Helsby railway station

Helsby
Location
Place	Helsby
Local authority	Cheshire West and Chester
Operations
Station code	HSB
Managed by	Arriva Trains Wales
Platforms in use	4
Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail
Annual rail passenger usage
2004/05 *	47,764
2005/06 *	52,067
2006/07 *	57,412
2007/08 *	68,386
History
Opened 1863 (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 Helsby from Office of Rail Regulation statistics.
UK Railways Portal

Helsby railway station serves the village of Helsby in Cheshire. It is a Grade II listed building.^[1]

Adopt-a-Station

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

Accessibility

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.^[3]

Service

The station is on the Chester to Manchester Line between Manchester Piccadilly and Chester. It has been operated by Arriva Trains Wales since 2005, but is unstaffed^[4] requiring passengers to purchase tickets from the conductor, on board the train. The nearest station with additional ticketing facilities is Chester. Penalty Fares do not operate here.

There is a basic hourly service in each direction. Most trains towards Chester continue to Llandudno (although connections are available at Chester for Holyhead and London). On Sundays the service operates between Chester & Manchester Piccadilly only, although on the same hourly frequency as during the week.

The station is also the junction of the branch line to Ellesmere Port. This service sees four trains daily in each direction, (Monday - Saturday) - two in the early morning and another pair mid-afternoon. One of these trains continues to Liverpool Lime Street via Warrington Bank Quay. Northern Rail operates this service. (In the picture, the train on the right has arrived from Ellesmere Port). There is no Sunday service on this line.

The summer Saturdays only Chester - Runcorn parliamentary train via the Halton Curve (operated by Northern) passes through the station but doesn't call.

Ellesmere Port branch trains stand at platform 3 and 4

Trains

Arriva Trains Wales operates class 158 and class 175 DMUs on its services, as the Chester to Warrington line is not electrified.

Northern Rail operate British Rail Class 142 Pacer Trains between Helsby and Ellesmere Port. Services continuing to Warrington and Liverpool are often worked by class 156 DMUs.

Freight Traffic

Occasional freight trains run through Helsby. Trains heading towards Quinn Glass, Elton, and Stanlow Shell Oil Refinery use the Ellesmere Port branch line.

Most freight from the North operates through Helsby usually when heading towards North Wales, and would therefore pass through Chester.

Station Facilities

There is a BT Payphone on Platform 1. Limited seating exists on Platform 1 and 2.^[5]

Public Transport Interchange

Helsby has several bus links operated primarily by Arriva North West and GHA Coaches.

Route 21 operates between Chester and Runcorn hourly^[5]. (Arriva NW*) (Monday - Sunday)
Route X30 operates between Chester and Warrington hourly^[5]. (Arriva NW) (Monday - Saturday)
Route 36 operates between Runcorn and Ellesmere Port via Ince & Elton, again hourly^[6]. (GHA Coaches) (Monday - Saturday)

*On Sundays, service 21 is operated on behalf of Cheshire County Council by Halton Buses.

References

External links

• Train times and station information for Helsby railway station from National Rail

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