London and North Western Railway tarpaulin factory, known locally as 'the sheeting sheds', access from Monastery Lane being provided by a footbridge known as 'the pudding bag bridge', a favourite location of trainspotters in the 1950s as the steam engines of westbound trains were being fired to climb the Sutton bank with its 2.5 km of 1 in 90 gradient.

The lines through the station were due to be electrified by December 2014[2] but the work was finally completed in early March 2015, 3 months behind schedule.[3] Some long distance services to Leeds, York and the North East that were lost when the Liverpool - York (and beyond) Transpennine trains that were diverted via Warrington Central and Manchester Piccadilly in 1989 may possibly be regained, although the current TransPennine Express Liverpool to Newcastle service passes through St. Helens Junction without calling (first stop is Manchester Victoria).

Concern has been expressed that parking space at the station is inadequate given the present number of rail users.[4]

Services

On Monday to Saturday daytimes, there are three trains per hour in each direction. Trains head west to Liverpool Lime Street and east to one of Manchester Victoria, Manchester Airport or Warrington Bank Quay, with an hourly service to each.[5]

The service to Manchester Airport calls only at Newton-le-Willows on its way to Manchester, with the Manchester Victoria trains serving all intermediate stations. The frequency drops to hourly during the evening, when most eastbound trains run to Manchester Victoria. Electrification has seen the introduction of 4-Car Class 319 electric trains on both the Manchester Airport and Manchester Victoria services.

Sundays see an hourly service in each direction to Liverpool and to Manchester Piccadilly & Manchester Airport but no direct service to Manchester Victoria.

  • Northern Electric Class 319 Liverpool to Manchester Airport and Manchester Victoria to Liverpool services cross each other at St. Helens Junction
    Northern Electric Class 319 Liverpool to Manchester Airport and Manchester Victoria to Liverpool services cross each other at St. Helens Junction
  • The platform entrance to the waiting room and ticket office.
    The platform entrance to the waiting room and ticket office.
  • A Northern Rail Class 142 departs from the station
    A Northern Rail Class 142 departs from the station
  • The station footbridge.
    The station footbridge.
  • A GBRf Class 66 passes through the station with a freight train.
    A GBRf Class 66 passes through the station with a freight train.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Wainwright, Stephen R. (2014). "An Illustrated History of Old Sutton in St.Helens, Part 29 (of 77) - Transport in Sutton (St.Helens)". Sutton Beauty & Heritage. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  2. ^ "Electrification in the North". Network Rail. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  3. ^ First 319s run on NorthernRailnews; Retrieved 6 March 2015
  4. ^ Wilson, Anthony (24 October 2013). "Letters: The rail car park at Junction Station is too small". St Helens Star. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  5. ^ GB National Rail Timetable, December 2014 - May 2015, Table 90
Wikimedia Commons has media related to St Helens Junction railway station.
Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Lea Green   Northern Electrics
Liverpool to Manchester Line
(Northern Route) 		  Earlestown
Wavertree Technology Park   Northern Electrics
Liverpool to Manchester Airport Line 		  Newton-le-Willows

53°26′02″N 2°42′00″W / 53.434°N 2.700°W / 53.434; -2.700

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