St Helens Central railway station
Encyclopedia
St Helens Central railway station is a railway station serving the town of St Helens, Merseyside
, England. It is on the Liverpool to Wigan Line
from Liverpool Lime Street
to Wigan North Western
. The station, and all trains calling at it, are operated by Northern Rail
.
In 2005, Merseytravel
and Network Rail
invited tenders for the reconstruction of the station, including a new station building, footbridge and lifts. The new station building and facilities, designed by SBS Architects of Manchester, were rebuilt just a few yards from the site of the 1960s-built station building. The project came in at a total estimated cost of £6m, with the European Union
contributing £1.7m towards the total funding. The new footbridge was lifted into place in the early hours of 22 January 2007. Construction work was completed in the summer, with the new waiting rooms and footbridge opened to passengers on 19 September. The new station building was officially opened on 3 December 2007.
which continues beyond Wigan to Preston
and Blackpool North
, although some formerly continued to either Morecambe
or Barrow-in-Furness
prior to the December 2008 timetable change. On Sundays, there is an hourly semi-fast service from Liverpool to Wigan, with a number of trains continuing to Blackpool.
St Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
, England. It is on the Liverpool to Wigan Line
Liverpool to Wigan Line
The Liverpool to Wigan Line is a railway line in the north-west of England, running between Liverpool Lime Street and Wigan North Western via St Helens Central.-Description:...
from Liverpool Lime Street
Liverpool Lime Street railway station
Liverpool Lime Street is a railway station serving the city centre of Liverpool, England. The station lies on a branch of the West Coast Main Line from London Euston, and on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network...
to Wigan North Western
Wigan North Western railway station
Wigan North Western railway station is one of two railway stations serving the town centre of Wigan, Greater Manchester, UK.It is a moderately-sized station on the West Coast Main Line. It is operated by Virgin Trains, and is also served by Northern Rail...
. The station, and all trains calling at it, are operated by 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...
.
History
The station, originally opened by the St Helens Canal and Railway as St Helens on 1 February 1858 to replace a nearby 1833 station, was renamed St Helens Shaw Street in 1949, and became St Helens Central in 1987. The original St Helens Central station, the terminus of the Liverpool, St Helens and South Lancashire Railway branch from Lowton St Marys, was closed in 1952.In 2005, Merseytravel
Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive
The Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive is the Passenger Transport Executive responsible for the coordination of public transport in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England...
and Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
invited tenders for the reconstruction of the station, including a new station building, footbridge and lifts. The new station building and facilities, designed by SBS Architects of Manchester, were rebuilt just a few yards from the site of the 1960s-built station building. The project came in at a total estimated cost of £6m, with the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
contributing £1.7m towards the total funding. The new footbridge was lifted into place in the early hours of 22 January 2007. Construction work was completed in the summer, with the new waiting rooms and footbridge opened to passengers on 19 September. The new station building was officially opened on 3 December 2007.
Services
During Monday to Saturday daytimes, there is a half-hourly local service between Liverpool Lime Street and Wigan North Western, and an hourly fast service from Liverpool South ParkwayLiverpool South Parkway railway station
Liverpool South Parkway station is a railway station and bus interchange in the Garston district of Liverpool, England. It serves, via a bus link, Liverpool John Lennon Airport in the neighbouring suburb of Speke....
which continues beyond Wigan to Preston
Preston railway station
Preston railway station serves the city of Preston in Lancashire, England and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line.It is served by Northern Rail, Virgin Trains, and TransPennine Express services, plus First ScotRail overnight sleeper services between London and Scotland.-Station layout...
and Blackpool North
Blackpool North railway station
Blackpool North railway station is the main railway station serving the seaside resort of Blackpool in Lancashire, England. It is the terminus of the main Blackpool branch line from Preston....
, although some formerly continued to either Morecambe
Morecambe railway station
Morecambe railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Morecambe in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Morecambe Branch Line from to Heysham. The current truncated two-platform station was opened in 1994 to replace the Midland Railway's earlier terminus situated some...
or Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness railway station
Barrow-in-Furness railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, England. It is located on the Furness Line to Lancaster and the Cumbrian Coast Line to Workington and Carlisle...
prior to the December 2008 timetable change. On Sundays, there is an hourly semi-fast service from Liverpool to Wigan, with a number of trains continuing to Blackpool.