Peasley Cross railway station

Peasley Cross railway station served the central southern area of St Helens, England. It was situated on the central section[2][3] of the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway which was later absorbed by the London and North Western Railway.[4]

Peasley Cross
Location	The Peasley Cross area of St Helens, St Helens England
Coordinates	53.444369°N 2.719029°W
Grid reference	SJ523944
Platforms	2
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway
Pre-grouping	London and North Western Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
1852	Station opened
18 June 1951	Station closed[1]

St Helens & Runcorn Gap Railway
Liverpool and Bury Railway Rainford Junction Skelmersdale branch Liverpool and Bury Railway Rainford Village Rookery Old Mill Lane Crank Halt Moss Bank Pilkington Glass Gerards Bridge Liverpool–Wigan line to Wigan North Western St Helens Central (original GCR station) St Helens Central Liverpool, St Helens and South Lancashire Railway Liverpool–Wigan line to Liverpool Lime Street Peasley Cross Hays Chemicals Sutton Oak Liverpool and Manchester Rly to Manchester Victoria Robins Lane Halt St Helens Junction Liverpool and Manchester Rly to Liverpool Lime Street Clock Face Union Bank Farm Halt Farnworth & Bold Appleton Ann Street Halt Warrington and Stockport Railway Vladivar Vodka distillery Warrington Arpley Chester–Warrington line to Chester Warrington Bank Quay High Level │ Low Level West Coast Main Line Whitecross Sankey Bridges Fidlers Ferry & Penketh Fiddlers Ferry power station Cuerdley Widnes loop to Sankey Tanhouse Lane Widnes Central Cheshire Lines Committee (Liverpool–Manchester) Hough Green Widnes South Runcorn Gap (second) Runcorn Gap (first) swing bridge Widnes Dock Ditton Mill Weaver Junction–Liverpool line (LNWR) to Weaver Junction & Euston Runcorn Bridge Ditton Junction Halebank Speke 1864 extension to Liverpool Church Road Garston Garston Container terminal Garston Dock Garston and Liverpool Railway to Hunts Cross Hunts Cross chord Liverpool South Parkway to Liverpool Central Allerton West Allerton Mossley Hill Sefton Park Wavertree Liverpool and Manchester Rly Edge Hill Liverpool Lime Street

History

The station first appeared on public timetables in 1852[5] and closed completely on 18 June 1951, when passenger trains were withdrawn between Widnes and St Helens.[6]

Services

Two services called at Peasley Cross:

St Helens to Ditton Junction via Widnes South - The Ditton Dodger

and

St Helens Central to St Helens Junction, often continuing to Warrington Bank Quay

In 1922 nine "Down" (northbound) Ditton Junction trains a day called at Peasley Cross, 'One class only' (i.e. 3rd Class) and 'Week Days Only' (i.e. not Sundays). The "Up" service was similar. Some of these travelled beyond Ditton Junction to Runcorn or Liverpool Lime Street.[7]

In 1951 the Ditton Junction service was sparser but more complex. Six trains called in each direction, Monday to Friday, the early morning ones providing both 1st and 3rd Class accommodation. On Saturdays four trains called in each direction, 3rd Class only. No trains called on Sundays.[8]

In 1922 no fewer than twentyone St Helens Junction trains called in each direction, Monday to Saturday, with three on Sundays.[9]

This level of service was maintained or even increased into the 1930s, but was cut back during WW2. After the war the St Helens Junction services were restored to earlier levels. For example, in the early 1960s there were thirty-three trains in each direction. From 1951, however, these trains passed the closed Peasley Cross.

Intensive though this service was, it was listed in The Beeching Report for withdrawal and it ended on 14 June 1965.[10]

Preceding station		Disused railways		Following station
St Helens Central Station open, line closed		London and North Western Railway St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway		Sutton Oak Line and station closed

References

Notes

1. Butt 1995, p. 182.
2. Engineers' Line Reference SHS1 railwaycodes
3. Smith & Turner 2012, Map 45
4. Paul Wright (20 April 2010). "Station Name: PLEASLEY CROSS". Disused Stations. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
5. A detailed history Disused Stations
6. A detailed history Disused Stations
7. Bradshaw 1985, p. 495
8. Pixton 1996, p. 86
9. Bradshaw 1985, p. 502
10. A detailed history Disused Stations

Sources

• Bradshaw, George (1985) [July 1922]. Bradshaw's General Railway and Steam Navigation guide for Great Britain and Ireland: A reprint of the July 1922 issue. Newton Abbot: David and Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-8708-5. OCLC 12500436.
• Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199.
• Pixton, Bob (1996), The Archive Photographs Series Widnes and St Helens Railways, The Chalford Publishing Company, ISBN 978-0-7524-0751-7
• Smith, Paul; Turner, Keith (2012), Railway Atlas Then and Now, Ian Allan Publishing, ISBN 978-0-7110-3695-6

External links

• "Disused Stations". Subterranea Britannica.
• The station on an 1888-1913 Overlay OS Map National Library of Scotland
• The History of Transport in Suttonsuttonbeauty
• the station on a 1948 OS Map npe maps
• an illustrated history of the line 8D Association