Lea Green railway station is in St Helens, Merseyside, England, three miles south of the town centre near the suburb of Clock Face. The station is on the electrified northern route of the two Liverpool to Manchester lines, 10+3⁄4 miles (17 km) east of Liverpool Lime Street. Northern Trains operates the station with Merseytravel sponsorship displaying Merseytravel signs. Constructed in 2000, the station has a park and ride car park fitted with charging points for electrically-powered vehicles, a modern CCTV security system and a booking office at street level.
Lea Green  | |||||
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| General information | |||||
| Location | Sutton, Merseyside, St Helens England | ||||
| Grid reference | SJ519924 | ||||
| Managed by | Northern Trains | ||||
| Transit authority | Merseytravel | ||||
| Platforms | 2 | ||||
| Other information | |||||
| Station code | LEG | ||||
| Fare zone | A1 | ||||
| Classification | DfT category E | ||||
| Key dates | |||||
| 17 September 2000 | Opened | ||||
| Passengers | |||||
| 2019/20 |  0.465 million | ||||
| 2020/21 |  82,028 | ||||
| 2021/22 | 0.338 million | ||||
| 2022/23 | 0.340 million | ||||
| 2023/24 | 0.319 million | ||||
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History
editThe first Lea Green station was where Lowfield Lane met Lea Green Road (SJ510920 about 950 metres towards Liverpool from the current station)[1] It opened in 1830 on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway.[2] The early intermediate stations were little more than halts positioned where the railway crossed a road or turnpike[3] accounting for variations in their names.[4] Lea Green station was probably known as Top of Sutton Incline, then Sutton by 1844, and Lea Green again in 1848, although Butt (1995) says it was Lea Green before becoming Sutton.[4][2] The first station closed on 7 March 1955.[2]
The current station in the cutting at Marshalls Cross opened on 17 September 2000.[5]
Thatto Heath railway station on the Liverpool to Wigan Line is approximately two miles to the north west.
Facilities
editThe ticket office is staffed each day from 06:00 to midnight (except Sundays, when it opens at 08:30). Shelters are provided on each platform, along with help points, digital information screens and timetable poster boards. Both platforms have step-free access from the ticket office and station entrance via ramps.[6]
Services
editNorthern Trains operates an hourly service to Liverpool Lime Street and an hourly service to Manchester Airport via Manchester Piccadilly. There are peak time services to Manchester Vic and Wigan North Western.
Sunday services see the service to Manchester Airport extended to Wilmslow.
Services are operated by three-car Class 331 electric units and Class 323 units now also appear regularly.
TransPennine Express also serve the station with an express service to Liverpool Lime Street each hour, along with a service to Newcastle via Leeds, York and Darlington. These are operated using "Nova 1" Class 802s. The service to Hull that ran prior to the winter 2023 timetable update has temporarily ceased, though TPE hope to reinstate it in the future.
Future
editIn March 2021, it was announced that a new station building would be built and the number of parking spaces at the station would be increased to 450.[7]
References
edit- ^ "Lea Green station". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ a b c Butt, R. V. J. (October 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. p. 140. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
- ^ Ferneyhough, Frank (1980). Liverpool & Manchester Railway, 1830-1980. R. Hale. p. 101. ISBN 978-0-7091-8137-8.
- ^ a b G O Holt (1965). A short history of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (Second ed.). The Railway and Canal Historical Society. p. 22.
- ^ Quick, Michael (2022) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (PDF). version 5.04. Railway & Canal Historical Society. p. 275. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 November 2022.
- ^ Lea Green station facilities National Rail Enquiries; Retrieved 22 December 2016
- ^ Council, St Helens. "St.Helens Council". www.sthelens.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
External links
edit
- Train times and station information for Lea Green railway station from National Rail