Ince and Elton railway station

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ince & Elton
Location
Place	Ince
Local authority	Ellesmere Port and Neston
Operations
Station code	INE
Managed by	Northern Rail
Platforms in use	2
Live departures and station information from National Rail
Annual Rail Passenger Usage
2005/06 *	1055
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 Ince & Elton from Office of Rail Regulation statistics.
UK Railways Portal

Ince and Elton railway station serves both Ince and Elton in Cheshire, England.

The station is unstaffed, generally as the station rarely sees a train at any meaningful time of day. 129 passengers are recorded as using the station in 2006-7.

Northern Rail's 'Adopt-a-Station' scheme is in operation here. Members of the local community support the station by carrying out regular duties such as picking up litter and ensuring the station remains in a good overall condition.

Ince & Elton station Sign, Platform 2

Some station signs are outdated, displaying information about long gone services to Chester and Hooton.

[edit] Accessibility

Ince & Elton Station... Level Crossing

There is level access from the small car park at the front of station onto the Helsby platform. From this platform, to reach the Ellesmere Port platform, turn left, go down the platform end ramp, and providing the level crossing warning lights indicate that it is safe, cross the lines using the foot crossing and then up the platform end ramp.

The road leading down from the main road at Ince to the station is step-free, although there is no pavement. The alternative exit, via the narrow path involves walking up steep steps, which is not accessible for passengers with pushchairs and/or mobility problems.

[edit] Service

Northern Trains Class 156

Four trains a day call here in each direction (towards Helsby and Ellesmere Port). One of these trains each evening continues to Liverpool Lime Street via Warrington Bank Quay. Typically, these services are operated by Class 156 diesel multiple units, (DMUs), however occasionally Class 142 'Pacer' trains are used.

The line on which the station is situated is only electrified at Ellesmere Port, therefore no electric trains can run here. This means that Merseyrail would not currently be capable of extending the Liverpool Central to Ellesmere Port services to Helsby via Ince and Elton, as they use class 507 and class 508 3rd Rail Electric rolling stock. The likelehood of electrifying the line in the future is low, as there are many dangerous substances and cables surounding the trackside as the line passes through the Stanlow & Thornton Shell oil refinery.

There is no service on Sundays. A Saturday service operates on most Bank Holidays. In the event of buses replacing trains, only one service in each direction runs, usually in the late afternoon.

In British Rail terminology, this station's rail service(s) would be referred to as a 'Parliamentary train'. This means that the Train Operating Company only runs the minimum number of services required legally, and usually at the least busy times of day, in order to still comply with the law, but to keep operating costs down to an absolute minimum. It is cheaper to run this service than going through a lengthy legal process of applying for station closures.

[edit] Public Transport Interchange

Ince & Elton Station... Station Approach

At the station exit, there are two buses each hour. The number 36, operated by GHA Coaches, operates towards Runcorn, or in the opposite direction, towards Ellesmere Port^[1]. Buses run until around 19:00 local time.

These services only run Monday-Saturday, (NOT Bank Holidays). This means that Ince and Elton villages are not served by any public transport on Sundays and public holidays.

There is a small car park located just outside the station. There is no charge for rail users. Warnings alert car owners that their vehicles are parked at their own risk. There is no CCTV or staff at this station.

[edit] Future

This article or section contains information about planned or expected public transportation in the United Kingdom. It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change significantly as more information becomes available.

Quin Glass, (part of the Quinn Group is located in Elton, and is currently undergoing expansion near this railway station. The Network Rail Route Strategy Guide states that Quinn Glass is interested in additional passenger and freight services on this line. It is also interpreted that planning permission requires Quinn Glass to maximise upon existing public transport links, as well as create new ones.^[2].These plans could potentially lead to new services on this line, as well as improved station facilities and rolling stock.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Train times and station information for Ince and Elton railway station from National Rail