Runcorn railway station
Runcorn | |
---|---|
Location | |
Place | Runcorn |
Local authority | Borough of Halton |
Grid reference | SJ508826 |
Operations | |
Station code | RUN |
Managed by | Virgin Trains |
Number of platforms | 2 |
DfT category | C1 |
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries | |
Annual rail passenger usage* | |
2004/05 | 0.316 million |
2005/06 | 0.370 million |
2006/07 | 0.430 million |
2007/08 | 0.442 million |
2008/09 | 0.461 million |
2009/10 | 0.535 million |
2010/11 | 0.620 million |
2011/12 | 0.661 million |
2012/13 | 0.679 million |
2013/14 | 0.706 million |
History | |
Key dates | Opened 1 April 1869 |
Original company | London and North Western Railway |
Pre-grouping | London and North Western Railway |
Post-grouping | London, Midland and Scottish Railway |
1 April 1869 | Station opened |
National Rail – UK railway stations | |
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Runcorn from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year. | |
UK Railways portal |
Runcorn railway station is in the town of Runcorn in Cheshire, north-west England. The station lies on the Liverpool branch of the West Coast Main Line between Weaver Junction and Liverpool South Parkway and is managed by Virgin Trains.
History
The station is located a short distance south of the Runcorn Railway Bridge over the River Mersey on a section of line opened by the London and North Western Railway to create a more direct route between Liverpool and Crewe. The station opened on 1 April 1869.[1]
Facilities
The station has a shop and snack bar in the ticket hall. Lifts are available to allow passengers to cross between the platform. A car park (charges apply) and taxi rank are also available, and bus stops for services to other parts of Runcorn and also to Widnes.[2]
For customers travelling with first class tickets and passes, a designated first class lounge is provided.[3]
The station normally has a staffed ticket office. In addition, self-service ticket vending machines are available, allowing passengers to purchase tickets or collect pre-booked tickets, for example, through a website or telesales.
Services
Regular
There is an hourly service between Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston operated by Virgin Trains, and two services per hour between Liverpool, Crewe and Birmingham New Street operated by London Midland. Services are less frequent in the evenings and on Sundays.
Irregular
Runcorn is the northern terminus for the so-called parliamentary train service non-stop from Chester. This train, operated by Northern, runs once a week on summer Saturdays only to satisfy the minimum requirement to operate a passenger service over the Halton Curve. There is no return journey to Chester because of the removal of the southbound line and associated pointwork at each end that allowed trains to proceed toward Frodsham, so this train runs as empty-stock to Liverpool Lime Street ready for normal service. On several occasions since 2010, this service has been extended, as a passenger service, to Liverpool South Parkway, calling additionally at Helsby, Frodsham and Runcorn, or calling at Runcorn only.[4][5]
One the Halton Curve is refurbished & upgraded (due for completion by May 2018), regular timetabled services over the line towards Chester will be introduced.[6] These will give easy access to destinations on the North Wales Coast Line and towards Wrexham General and beyond without needing to travel via (and change at) Crewe.
Gallery
- Virgin Pendolinos wait at the station
- Along platform 2
- The main station building
- The signal box situated at the southern end of platform 2
See also
References
- ↑ Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 201. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
- ↑ "Runcorn > Station information". London Midland. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ↑ "Runcorn (RUN)". National Rail. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ↑ "Parliamentary train service extended to Liverpool South Parkway". Merseytravel. 11 June 2010. Archived from the original on 20 August 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ↑ "Frodsham & Helsby residents flock to see 'ghost train'". The Chester Chronicle. Trinity Mirror Merseyside. 26 July 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ↑ "Halton curve gets the green light"Rail magazine article 27 April 2016; Retrieved 28 September 2016
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Runcorn railway station. |
- Train times and station information for Runcorn railway station from National Rail
Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Liverpool South Parkway | London Midland Liverpool-Birmingham |
Acton Bridge or Hartford or Crewe | ||
Liverpool Lime Street | Virgin Trains WCML Liverpool Branch |
Crewe or Stafford or London Euston | ||
Chester | Northern Halton Curve Limited Service (Northbound only) |
Terminus | ||
Chester or Frodsham |
Northern Halton Curve Occasional Service (Northbound only) |
Liverpool South Parkway |
Coordinates: 53°20′20″N 2°44′20″W / 53.339°N 2.739°W