St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway

Last updated

St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway
View of the Intersection Bridge, from Bury's Liverpool and Manchester Railway, 1832 - edgehill 2.jpg
1832 view of the bridge over the
Liverpool and Manchester Railway, the first bridge
of one railway over another in the world.
Overview
Locale Cheshire
Merseyside
North West England
Technical
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Route map

Contents

BSicon STRc2.svg
BSicon CONT3.svg
BSicon STRc2.svg
BSicon lvHST@F-.svg
BSicon STR3+1.svg
BSicon STRc4.svg
Rainford Junction
BSicon exCONTgq.svg
BSicon STRc2.svg
BSicon exABZq+r.svg
BSicon STR3+1.svg
BSicon exABZ1+fr.svg
BSicon STRc4.svg
BSicon STRc2.svg
BSicon exSTRc2.svg
BSicon xKRZ3+1o.svg
BSicon STRc4.svg
BSicon exSTR3.svg
BSicon CONT1.svg
BSicon STRc4.svg
BSicon exABZg+1.svg
BSicon exSTRc4.svg
BSicon exHST.svg
Rainford Village
BSicon exHST.svg
Rookery
BSicon exHST.svg
Old Mill Lane
BSicon exHST.svg
Crank Halt
BSicon exHST.svg
Moss Bank
BSicon KBSTxa.svg
Pilkington
BSicon eHST.svg
Gerards Bridge
BSicon ABZg+l.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
BSicon exKBHFaq.svg
BSicon ekKRZ2+ru.svg
BSicon exkSTRc3.svg
St Helens Central
(original GCR station)
BSicon BHF.svg
BSicon exkSTR+4.svg
St Helens Central
BSicon STRc2.svg
BSicon xABZg3.svg
BSicon exCONTf.svg
BSicon CONT1.svg
BSicon xSTR+c4.svg
BSicon exHST.svg
Peasley Cross
BSicon exKBSTaq.svg
BSicon exABZgr.svg
Hays Chemicals
BSicon exHST.svg
Sutton Oak
BSicon exSTRc2.svg
BSicon exABZg3.svg
BSicon STRc2.svg
BSicon CONT3.svg
BSicon exlv-HST.svg
BSicon exSTR2+1.svg
BSicon exSTRc34.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon STRc2.svg
BSicon STR3+1.svg
BSicon STRc4.svg
Robins Lane Halt
BSicon exSTRc1.svg
BSicon STRc2.svg
BSicon exKRZl+4o.svg
BSicon lv-HST@G.svg
BSicon ABZ1+3xr.svg
BSicon STRc4.svg
St Helens Junction
BSicon STRc2.svg
BSicon xKRZ3+1o.svg
BSicon STRc4.svg
BSicon LSTR+1.svg
BSicon xSTR+c4.svg
BSicon exHST.svg
Clock Face
BSicon exHST.svg
Union Bank Farm Halt
BSicon exHST.svg
Farnworth & Bold
BSicon exHST.svg
Appleton
BSicon exHST.svg
Ann Street Halt
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon exCONTg.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon lENDE@G.svg
BSicon eABZg+l.svg
BSicon exKBSTeq.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Warrington Arpley
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon ABZgl.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon lv-BHF@F.svg
BSicon CONT4+2.svg
BSicon exlvHST@F-.svg
BSicon ldMKRZc3u.svg
BSicon dSTRc3.svg
BSicon dSTR.svg
Warrington Bank Quay
High Level│Low Level
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon STRc1.svg
BSicon dKRZ2+4u-.svg
BSicon d-CONT4.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Whitecross
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Sankey Bridges
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Fidlers Ferry & Penketh
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon KBSTaq.svg
BSicon ABZgr.svg
Fiddlers Ferry power station
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Cuerdley
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon exCONTg.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon CONTg.svg
BSicon exSTR2u.svg
BSicon exHST3.svg
BSicon STR.svg
Tanhouse Lane
BSicon eSTR+c2.svg
BSicon exBHF3+1.svg
BSicon STRc2.svg
BSicon exSTR2u+4u.svg
BSicon ABZ3x2.svg
BSicon exSTRc3.svg
Widnes Central
BSicon POINTERf@gq.svg
BSicon eABZg+1.svg
BSicon exSTRc4.svg
BSicon exSTRc2.svg
BSicon STR+1.svg
BSicon exSTR2+4.svg
BSicon exSTR3+4.svg
BSicon UWu4.svg
BSicon exSTRc1.svg
BSicon exSTR+4.svg
BSicon exSTRc3.svg
BSicon exSTR3+4.svg
Arrow Blue Up 001.svgArrow Blue Down 001.svg
Cheshire Lines Committee
(Liverpool–Manchester)
BSicon HST.svg
BSicon eABZg+1.svg
BSicon exSTRc4.svg
BSicon exABZg+1.svg
BSicon exSTR+4.svg
Hough Green
BSicon CONTf.svg
BSicon eBHF.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
Widnes South
BSicon exlHST~L.svg
BSicon eKRWg+l.svg
BSicon exlHST~R.svg
BSicon exKRWr.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
Runcorn Gap
(second)
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon exBHF.svg
Runcorn Gap
(first)
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon xDBK.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon exKDSTe.svg
Widnes Dock
BSicon eHST.svg
Ditton Mill
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon STRc2.svg
BSicon CONT3.svg
BSicon STR+c2.svg
BSicon hKRXWaeq.svg
BSicon STRc4.svg
BSicon ABZg+1.svg
BSicon STRc4.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Ditton Junction
BSicon eHST.svg
Halebank
BSicon eHST.svg
Speke
BSicon ABZgl+l.svg
BSicon STR+r.svg
1864 extension
to Liverpool
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Church Road Garston
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon xABZgl.svg
BSicon KDSTeq.svg
Garston Container terminal
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon exHST.svg
Garston Dock
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon kABZq2.svg
BSicon kSTRc3.svg
BSicon KRZ2+ro.svg
BSicon xSTR+c3.svg
BSicon POINTER1.svg
BSicon STRc1.svg
BSicon BS2c2.svg
BSicon kABZg+4.svg
BSicon STR3h+4.svg
BSicon exBS2r.svg
BSicon vBHF.svg
Liverpool South Parkway
BSicon STR~L.svg
BSicon CONT2+g.svg
BSicon STR~R.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Allerton
BSicon HST.svg
West Allerton
BSicon HST.svg
Mossley Hill
BSicon eHST.svg
Sefton Park
BSicon eHST.svg
Wavertree
BSicon LSTRl.svg
BSicon STRq.svg
BSicon ABZg+r.svg
BSicon HST.svg
Edge Hill
BSicon KBHFe.svg
Liverpool Lime Street
Hartford, Northwich and Rainford RJD 92.jpg
Details of the line at Rainford, 1908 (lower)
Hough Green, Widnes & Runcorn Barnstaple Mansfield RJD 18.jpg
Details of the line around Widnes, 1909 (left)
Railway Clearing House Junction Diagrams showing portions of the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway

The St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway was an early railway line owned by a company of the same name in Lancashire, England, which opened in 1833. It was later known as St Helens Railway. It ran originally from the town of St Helens to the area which would later develop into the town of Widnes. Branches were opened to Garston, Warrington and Rainford. The company was taken over by the London and North Western Railway in 1864. The line from St Helens to Widnes and the branch to Rainford are now closed, the latter terminating at the Pilkington Glass' Cowley Hill works siding near Gerard's Bridge, but part of the lines to Garston and to Warrington are still in operation.

Independent company

St. Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway Act 1830
Act of Parliament
Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1816-1837).svg
Long title An Act for making a Railway from the Cowley Hill Colliery, in the Parish of Prescot to Runcorn Gap, in the same Parish (with several Branches therefrom), all in the County Palatine of Lancaster, and for constructing a Wet Dock at the termination of the said Railway at Runcorn Gap aforesaid.
Citation 11 Geo. 4 & 1 Will. 4. c. lxi
Dates
Royal assent 29 May 1830
St. Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway Act 1834
Act of Parliament
Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1816-1837).svg
Citation 4 & 5 Will. 4. c. iii
Dates
Royal assent 26 March 1834
St. Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway Act 1838
Act of Parliament
Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (Variant 1, 2022).svg
Long title An Act to enable the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway Company to raise a further Sum of Money, and for amending the Provisions of the several Acts relating to such Railway.
Citation 1 & 2 Vict. c. xxi
Dates
Royal assent 11 June 1838

With the coming of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, there was a need for coal to be carried from the coalfields in the area of St Helens to the River Mersey for transportation to the growing industrial towns and cities. [1] The first solution was to build the Sankey Canal which opened in 1755 and ran from the Blackbrook canal via Parr to Sankey Bridges, to the west of Warrington. It was extended to the west, to Fiddlers Ferry, five years later. [2] Encouraged by the success of the Stockton and Darlington Railway which opened in 1825, in 1829 a group of local businessmen arranged for a survey for a line from Cowley Hill Colliery, north of St Helens, to Runcorn Gap on the River Mersey. At this time the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, which ran to the south of St Helens, was being built and its surveyor, Charles Blacker Vignoles, was commissioned to undertake the survey; he was later appointed as the engineer. [1] An act of Parliament, the St. Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway Act 1830 (11 Geo. 4 & 1 Will. 4. c. lxi), was obtained on 29 May 1830. [3]

The original capital was £120,000, one-third of which was raised from local coal owners, salt-makers and Liverpool merchants. [4] These included James Muspratt, soap and alkali manufacturer, and Peter Greenall, who had interests in the brewing, coal and glass manufacturing industries. [5] Peter Greenall was elected as the first chairman of a board of ten directors. [1] At the south end of the railway, Widnes Dock was built, which led into the Mersey. [5] This was the world's first rail-to-ship facility. [6] Because of perceived competition from the railway, the Sankey Canal was extended from Fiddlers Ferry to Runcorn Gap by what was known as the "New Cut". [5] The railway terminated between the dock and the end of the canal and Runcorn Gap station was sited to the north of the canal. [7]

Work on the line proceeded slowly and its costs overran the estimate. [1] It did not open until 1833, but in November 1832 a train with coal wagons ran over the track because of a wager between one of the owners and the engineer that a train would pass over it by December 1832. [4] The line opened officially on 21 February 1833 but the dock was not completed until August 1833. The extension to the Sankey Canal opened on 24 July 1833. From Widnes Dock, a single line crossed the extension to the canal by a swing bridge and then climbed steeply, so steeply that for a section trains had to be pulled by a stationary engine. Haulage by a stationary engine was also necessary for a section further north at Sutton near St Helens. [1] The Liverpool and Manchester line was crossed by an iron bridge south of St Helens. [3] The line was originally intended for freight but public demand led to passenger coaches being added to the rear of the trains, this service starting in September 1833. [1]

St. Helens Canal and Railway Act 1845
Act of Parliament
Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1837).svg
Long title An Act for uniting the Sankey Brook Navigation with the Saint Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway; and for other Purposes.
Citation 8 & 9 Vict. c. cxvii
Dates
Royal assent 21 July 1845
St. Helens Canal and Railway Act 1846
Act of Parliament
Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1837).svg
Long title An Act to enable the Saint Helens Canal and Railway Company to make a Railway from the Township of Eccleston to the Township of Garston, with Branches therefrom, and Docks at Garston aforesaid, all in the County of Lancaster.
Citation 9 & 10 Vict. c. clxxxiii
Dates
Royal assent 16 July 1846
St. Helens Canal and Railway Act 1847
Act of Parliament
Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1837).svg
Citation 10 & 11 Vict. c. cclxxi
Dates
Royal assent 22 July 1847
St. Helens Canal and Railway Act 1853
Act of Parliament
Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1837).svg
Citation 16 & 17 Vict. c. cxxxiv
Dates
Royal assent 4 August 1853
St. Helens Canal and Railway Act 1857
Act of Parliament
Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1837).svg
Citation 20 & 21 Vict. c. xvi
Dates
Royal assent 26 June 1857

There was intense competition between the railway and the canal leading to financial difficulties for both companies; the canal company had reduced its dividends from 33.3% to 5.5% and the railway company was paying no dividend. The companies agreed to a merger, with the railway company buying out the canal company to form the St Helens Canal and Railway Company (SHCR). [8] Royal assent for the St. Helens Canal and Railway Act 1845 (8 & 9 Vict. c. cxvii) enabling this was received on 21 July 1845. [1] The company, which owned nine-second-hand tank engines and had a staff of 122, was described as being "ramshackle". It set about to improve the situation, doubling the track and easing the gradients so that the whole line could be operated by steam locomotives. [8]

The new company then set about planning branch lines and connections. There had been a plan to build northwards from St Helens towards Southport to join the Southport and Euxton branch at Rufford. However this line was built only as far as Rainford. [9] Here it joined the Lancashire Union Railway at Gerards Bridge Junction. [10] The company bought land at Garston with the intention of building a dock and linking it with a line to Runcorn Gap. This opened as a single line on 1 July 1852, although the dock was not opened to shipping until 21 July 1853. [9] On 21 May 1851, a sharp curve connection had been made on this line from the main line at what was to become known as Widnes Dock Junction. [1] The following year a new Runcorn Gap station was opened nearer to the rapidly growing town of Widnes. The next project was to build a branch line to Warrington. This was opened on 1 February 1853, extending to a temporary station at White Cross, Warrington. In the following year it was extended to meet the Warrington and Stockport Railway. A station on this branch was opened at Cuerdley but this closed in January 1858. [11] The creation of these branch lines created an unusual feature on British railways, a flat crossing. In the 1860s people could travel eastwards from Runcorn Gap to Warrington and, from there, to Manchester, London and many other places. They could also travel west to Liverpool by taking a ship at Garston. [1]

By 1860, there was considerable competition between the railway companies. The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) wanted to build a line between Edge Hill and Garston. Following discussions, the LNWR leased the line from Garston to Warrington with effect from 1 September 1860, paying £5,000 for the first year and £12,000 annually from 1861. On 29 July 1864, an act of Parliament [12] was passed which allowed SHCR to be absorbed by LNWR, and the transfer took place on 31 July 1864. Runcorn Gap station was renamed Widnes station on 1 September 1864. [1]

Later developments

Widnes Dock Junction and the flat crossing were causing problems of congestion and the LNWR dealt with this by building a deviation line of just under 1.5 miles (2 km) to the north of the original west–east line, crossing the line leading north to St Helens by a bridge. The deviation line was authorised on 5 July 1865 and opened on 1 November 1869. The line was connected to the St Helens and it included a new station for passengers. With the opening of the line from Weaver Junction across the Mersey on Runcorn Railway Bridge to Ditton Junction, west of Widnes, the Garston extension became part of the Liverpool-London main line. Following the merger of most of Britain's railways into four private companies in 1923, the line from St Helens to Widnes became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). Large quantities of freight were carried on the line and the passenger train from St Helen's to Ditton Junction station was nicknamed the Ditton Dodger. [1]

Following the end of the Second World War, passenger traffic declined and the service provided by the Ditton Dodger ended on 16 June 1951. Freight traffic initially continued to be heavy but it declined during the 1960s. In 1969, the line north from Farnworth and Bold station was singled and in 1975 the line south of the station was also singled. The line closed to through traffic on 1 November 1981. The track has been lifted and some of the southern part of the route is occupied by Watkinson Way, a road providing an easterly bypass for Widnes and connecting the Silver Jubilee Bridge with the M62 motorway. The base of the swing bridge which carried the railway over the canal is still present in Spike Island. [1]

As of 2009, where the line runs near the St Helens Retail Park, the embankment has been reinforced and is said to be for a rail link for visitors from out of town to the new Saints RLFC stadium. It is also rumoured that the track on Robins Lane will be relaid to connect through to St Helens Junction.[ citation needed ]

Work is close to completion in 2014 to reclaim the section of the railway that ran from Clock Face to Farnworth and Bold as a footpath for walkers and cyclists. Drainage and the majority of the new footpath has now been laid for the public and is already accessible. The footpath can now be enjoyed as part of the reclaimed Sutton Manor Colliery and Jaume Plensa's Dream monument, winner of Channels 4's 'The Big Art Project'.[ citation needed ]

In the Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands, the UK government proposed using the Warrington Bank Quay to Ditton as part of a new connection to Liverpool from High Speed 2. [13]

Locomotives

This is not a complete list:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Mersey</span> Major river emptying into Liverpool Bay

The River Mersey is a major river in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it has formed part of the boundary between the historic counties of Lancashire and Cheshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway</span> Former British railway company

The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MS&LR) was formed in 1847 when the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway joined with authorised but unbuilt railway companies, forming a proposed network from Manchester to Grimsby. It pursued a policy of expanding its area of influence, especially in reaching west to Liverpool, which it ultimately did through the medium of the Cheshire Lines Committee network in joint partnership with the Great Northern Railway and the Midland Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sankey Canal</span> Canal in England

The Sankey Canal in North West England, initially known as the Sankey Brook Navigation and later the St Helens Canal, is a former industrial canal, which when opened in 1757 was England's first of the Industrial revolution, and the first modern canal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheshire Lines Committee</span> Railway in England: active from 1863 to 1947

The Cheshire Lines Committee (CLC) was formed in the 1860s and became the second-largest joint railway in Great Britain. The committee, which was often styled the Cheshire Lines Railway, operated 143 miles (230 km) of track in the then counties of Lancashire and Cheshire. The railway did not become part of the Big Four during the implementation of the 1923 grouping, surviving independently with its own management until the railways were nationalised at the beginning of 1948. The railway served Liverpool, Manchester, Stockport, Warrington, Widnes, Northwich, Winsford, Knutsford, Chester and Southport with connections to many other railways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Widnes Dock</span>

Widnes Dock was the first rail-to-ship facility in the world. It was built in 1833 between the end of the Sankey Canal and the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway in Widnes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Runcorn Docks</span> Inland port in Cheshire, England

Runcorn Docks, originally the Bridgewater Docks, is an inland port on the Manchester Ship Canal in the town of Runcorn, Cheshire, England. It is operated by Peel Ports and handles bulk and project cargo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spike Island, Widnes</span> Park in Widnes

Spike Island is a park in Widnes, Halton, North West England. It is an artificial island between the Sankey Canal and the estuary of the River Mersey containing parkland, woodland, wetlands and footpaths. It is next to the Catalyst Science Discovery Centre, an interactive science and technology museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Runcorn Railway Bridge</span> Bridge in northwest England

The Runcorn Railway Bridge, Ethelfleda Bridge or Britannia Bridge crosses the River Mersey at Runcorn Gap between Runcorn and Widnes in Cheshire, England. It is alongside the Silver Jubilee Bridge. The bridge is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a Grade II* Listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garston and Liverpool Railway</span>

The Garston and Liverpool Railway line ran from the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway line at Garston Docks to Brunswick railway station, later to central Liverpool. The company was formed on 17 May 1861 by the Garston & Liverpool Railway Act 1861 and the line opened on 1 June 1864.

There are various modes of transport available in Warrington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Widnes</span> Town in Cheshire, England

Widnes is an industrial town in the Borough of Halton, Cheshire, England, which at the 2021 census had a population of 62,400.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Hutchinson (industrialist)</span>

John Hutchinson was a chemist and industrialist who established the first chemical factory in Widnes, then Lancashire now Cheshire, England. He moved from working in a chemical factory in St Helens and built his own chemical factory in 1847 in the Woodend area of Widnes near to Widnes Dock by the junction of the Sankey Canal and the River Mersey. In this factory he manufactured alkali by the Leblanc process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Listed buildings in Widnes</span>

Widnes is an industrial town in the Borough of Halton, Cheshire, England, on the north bank of the River Mersey where it narrows at Runcorn Gap. The town contains 24 buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England as designated listed buildings. Of these, 5 are classified at Grade II*, and the rest are at Grade II; Widnes has no Grade I listed buildings. In the United Kingdom, the term "listed building" refers to a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural, historical, or cultural significance. Listed buildings are categorised in three grades: Grade I consists of buildings of outstanding architectural or historical interest; Grade II* includes particularly significant buildings of more than local interest; Grade II consists of buildings of special architectural or historical interest. Buildings in England are listed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on recommendations provided by English Heritage, which also determines the grading.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warrington and Altrincham Junction Railway</span>

The Warrington and Altrincham Junction Railway was a railway line that was in operation from 1 November 1853 to 7 July 1985. The railway was created by an act of parliament on 3 July 1851 to build a line between Timperley Junction on the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway (MSJAR), to provide a through route to Manchester, and Warrington Arpley on the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway providing a link with Liverpool.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancashire Union Railway</span>

The Lancashire Union Railway ran between Blackburn and St Helens in Lancashire, England. It was built primarily to carry goods between Blackburn and Garston Dock on the River Mersey, and also to serve collieries in the Wigan area. Most of the line has now been closed, except for the St Helens-to-Wigan section that forms part of the main line between Liverpool and the North.

Garston Dock railway station served Garston, Liverpool, Merseyside, England and Garston Docks. It was situated on the east side of Dock Road.

Widnes South railway station was located in the town of Widnes in Cheshire, England on the east side of Victoria Road. It was built by the London and North Western Railway and situated on their Widnes Deviation Line, opening to passengers and goods in March 1870. This route was constructed by the LNWR to improve traffic flow on the busy Ditton Junction to Warrington Bank Quay Low Level and Manchester. It replaced an earlier station on the G&WR line located slightly further south and also had a connection to the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway, providing access towards the north.

Ditton Mill railway station was on the western edge of Widnes, England, that operated from 1851–1871.

Fidler's Ferry & Penketh railway station was on what is now the southwestern edge of Warrington, England. It was located at a point where the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway, the Sankey Canal and the River Mersey come side by side and where a ferry at one time plied across the river. In modern times the station site is at the southern, canal end of Station Road, Penketh.

Sankey Bridges railway station was in southwestern Warrington, England. It was located immediately west of a swing bridge over the Sankey Canal. The station site is to the south of Old Liverpool Road, Warrington.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 The Widnes to St Helens Railway in Halton 1833–1982. Halton: Halton Borough Council. 2008.
  2. Diggle, p. 17
  3. 1 2 Holt, p. 59
  4. 1 2 Diggle, p. 18
  5. 1 2 3 Hardie, p. 4
  6. Welbourn, p. 4
  7. Hardie, frontispiece map.
  8. 1 2 Diggle, p. 19
  9. 1 2 Holt, pp. 61–62
  10. Holt, p. 68
  11. Holt, p. 62
  12. St. Helens Canal and Railway Transfer Act 1864, 27 & 28 Vict. c. ccxcvi
  13. "Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands" (PDF). GOV.UK. 18 November 2021. p. 108-109. Retrieved 19 November 2021.

Sources