Ellesmere Port–Warrington line

The Ellesmere Port–Warrington line operates between the towns of Ellesmere Port and Warrington in the north-west of England.

Ellesmere Port–Warrington line
Ellesmere Port branch trains stand at platform 3 and 4 at Helsby.
Overview
SystemNational Rail
StatusOperational
LocaleCheshire
North West England
Operation
OwnerNetwork Rail
Operator(s)Northern Trains
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Ellesmere Port
to Warrington Line
Wirral Line
to Hooton
0:00
 Ellesmere Port
M53 motorway
0:02
Ellesmere Port
East Sidings
0:04
 Stanlow and Thornton
0:07
 Ince and Elton
M56 motorway
West Cheshire Railway
to Mouldsworth
Chester to Manchester Line
to Chester
0:10
 Helsby
0:15
 Frodsham
Halton Curve to Runcorn
Sutton Tunnel
1565 yd
1431 m
0:20
 Runcorn East
West Coast Main Line
to Crewe
0:28
 Warrington Bank Quay
West Coast Main Line
to Carlisle

Timings are from Ellesmere Port

The line previously used to operate from Hooton to Helsby. This service was relatively frequent (every half-hour until 1993), operating via Ellesmere Port. It was withdrawn after the line was electrified west of Ellesmere Port. Station signs at Ince and Elton railway station still display signage relating to services to/from Hooton.

History

The branch line was originally part of the Birkenhead Railway from Hooton to Helsby which opened in 1863. The route follows the Birkenhead Joint (LNWR & GWR) Ellesmere Port branch with stations at Stanlow and Thornton and Ince and Elton to the village and junction station at Helsby where it joins the Chester–Manchester line through to Warrington Bank Quay railway station.

The line west of Ellesmere Port has been part of the Merseyrail network since 1994. This part of the line is electrified. There are no longer through train services to Liverpool's city centre via Birkenhead. A branch at Helsby connected the Ellesmere Port–Warrington line to the former West Cheshire Railway. Trains using this line could reach Northwich via Mouldsworth Junction. The line closed in 1991 and was lifted in 1995.

Services

Northern did, until May 2019, operate a Department for Transport-set minimum service[1] of three trains daily in each direction between Ellesmere Port and Helsby, Cheshire.

There are currently 6 passenger services each day (except Sunday):[2]

05:10 Liverpool Lime Street to Ellesmere Port
06:33 Helsby to Ellesmere Port
18:50 Helsby to Ellesmere Port

06:19 Ellesmere Port to Helsby
06:53 Ellesmere Port to Warrington Bank Quay
19:10 Ellesmere Port to Manchester Victoria

In previous years, services have operated towards Hooton via Ellesmere Port and Liverpool Lime Street via Warrington Bank Quay.

Since the May 2019 and the introduction of the "Northern Connect" Chester to Leeds services the Ellesmere Port line timetable was altered.

There still are 6 services per day excluding Sunday.

Services are:

05:10 Liverpool Lime Street to Ellesmere Port

06:17 Ellesmere Port to Helsby

06:34 Helsby to Ellesmere Port

07:15 Ellesmere Port to Leeds

All of the above are operated by the same unit.

Another unit operates the below services:

15:38 Leeds to Ellesmere Port

18:23 Ellesmere Port to Manchester Victoria - Unit then goes to Newton Heath Depot just north of Manchester Victoria.

Stations

There are four stations on the Helsby to Ellesmere Port line, three of which are unstaffed.

  • Helsby, Change here for services to Chester, North Wales and Manchester
  • Ince and Elton
  • Stanlow and Thornton
  • Ellesmere Port, Change here for services to Hooton, Birkenhead and Liverpool (staffed)

Facilities at Ince and Elton and Stanlow and Thornton are basic, comprising little more than covered waiting areas and timetable information. Ellesmere Port has full ticket selling capabilities, including a Ticket Vending Machine and a staffed ticket office, along with real-time information displays and help points. Helsby has real time information displays and a Ticket Vending Machine.

Only Ellesmere Port and Ince and Elton are accessible for those in wheelchairs. Stanlow and Thornton and Helsby both have footbridges as their only means of exit.

Future

Quinn Glass is located in Elton, and in 2008 was planning expansion near the Ince & Elton railway station. Network Rail Route Strategy states that Quinn Glass is interested in additional passenger and freight services on this line. It is also thought that planning permission requires Quinn Glass to maximise upon existing public transport links.[3] As of 2012, no rail based enhancements have occurred as a result of any expansion.

In February 2015 the Department for Transport issued an Invitation to Tender for the new Northern franchise which will start in April 2016.[4] The Train Service Requirement (TSR) for the new franchise requires, from December 2017, two trains per day between Ellesmere Port and Helsby, 6 days a week.

Mondays to Fridays, one train in the morning will run from Ellesmere Port to Manchester Victoria via Warrington Bank Quay, arriving in Manchester between 08:00 and 08:59, with a second service in the evening departing Ellesmere Port between 18:30 and 19:29. In the reverse direction, the TSR specifies a morning train from Warrington Bank Quay to Ellesmere Port, arriving at the latter station between 06:30 and 07:29, and an evening service to Ellesmere Port departing from Manchester between 17:00 and 17:59. All these services would call at Ince & Elton and Stanlow & Thornton.[5]

On Saturdays, the TSR specifies two trains in each direction between Ellesmere Port and Helsby, which must run through to/from Manchester or provide a connection of no more than 15 minutes at Helsby with a train to/from Manchester.[6] There is no requirement for the new franchisee to provide any Sunday service.[7]

These trains, if introduced, would provide a limited service to/from Manchester, timed for commuters.

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References
  1. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/431054/northern-tsr-table-december-2017-monday-to-friday.xlsx
  2. https://be803fe5c416e39d38ae-aa21086260d3bd4e072d597fe09c2e80.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/images/timetables/2018-05/summer-2018-timetables/Northern-15-1017-32pp-v2.pdf
  3. "Quinn Glass Planning Application" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 27, 2007. Retrieved May 4, 2008.
  4. "Northern franchise 2015: invitation to tender". Department for Transport. February 27, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  5. "Train service requirement table December 2017 Monday to Friday". Department for Transport. February 27, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  6. "Train service requirement table December 2017 Saturday". Department for Transport. February 27, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  7. "Train service requirement table December 2017 Sunday". Department for Transport. February 27, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
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