Helsby railway station

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Helsby
Location
Place	Helsby
Local authority	Vale Royal
Operations
Station code	HSB
Managed by	Arriva Trains Wales
Platforms in use	4
Live departures and station information from National Rail
Annual Rail Passenger Usage
2004/05 *	48,000
History
Key dates	Opened 1863
National Rail - UK railway stations
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
* Annual passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Helsby from Office of Rail Regulation statistics.
UK Railways Portal

Helsby railway station serves the village of Helsby in Cheshire. It is a Grade II listed building.^[1]

Contents 1 Adopt-a-Station 2 Accessibility 3 Service 4 Trains 5 Freight Traffic 6 Station Facilities 7 Public Transport Interchange 8 References 9 External links

[edit] 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^[2]" six times, and the plaques commending this are fixed to the signal box located on the island platforms, (2 + 3).

[edit] Accessibility

There is no disabled access to this station due to low platforms, and the need to use a footbridge.^[3]

[edit] Service

The station is on the Chester to Manchester Line between Manchester Piccadilly and Chester. It is operated by Arriva Trains Wales, but is unstaffed^[4] requiring passengers to purchase tickets on board the train of the conductor. The nearest station with additional ticketing facilities is Chester. Penalty Fares do not operate here.

Trains generally run in either direction hourly. Many trains towards Chester continue to North Wales destinations, particularly Llandudno and Holyhead.

The station is on the junction of the branch line to Ellesmere Port. This service sees 6 trains daily, (Monday - Saturday). One of these trains continues to Liverpool Lime Street via Warrington Bank Quay. Northern Rail operate this service. (In the picture, the train on the right has arrived from Ellesmere Port).

The Summer Saturday, Chester - Runcorn via the Halton Curve service, operated by Northern passes through Platform 2, however it does not stop, except to do so at the signal.

[edit] Trains

As the track surrounding Helsby is not electrified, only diesel propelled engines can operate here. Arriva Trains Wales usually operates class 158 and class 175 DMU trains.

Northern Rail operate British Rail Class 142 Pacer Trains between Helsby and Ellesmere Port. Services continuing to Warrington and Liverpool are usually operated by class 156 DMUs.

[edit] Freight Traffic

Occasional freight trains run through Helsby. Trains heading towards Quinn Glass, Elton, 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.

[edit] Station Facilities

There is a BT Payphone on Platform 1. Limited seating exists on Platform 1 and 2.^[5]

[edit] Public Transport Interchange

Helsby has several bus links operated primarily by Arriva North West and GHA Coaches.

Route 21 operates between Chester and Runcorn hourly^[6]. (Arriva NW*) (Monday - Sunday)
Route X30 operates between Chester and Warrington hourly^[7]. (Arriva NW) (Monday - Saturday)
Route 36 operates between Runcorn and Ellesmere Port via Ince & Elton, again hourly^[8]. (GHA Coaches) (Monday - Saturday)

*On Sundays, service 21 is operated on behalf of Cheshire County Council by Halton Buses.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Train times and station information for Helsby railway station from National Rail

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Frodsham		Arriva Trains Wales Chester to Manchester Line		Chester
Frodsham		Northern Rail Ellesmere Port to Warrington Rail Line		Ince and Elton