== ==
Holywell Junction | |
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General information | |
Location | Greenfield, Flintshire Wales |
Coordinates | 53°17′32″N3°12′23″W / 53.2922°N 3.2065°W |
Grid reference | SJ195779 |
Platforms | 5 |
Other information | |
Status | Disused |
History | |
Original company | Chester and Holyhead Railway |
Pre-grouping | London and North Western Railway |
Post-grouping | London, Midland and Scottish Railway |
Key dates | |
1 May 1848 | Opened [1] |
14 February 1966 | Closed to passengers [1] |
c.1970 | Closed for goods traffic |
2020-21 | Proposals for re-opening as Greenfield or Holywell |
2029 | Proposed re-opening |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
Feature | Holywell Junction Railway Station |
Designated | 1 October 1970 |
Reference no. | 510 [2] |
Holywell Junction railway station was a junction station located on the north-eastern edge of Holywell and Greenfield, in Flintshire, Wales, on the estuary of the River Dee.
The station was opened on 1 May 1848 as part of the Chester and Holyhead Railway (now the North Wales Coast Line) and was named simply Holywell. [1] A brick built signal box was opened in 1902 to replace an earlier wooden one. The station initially had two platforms but as the line grew busier the number of tracks doubled from one each way to two and the number of platforms followed suit. The main station building was positioned on the down platform and a subway connected them all. In 1912 Holywell Branch Line was opened just east of the station which linked the mainline to the centre of Holywell. [3] Therefore, Holywell station was renamed Holywell Junction on 1 May and the new station called Holywell Town.
The branch line lasted 42 years before being closed and Holywell Junction was closed to passengers on 14 February 1966. [4] as part of the Beeching Axe, although it was open to freight until 1970. The Italianate station building designed by Francis Thompson [5] was listed Grade II* in 1970 [6] and is a private dwelling. The signal box was listed Grade II in 1991. [7]
Proposals to reopen a station in Greenfield, either on or near the former Holywell Junction railway station site, has been announced in 2019, with Holywell Town Council and its Mayor supporting a case to reopen a railway station. The proposals to reopen are largely based on that the state of the former station platforms remain highly intact. [8] The owner of the old station house, now a private property, announced their property will not be part of any station reopening. [9] In July 2020, the Welsh Government included a proposal for a station named "Holywell" in their long-term aspirations for the North Wales Coast Line. [10] In September 2021, Transport for Wales released its future developments plan, with a station named "Greenfield" marked as proposed in their short-term section of the plan to 2029. [11] Hannah Blythyn, MS for Delyn welcomed the plans for a new station. [12] In January 2022, Rob Roberts MP for Delyn took part in an adjournment debate in the House of Commons to raise the issue with Parliamentary Under Secretary, Robert Courts. [13]
Flintshire is a county in the north-east of Wales. It has a maritime border with Merseyside along the Dee Estuary to the north, and land borders with Cheshire to the east, Wrexham County Borough to the south, and Denbighshire to the west. Connah's Quay is the largest town, while Flintshire County Council is based in Mold.
Until 1974, Flintshire, also known as the County of Flint, was an administrative county in the north-east of Wales, later classed as one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales.
Rhyl is a seaside town and community within the historic boundaries of Denbighshire in Wales. The town lies on the coast of North East Wales, at the mouth of the River Clwyd.
Holywell is a market town and community in Flintshire, Wales. It lies to the west of the estuary of the River Dee. The community includes Greenfield. In 2011 it had a population of 8886.
North Wales is a region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdonia National Park and the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, known for its mountains, waterfalls and trails, wholly within the region. Its population is concentrated in the north-east and northern coastal areas, with significant Welsh-speaking populations in its western and rural areas. North Wales is imprecisely defined, lacking any exact definition or administrative structure. It is commonly defined administratively as its six most northern principal areas, but other definitions exist, with Montgomeryshire historically considered to be part of the region.
The North Wales Main Line, also known as the North Wales Coast Line, is a major railway line in the north of Wales and Cheshire, England, running from Crewe on the West Coast Main Line to Holyhead on the Isle of Anglesey. The line has 19 stations, with all except two, Chester and Crewe, being in Wales.
Bangor railway station serves the city of Bangor, Gwynedd; it is operated by Transport for Wales. The station, which is 24+3⁄4 miles (40 km) east of Holyhead, is the last mainland station on the North Wales Coast line between Crewe and Holyhead. It is the busiest in terms of passenger numbers in North Wales, as it serves the community around Caernarfon and further west. It is close to the Snowdonia National Park and Bangor University, and has an interchange with bus services to the various towns and villages of north-west Gwynedd and Anglesey.
Delyn was a local government district with borough status from 1974 to 1996, being one of six districts in the county of Clwyd, north-east Wales.
The Shrewsbury–Chester line is a railway line between Chester and Shrewsbury in England, with the line passing through Wrexham County Borough in Wales. Passenger train services are operated by Transport for Wales Rail between the northern terminal of Chester and Shrewsbury in the south as part of the Wales & Borders franchise. Some additional services, starting part way along the line to London Euston via Chester are operated by Avanti West Coast. The line was built in 1846 by the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway, with the engineer for the line being Henry Robertson, a partner in locomotive builders Beyer Peacock, while the contractor was Thomas Brassey in partnership with William Mackenzie and Robert Stephenson. The line is part of Transport for Wales' North Wales Metro improvement programme.
Abergele & Pensarn railway station is a stop on the North Wales Coast Line, which serves both the town of Abergele and suburb of Pensarn in Conwy County Borough, Wales.
Llandudno railway station serves the seaside town of Llandudno in North Wales. It is the terminus of a 3 miles (4.8 km) long branch line from Llandudno Junction on the North Wales Coast Line, between Crewe and Holyhead. The station is managed by Transport for Wales Rail, who operate all trains serving it. Llandudno Victoria station, the lower terminus of the Great Orme Tramway, is a 15-minute walk from the main station.
Deganwy railway station serves the town of Deganwy, Wales, and is the only intermediate station located on the Llandudno branch line from Llandudno Junction to Llandudno.
Rhyl railway station is on the Crewe to Holyhead North Wales Coast Line and serves the holiday resort of Rhyl, Wales.
Greenfield is a village in the community of Holywell, Flintshire, north-east Wales, on the edge of the River Dee estuary. At the time of the 2001 census it had a population of 2,741, which remained unchanged in the 2011 census.
Beeston Castle and Tarporley railway station served the Cheshire villages of Tarporley, Tiverton and Beeston. It was originally a stop on the Crewe to Chester line of the Grand Junction Railway.
Mostyn railway station was located roughly 1 km (0.62 mi) north west of Mostyn, a village in Flintshire, Wales.
Sandycroft railway station was located on the eastern edge of the village of Sandycroft, Flintshire.
The North Wales Metro is a rail and bus transport improvement programme in north Wales. Styled as a "Metro", it is conceptually a multi-modal system with a combination of bus, heavy rail, and light rail services. It was initially focused on linking major settlements and employment areas of the north-east of Wales with the North West of England, with its hubs located in Wrexham, Chester and Deeside, although the programme has since expanded, with proposals extending to Anglesey in the north-west of Wales. The existing Borderlands line forms a core rail component of the network, where projects to increase connections, integrated access, and service frequency between Wrexham, Deeside and Liverpool are centred upon. The proposals were put forward in 2016 as is part of Welsh Labour's plan for north Wales. Labour has pledged to open the system by 2035. The proposals were included in the 2018 Wales & Borders franchise contest. It is the second of the three regional metros proposed by the Welsh Government to go ahead, after the South Wales Metro, and before the Swansea Bay and West Wales Metro. The project is described to be in its initial phases.
Broughton railway station is a proposed railway station on the North Wales Coast line, situated north of Broughton, Flintshire, Wales. Recent proposals for the station use a site north of Airbus UK's West factory site and Hawarden Airport, where the B5129 crosses the North Wales Coast line. Older proposals for the station include using the old sites of the former Sandycroft and Saltney Ferry railway stations.
Preceding station | Future services | Following station | ||
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Transport for Wales Rail | ||||
Disused railways | ||||
Mostyn Line open; station closed | London and North Western Railway North Wales Coast Line | Bagillt Line open; station closed | ||
Terminus | London and North Western Railway Holywell Branch Line | St Winefride's Halt Line and station closed |