Place Sutton, Merseyside Station code SHJ DfT category E Number of platforms 2 | Grid reference SJ535932 Managed by Northern 2011/12 0.260 million Pte Merseytravel | |
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Address Saint Helens WA9 3LA, United Kingdom Similar Lea Green railway station, St Helens Central railway st, Earlestown railway station, Huyton railway station, Broad Green railway st | ||
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 electrified 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 presently operated by Northern.
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History
The station was first opened in 1833, 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 but the work was finally completed in early March 2015, 3 months behind schedule. 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 will be regained as part of the new TransPennine Express franchise agreement, although the current TPX 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 and potential number of rail users.
The station building was listed as a Grade II listed building on 14 October 2016. The reasons given were: its historic interest, representing a second generation of station buildings; its Classical design; its degree of survival, being relatively unaltered; and its group value with other listed buildings on the line.
Facilities
The station is staffed throughout the day (including Sundays), with the ticket office (on the eastbound-platform) open from 15 minutes before start of service until 23:50 each evening. There are shelters on each platform, along with customer help points, timetable poster boards and digital display screens to provide train running information. Step-free access is available to both platforms, though that for the westbound one requires staff assistance (as it is via a steep ramp and locked gate). The two platforms are also linked by footbridge.
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.
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 the Manchester Airport, Manchester Victoria and Warrington Bank Quay services.
Sundays see an hourly service in each direction to Liverpool and to Manchester Piccadilly & Manchester Airport but no direct service to Manchester Victoria.