Helsby railway station
Encyclopedia
Helsby railway station serves the village of Helsby
in Cheshire
. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II listed building.
between Manchester Piccadilly and Chester
. It has been operated by Arriva Trains Wales
since 2005, but is unstaffed requiring passengers to purchase tickets from the conductor, on board the train. The nearest station with additional ticketing facilities is Chester
. Penalty Fares do not operate here.
There is a basic hourly service in each direction. Most trains towards Chester continue to Llandudno (although connections are available at Chester for Holyhead and London). On Sundays the service operates between Chester & Manchester Piccadilly only, although on the same hourly frequency as during the week.
The station is also the junction of the branch line to Ellesmere Port
. This service sees four trains daily in each direction, (Monday - Saturday) - two in the early morning and another pair mid-afternoon. Two of these trains continue to Warrington Bank Quay. Northern Rail
operates this service. (In the picture, the train on the right has arrived from Ellesmere Port
). There is no Sunday service on this line.
The summer Saturdays only Chester - Runcorn parliamentary train
via the Halton Curve
(operated by Northern) passes through the station but does not call.
and Class 175
DMU
s on its services, as the Chester to Warrington line is not electrified.
Northern Rail operate Class 142
Pacer Trains between Helsby and Ellesmere Port. Services continuing to Warrington and Liverpool are often worked by Class 156
DMUs.
, and Stanlow Shell Oil Refinery use the Ellesmere Port
branch line.
Most freight from the North operates through Helsby usually when heading towards North Wales, and would therefore pass through Chester.
The station has won numerous Best Kept Station awards.
and GHA Coaches
.
Route 21 operates between Chester and Runcorn hourly. (Arriva NW* ) (Monday - Sunday)
Route X30 operates between Chester and Warrington hourly. (Arriva NW) (Monday - Saturday)
Route 36 operates between Runcorn and Ellesmere Port via Ince & Elton, again hourly. (GHA Coaches) (Monday - Saturday)
* On Sundays, service 21 is operated on behalf of Cheshire County Council by Halton Buses.
Helsby
Helsby is a large village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. At the 2001 Census, Helsby had a population of 4,701.-Geography:...
in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II listed building.
Adopt-a-Station
The North Cheshire Rail Users Group has adopted this station and regularly ensure the station is clean and tidy. The station has won the "Best Kept Station" six times, and the plaques commending this are fixed to the signal box located on the island platforms, (2 + 3).Accessibility
There is no disabled access to trains calling at this station due to the low platforms. Platforms for the Manchester and Ellesmere Port services can also only be reached by using the footbridge.Service
The station is on the Chester to Manchester LineChester to Manchester Line
There are two Chester to Manchester Lines between the cities of Chester and Manchester in North West England.-Description:Both routes to Manchester share the Chester to Crewe line for a short distance to Brook Lane Junction where the Manchester lines diverge to Mickle Trafford at which point the...
between Manchester Piccadilly and Chester
Chester railway station
Chester railway station is a railway station in Newtown in the city of Chester, England. It is currently operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although Merseyrail, Northern Rail and Virgin Trains also run services from the station. It is situated to the north-east of the city centre...
. It has been operated by Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
since 2005, but is unstaffed requiring passengers to purchase tickets from the conductor, on board the train. The nearest station with additional ticketing facilities is Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
. Penalty Fares do not operate here.
There is a basic hourly service in each direction. Most trains towards Chester continue to Llandudno (although connections are available at Chester for Holyhead and London). On Sundays the service operates between Chester & Manchester Piccadilly only, although on the same hourly frequency as during the week.
The station is also the junction of the branch line to Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port railway station
Ellesmere Port railway station is located in the town of Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England. It is the terminal station of two lines on separate rail networks.* One of the termini of the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network....
. This service sees four trains daily in each direction, (Monday - Saturday) - two in the early morning and another pair mid-afternoon. Two of these trains continue to Warrington Bank Quay. Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
operates this service. (In the picture, the train on the right has arrived from Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port is a large industrial town and port in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated on the south border of the Wirral Peninsula on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal, which in turn gives access to the River...
). There is no Sunday service on this line.
The summer Saturdays only Chester - Runcorn parliamentary train
Parliamentary train
A Parliamentary train or Parly is, nowadays, a British English term for a train that operates a Parliamentary service - that is to say a token service to a given station, thus maintaining a legal fiction that either the station or, in some cases, the whole line is open, although in reality the...
via the Halton Curve
Halton Curve
The Halton Curve is a railway line in the borough of Halton, Cheshire. It runs from Frodsham Junction to Halton Junction , providing a link from the North Line to the Liverpool branch of the West Coast Main Line.The line can now be used only northbound because the southbound line and the...
(operated by Northern) passes through the station but does not call.
Trains
Arriva Trains Wales operates Class 158British Rail Class 158
British Rail Class 158 Express Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train, built for British Rail between 1989 and 1992 by BREL at its Derby Works. They were built to replace many locomotive-hauled passenger trains, and allowed cascading of existing Sprinter units to replace elderly 'heritage' DMUs...
and Class 175
British Rail Class 175
The Class 175 Coradia is a type of diesel multiple unit passenger train used in the United Kingdom. The fleet of 27 sets were built from 1999 to 2001 by Alstom at Washwood Heath in Birmingham. They are part of the Coradia family of trains along with the Class 180.The entire fleet is owned by the...
DMU
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s on its services, as the Chester to Warrington line is not electrified.
Northern Rail operate Class 142
British Rail Class 142
The British Rail Class 142 is a class of Pacer diesel multiple units used in the United Kingdom. 96 units were built by BREL in Derby between 1985 and 1987. They were a development of the earlier Class 141 which were introduced in 1984....
Pacer Trains between Helsby and Ellesmere Port. Services continuing to Warrington and Liverpool are often worked by Class 156
British Rail Class 156
The British Rail Class 156 Super Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train . 114 of these units were built from 1987 to 1989 by Metro-Cammell at its Washwood Heath Works in Birmingham...
DMUs.
Freight Traffic
Occasional freight trains run through Helsby. Trains heading towards Quinn Glass, EltonElton
Elton is a place name that dates back to the early Middle Ages. It is of Anglo-Saxon origin and in most cases derives from either "Ella's Town" or possibly "Eel Town".Elton may refer to:-Places:Canada* Elton, ManitobaIreland* Elton, Co...
, and Stanlow Shell Oil Refinery use the Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port is a large industrial town and port in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated on the south border of the Wirral Peninsula on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal, which in turn gives access to the River...
branch line.
Most freight from the North operates through Helsby usually when heading towards North Wales, and would therefore pass through Chester.
Station Facilities
There is a BT Payphone on Platform 1. Limited seating exists on Platform 1 and 2.The station has won numerous Best Kept Station awards.
Public Transport Interchange
Helsby has several bus links operated primarily by Arriva North WestArriva North West
Arriva North West is a division of Arriva that operates bus services around North West England. It consists of two companies: Arriva North West Ltd and Arriva Merseyside Ltd....
and GHA Coaches
GHA Coaches
GHA Coaches is a bus and coach operator serving North East Wales and surrounding areas in the United Kingdom. Their current total of bus operations has increased dramatically in recent years after purchases of other local bus operators such as Bryn Melyn, Chaloner's, Hanmers Coaches and Vale of...
.
Route 21 operates between Chester and Runcorn hourly. (Arriva NW
Route X30 operates between Chester and Warrington hourly. (Arriva NW) (Monday - Saturday)
Route 36 operates between Runcorn and Ellesmere Port via Ince & Elton, again hourly. (GHA Coaches) (Monday - Saturday)