| St Helens Central | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Place | St Helens |
| Local authority | St Helens |
| Operations | |
| Station code | SNH |
| Managed by | Northern Rail |
| Number of platforms | 2 |
| Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail Enquiries |
|
| Annual rail passenger usage | |
| 2004/05 * | 424,008 |
| 2005/06 * | 445,007 |
| 2006/07 * | 412,916 |
| 2007/08 * | 410,670 |
| 2008/09 * | 671,504 |
| 2009/10 * | 684,958 |
| Passenger Transport Executive | |
| PTE | Merseytravel |
| Zone | A1/A2 |
| History | |
| Original company | St Helens Canal and Railway |
| Pre-grouping | London and North Western Railway |
| Post-grouping | London Midland and Scottish Railway |
| 1 February 1858 | Opened as St Helens |
| 1 March 1949 | Renamed St Helens Shaw Street |
| 11 May 1987 | Renamed St Helens Central |
| 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 estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at St Helens Central from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Please note: methodology may vary year on year. | |
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.
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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.[1]
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,[2] with the European Union contributing £1.7m towards the total funding.[3] 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.
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 Parkway 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.
During peak times (0630-0930, 1600-1800) there is a ticket barrier in operation. Passengers can pay getting on and off the trains at all hours of the day. The station is open from 0540 (depending on which member of staff is on) to 2335. The booking office is open from 0600 to 2025, where advanced, season, general ticket enquires and sales can been made.
| Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thatto Heath | Northern Rail Liverpool to Wigan Line |
Garswood | ||
| Huyton | Northern Rail Liverpool to Blackpool/Preston Line |
Wigan North Western | ||
| Historical railways | ||||
| Terminus | London and North Western Railway Lancashire Union Railway |
Carr Mill | ||
| Disused railways | ||||
| Gerards Bridge | LNWR St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway |
Peasley Cross | ||
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