Holywell Junction railway station

Last updated

Holywell Junction
Holywell Junction station - geograph.org.uk - 97437.jpg
Holywell Junction station
General information
Location Greenfield, Flintshire
Wales
Coordinates 53°17′32″N3°12′23″W / 53.2922°N 3.2065°W / 53.2922; -3.2065 Coordinates: 53°17′32″N3°12′23″W / 53.2922°N 3.2065°W / 53.2922; -3.2065
Grid reference SJ195779
Platforms5
Other information
StatusDisused
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 1848Opened [1]
14 February 1966Closed to passengers [1]
c.1970Closed for goods traffic
2020-21Proposals for re-opening as Greenfield or Holywell
2029Proposed re-opening
Listed Building – Grade II*
FeatureHolywell Junction Railway Station
Designated1 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.

Contents

History

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]

Proposed reopening as Greenfield

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]

Related Research Articles

Flintshire County in Wales

Flintshire is a county in the north-east of Wales. It borders England to the east, Denbighshire to the west and Wrexham County Borough to the south. It is named after the historic county of the same name which has notably different borders. Flintshire is considered part of the Welsh Marches and formed part of the historic Earldom of Chester and Flint. The county is governed by Flintshire County Council which has its main offices in County Hall, Mold.

Flintshire (historic)

Flintshire, also known as the County of Flint, is one of Wales' thirteen historic counties, and a former administrative county. It mostly lies on the north-east coast of Wales.

Flint, Flintshire Human settlement in Wales

Flint is a town and community in Flintshire, Wales, lying on the estuary of the River Dee. It is the former county town of Flintshire. According to the 2001 Census, the population of the community of Flint was 12,804, increasing to 12,953 at the 2011 census. The urban area including Holywell and Bagillt had a population of 26,442.

Rhyl Coastal town in North Wales

Rhyl is a seaside resort and community in the Welsh county of Denbighshire. It lies within the historic boundaries of Flintshire, on the north-east coast of Wales at the mouth of the River Clwyd. To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay and the resort of Towyn beyond, to the east Prestatyn, and to the south Rhuddlan. At the 2011 Census, Rhyl had a population of 25,149, with Rhyl-Kinmel Bay having 31,229. The Abergele–Rhyl–Prestatyn conurbation numbers over 60,000. Once an elegant Victorian resort, an influx from Liverpool and Manchester after the Second World War changed the town's face. It had declined sharply by 1990, but has since been improved by major regeneration investments. Several million pounds of European Union funding to the Welsh Government has gone on developing the seafront.

Holywell, Flintshire Human settlement in Wales

Holywell is a market town and community in Flintshire, Wales. It lies to the east of the estuary of the River Dee. The community includes Greenfield.

North Wales Geographic region in Wales

North Wales, also known as the North of Wales, is a geographic 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, located wholly within the region. Its population is more concentrated in the north-east, and northern coastal areas of the region, whilst significant Welsh-speaking populations are situated in its western and rural areas. North Wales is imprecisely defined, lacking any exact definition or administrative structure. For the public purposes of health, policing and emergency services, and for statistical, economic and cultural purposes, North Wales is commonly defined administratively as its six most northern principal areas, but other definitions of the geographic region exist, with Montgomeryshire historically considered to be part of the region.

North Wales Coast Line Railway line in north Wales

The North Wales Coast Line, also known as the North Wales Main 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 (Wales) Railway station in Gwynedd, Wales

Bangor railway station is a railway station in Bangor, Gwynedd, operated by Transport for Wales Rail. The station, which is 24+34 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 northern/western Gwynedd and Anglesey.

Llanfairpwll railway station Railway station in Anglesey, Wales

Llanfairpwll railway station is a station on the North Wales Coast Line from Crewe to Holyhead, serving the village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Anglesey.

Shotton railway station Railway station on the Borderlands Line, North Wales

Shotton railway station serves the towns of Shotton and Connah's Quay, Flintshire, Wales. It is situated where the Borderlands Line crosses the North Wales Coast Line. All passenger services are operated by Transport for Wales, which manages the station.

Hawarden Bridge railway station Railway station in Flintshire, Wales

Hawarden Bridge railway station is a railway station near Shotton, Flintshire, Wales. It is situated on the Borderlands Line 13 miles (21 km) north of Wrexham Central, on the north side of Hawarden Bridge over the River Dee. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Transport for Wales.

Abergele & Pensarn railway station Railway station in Conway, Wales

Abergele & Pensarn railway station on the North Wales Coast Line serves the town of Abergele. It is located in the coastal suburb of Pensarn.

Llandudno railway station Railway station in Conwy, Wales

Llandudno railway station serves the seaside town of Llandudno in North Wales, and is the terminus of a 3 miles (4.8 km) long branch line from Llandudno Junction on the Crewe to Holyhead North Wales Coast Line. The station is managed by Transport for Wales Rail, who operate all trains serving it.

Rhyl railway station Railway station in Denbighshire, North Wales

Rhyl railway station is on the Crewe to Holyhead North Wales Coast Line and serves the holiday resort of Rhyl, Wales.

Greenfield, Flintshire Human settlement in 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.

Carno railway station Disused railway station in Wales

Carno is a closed railway station in Carno, on the Cambrian Line, that was part of the Newtown and Machynlleth Railway. The station was closed in 1965 as part of the Beeching Cuts though there are proposals to re-open it.

Mostyn railway station Former railway station in Flintshire, Wales

Mostyn railway station was located roughly 1 km (0.62 mi) north west of Mostyn, a village in Flintshire, Wales.

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 (Wales) Proposed railway station in Flintshire, Wales

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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Station Name: Holywell Junction". Disused Stations. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  2. Cadw. "Holywell Junction Railway Station (510)". National Historic Assets of Wales . Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  3. Rhyl & District Model Railway Club website
  4. Transport Heritage website
  5. Transport Heritage website page
  6. The stations entry on britishlistedbuildings.co.uk
  7. The signal box's entry on britishlistedbuildings.co.uk
  8. "Holywell mayor's 'big passion' to reopen railway station". BBC News. 29 July 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  9. "Community leaders look to get Holywell train station plans on the right track". Deeside.com. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  10. "North Wales main line: rail network map". GOV.WALES. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  11. "North Wales Metro: Future developments | Transport for Wales". tfw.wales. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  12. "Delyn MS welcomes Welsh Government investment for Greenfield Railway Station". The Leader. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  13. "Delyn MP speaks in House of Commons on plans for Flintshire railway station".

Further reading

Preceding stationFuture servicesFollowing station
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