Helsby railway station

Helsby railway station serves the village of Helsby in Cheshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a Grade II listed building.[1]

Helsby
National Rail
General information
LocationHelsby, Cheshire West and Chester
England
Grid referenceSJ486756
Managed byTransport for Wales
Line(s)
Platforms4
Other information
Station codeHSB
ClassificationDfT category F1
History
Original companyBirkenhead, Lancashire and Cheshire Junction Railway
Pre-groupingBirkenhead Railway
Post-groupingBirkenhead Railway
Key dates
1852 (1852)Station opened
Passengers
2018/19Increase 93,374
2019/20Increase 116,468
2020/21Decrease 25,184
 Interchange  3,276
2021/22Increase 73,106
 Interchange Increase 12,679
2022/23Increase 89,258
 Interchange Increase 55,321
Location
Map
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

The station is on the Chester–Warrington line between Chester and Warrington Bank Quay and on the Hooton–Helsby line to Hooton.

Facilities

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

The station has won numerous Best Kept Station awards.[3][4][5] A Customer Information System has been installed and is operational.

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.[6]

The station is operated by Transport for Wales and is unstaffed[7] requiring passengers to purchase tickets from the ticket vending machine located on Platform 1. The nearest station with additional ticketing facilities is Chester. Penalty fares do not operate here.

From 2005 until the franchise was handed over in 2018 the Helsby station was operated by Arriva Trains Wales.

Services

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Ellesmere Port branch trains stand at platform 3 and 4

Most services at Helsby are operated by Transport for Wales, with a limited service operated by Northern Trains.

Transport for Wales generally operate an hourly service between Manchester Airport and Chester, with most services continuing to and from Llandudno via Shotton, as well as an hourly service between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester. These services combine to give an off-peak service of two trains per hour in each direction.[8][9]

The station is also served by a limited peak hour Northern Trains service between Chester and Leeds with four trains per day to Chester and three trains per day to Leeds via Manchester Victoria. Northern Trains also operate two trains per day on weekdays and Saturdays only to and from Ellesmere Port that start and terminate at Helsby, with the exception of one afternoon service that continues to Liverpool Lime Street.[8]

Preceding station   National Rail Following station
Transport for Wales
Transport for Wales
Northern Trains
Peak Hours only
Northern Trains
Monday-Saturday only
  Historical railways  
Dunham Hill   Birkenhead Joint Railway   Frodsham

Adopt-a-station

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

Connections

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Helsby has several bus links operated primarily by Arriva North West and Stagecoach Merseyside.

  • Route X30 operates between Chester and Warrington hourly.[2] (Arriva NW) (Monday - Saturday)
  • Route X2 operates between Runcorn and Chester via Ince & Elton, and Ellesmere Port, hourly.[11] (Stagecoach Merseyside) (Monday - Saturday)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Historic England. "Former stationmaster's house and main railway station building, Helsby (1253460)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
  2. ^ a b National Rail Enquiries – Station Facilities for Helsby
  3. ^ Best Kept Stations - Helsby
  4. ^ Helsby Station has been named The Best Kept Station in Cheshire at a glitzy awards ceremony Chester Chronicle 20 January 2011
  5. ^ "Award proves station is one of the very best". Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  6. ^ National Rail Enquiries – Station Facilities for Helsby
  7. ^ National Rail Enquiries – Station Facilities for Helsby
  8. ^ a b Table 81, 109 National Rail timetable, December 2023
  9. ^ "New Chester to Liverpool rail service - more details released Holmes, D, Cheshire Live news article 3 April 2019; Retrieved 10 April 2019
  10. ^ "Stations". Archived from the original on 22 October 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
  11. ^ http://www2.halton.gov.uk/publictransport/pdfs/juneweb36.pdf[permanent dead link]

Further reading

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53°16′30″N 2°46′16″W / 53.275°N 2.771°W / 53.275; -2.771