Warrington Bank Quay railway station

First station (1837 to 1868)

The first Warrington Bank Quay station opened on 4 July 1837, when the GJR formally opened its line from Birmingham Vauxhall to Earlestown where it connected to the L&MR.^[d]

The station was situated to the south of turnpike on the east (Warrington) side of the running lines. The turnpike had to be elevated onto a bridge, predictably known as Bank Quay bridge, to enable the end-on connection of the lines.^[7][8]

There was a platform in front of the station building and two island platforms, with four lines running through the station some of which were accessible from platforms on both sides.^[7][9] The station was described as having "a booking-office and ladies waiting room...with conveniences detached from the building" on the up side and two small waiting-rooms enclosed under a shed-roof on the down side.^[e][11]

The station had goods facilities to the north of the turnpike on both sides of the running lines. There were further freight facilities to the south of the station on the east side.^[7]

The station handled all the long-distance trains, Warrington Dallam Lane station continued to be used for local passenger and goods services until 1839, when all passenger services were transferred to Bank Quay.^[2][9]

In 1842, the station staff consisted of a superintendent, two clerks, a manager, three porters, one policeman, four shuntsmen, four coke and water fillers, one coach-greaser, and two gate-porters.^[12] In 1846, the GJR amalgamated with others to form the London and North Western Railway (LNWR).^[13]

Second station

In 1864, the LNWR absorbed the St Helens Canal and Railway Company (SHCR) which had opened a line between Runcorn Gap and Warrington Arpley in 1853–1854.^[14] Services were run on this line between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester London Road.^[15]

This west-east line ran underneath the north-south LNWR line 300 yards (270 m) south of Bank Quay station using Warrington Arpley as their station in the town.^[15][16]

On 16 November 1868, the LNWR relocated Bank Quay station to the point where the lines crossed, effectively superimposing one station over the other to provide an interchange.^[17]

The station has a single-storey entrance building with subway access to two island platforms at a higher level.^[18] The LNWR station entrance was described as a "dowdy little brick entrance building."^[19]

When the new station opened, a local newspaper described the low-level platforms as "no more than a covered shed, open in front."^[20] Mr Banks, promoted from Dudley Port (also a two-level station), became the first station master of the relocated station.^[21]

The upper station had four through platforms. The central platforms were aligned to the fast lines and were often used by non-stopping trains. There was a bay platform facing north and a very small bay facing south.^[f][22][23]

The lower station had two through platforms, with a bay at the Manchester end of the eastbound platform.^[24] The lower platforms had a short canopy with ornate curved iron supports and a covered wooden footbridge.^[24]

Goods facilities gradually expanded and the area north of Bank Quay bridge increased in size and acquired a locomotive depot. The area between the running lines and Parker Street^[g] was filled with goods sidings. When these became inadequate goods yards were built at Walton Old Junction (to the south of the station) and between the main north-south line and Arpley (to the east and south-east of the station).^[23][25]

The station was still called Warrington until at least 1870, when the Bank Quay suffix started to be used for the east-west line; it came into use on the north-south line later, but increasingly after Warrington Central opened in 1873.^[26] The terms low level and high level were used locally; they appeared in junction diagrams and some station handbooks, but were never part of an official title.^[17]

The station was enlarged in 1897, when new signals and signal boxes were provided.^[27]

The low level station was closed to passengers on 9 September 1963; the line through the station remains open for freight.^[18]

The station was rebuilt when the line was electrified in 1973, with a new power signal box covering an extended area was built east of the station for the electrification.^[25][28][29]

In 2009, a new entrance hall was completed, with a travel centre/ticket office and a shop; the buffet on the London-bound platforms was modernised. Improvements were made to the platforms and an extension to the existing car park and a new taxi rank were built.^[30][31]

Service history

Being situated on the West Coast Main Line, Bank Quay has had regular trains to a wide range of destinations including northbound to Perth, Aberdeen and Inverness and southbound to Birmingham New Street, London Euston, Plymouth Millbay and Penzance.^[32] However, there were several local passenger services that have ceased operation, including:

• Low level station service between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly in 1962^[33][34]
• High level station service to Bolton Great Moor Street, via Kenyon Junction and Atherton Bag Lane in 1954^[35][36]
• High level station service to St Helens Shaw Street in 1964.^[35][37]