Stanlow and Thornton railway station
Encyclopedia
The unstaffed rail station at Stanlow & Thornton is located within the Stanlow
Shell
oil refinery
in Cheshire
, England
.
The UK OS Grid Reference is SJ441760.
It lies on Northern Rail's
line between Ellesmere Port
and Helsby
. The station is surrounded by the refinery site, so as a result most station users are refinery employees.
A rail user group, the North Cheshire Rail User Group, supports and actively campaigns for an improved service at this station and for this railway line.
There is no ticket office, so passengers buy tickets from a conductor
on board the train.
Station usage statistics for 2004-5 showed 40 passengers using the station, less than one per week. Passenger numbers began to increase at the station in 2005-6, with 130 people using it in 2005-06. This rose sharply to 326 in 2006-2007, despite the same rail services being operated.
, whilst the first morning train of the day starts from there. The one afternoon train that formerly ran through to Liverpool Lime St now terminates at Warrington.
The Saturday service is effectively the same as the Monday - Friday equivalent, except that early morning services terminate at Helsby, not Warrington.
There is no service on Sundays. A Saturday service operates on most Bank Holidays.
In British Rail terminology, this station's rail service(s) would be referred to as a Parliamentary train
. This means that the Train Operating Company
only runs the minimum number of services required legally, and usually at the least busy times of day, in order to still comply with the law, but to keep operating costs down to an absolute minimum.
located on the Helsby platform, but only accepts phonecards from British Telecom.
A gently rising footpath leads from the road to a flight of 48 steps with 2 rest landings and a handrail onto a footbridge. From the footbridge to the left, the first flight of 30 steps with rest landing and handrail lead to the Helsby platform, and the second flight of 30 steps with rest landing and handrail lead to the Ellesmere Port platform. The station is definitely not accessible for people with mobility problems.
The booking office is still standing at the Ellesmere Port platform, (number 1), but has been closed for some time. It now houses the electrics for the station and is boarded up.
Although not controlled by Northern Rail
, the station does have CCTV monitored by the security services at the Shell oil refinery.
There is limited car parking at the entrance of the station.
The station is located on Oil Sites Road. Although it is theoretically accessible by foot, it involves a long walk from either Ellesmere Port
, Ince
or Elton
. There are no bus or taxi services at this station due to the access restrictions.
Previously the road also allowed quick access to the villages of Stanlow and Thornton from Ellesmere Port and beyond.
The station was opened on 23 December 1940 jointly by the Great Western Railway
and the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
.. The station served the Shell
Thornton Aero Engine Laboratory (AEL), which was responsible for developing fuels and oils for the aircraft of the Royal Air Force
.
A short distance from the station was a signal box. This controlled all of the sidings used for freight. Shell stopped using rail as a method of transportation of goods, and subsequently, the sidings
were removed. Eventually, the signal box was dismantled and donated to the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway. Today, the signals for this line and station are controlled at Helsby
and Ellesmere Port
signal boxes, operated by Network Rail
.
The station was originally earmarked for closure under what is known today as the Beeching Axe
, a report created by Dr. Beeching entitled "The Reshaping of Britain's railways".
This was basically a report commissioned by the government to find out how money could be saved, as use of the railways began to decline.
Stanlow Refinery
Stanlow Refinery is an oil refinery owned by Essar Energy in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England. It was previously owned by Royal Dutch Shell and is part of the Shell Stanlow Manufacturing Complex.-History:...
Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
oil refinery
Oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The UK OS Grid Reference is SJ441760.
It lies on Northern Rail's
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
line between Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port railway station
Ellesmere Port railway station is located in the town of Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England. It is the terminal station of two lines on separate rail networks.* One of the termini of the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network....
and Helsby
Helsby railway station
Helsby railway station serves the village of Helsby in Cheshire. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building.-Adopt-a-Station:...
. The station is surrounded by the refinery site, so as a result most station users are refinery employees.
A rail user group, the North Cheshire Rail User Group, supports and actively campaigns for an improved service at this station and for this railway line.
There is no ticket office, so passengers buy tickets from a conductor
Conductor (transportation)
A conductor is a member of a railway train's crew that is responsible for operational and safety duties that do not involve the actual operation of the train. The title of conductor is most associated with railway operations in North America, but the role of conductor is common to railways...
on board the train.
Station usage statistics for 2004-5 showed 40 passengers using the station, less than one per week. Passenger numbers began to increase at the station in 2005-6, with 130 people using it in 2005-06. This rose sharply to 326 in 2006-2007, despite the same rail services being operated.
Services
Four trains a day call here in each direction (towards Helsby and Ellesmere Port). Two of these trains each day (one early morning and the last service each afternoon) run to Warrington Bank QuayWarrington Bank Quay railway station
Warrington Bank Quay railway station is a mainline railway station serving the UK town of Warrington. The town centre has two stations on opposite sides of the main shopping area, Warrington Central operating a more frequent service to the neighbouring cities Liverpool and Manchester...
, whilst the first morning train of the day starts from there. The one afternoon train that formerly ran through to Liverpool Lime St now terminates at Warrington.
The Saturday service is effectively the same as the Monday - Friday equivalent, except that early morning services terminate at Helsby, not Warrington.
There is no service on Sundays. A Saturday service operates on most Bank Holidays.
In British Rail terminology, this station's rail service(s) would be referred to as a Parliamentary train
Parliamentary train
A Parliamentary train or Parly is, nowadays, a British English term for a train that operates a Parliamentary service - that is to say a token service to a given station, thus maintaining a legal fiction that either the station or, in some cases, the whole line is open, although in reality the...
. This means that the Train Operating Company
Train operating company
The term train operating company is used in the United Kingdom to describe the various businesses operating passenger trains on the railway system of Great Britain under the collective National Rail brand...
only runs the minimum number of services required legally, and usually at the least busy times of day, in order to still comply with the law, but to keep operating costs down to an absolute minimum.
Facilities
At this station there are covered shelters, with three metal seats on either platform. There is a payphonePayphone
A payphone or pay phone is a public telephone, often located in a phone booth or a privacy hood, with pre-payment by inserting money , a credit or debit card, or a telephone card....
located on the Helsby platform, but only accepts phonecards from British Telecom.
A gently rising footpath leads from the road to a flight of 48 steps with 2 rest landings and a handrail onto a footbridge. From the footbridge to the left, the first flight of 30 steps with rest landing and handrail lead to the Helsby platform, and the second flight of 30 steps with rest landing and handrail lead to the Ellesmere Port platform. The station is definitely not accessible for people with mobility problems.
The booking office is still standing at the Ellesmere Port platform, (number 1), but has been closed for some time. It now houses the electrics for the station and is boarded up.
Although not controlled by Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
, the station does have CCTV monitored by the security services at the Shell oil refinery.
There is limited car parking at the entrance of the station.
Public Transport Interchange
Oil Sites Road, which is a private road owned by Shell, is now closed to the public. Shell cited increased commercial traffic to its refinery and the amount of public vehicles using the road, recklessly in some cases, as reasons for closure. Only vehicles and their occupants that have business at the refinery are now permitted to use the road.The station is located on Oil Sites Road. Although it is theoretically accessible by foot, it involves a long walk from either Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port is a large industrial town and port in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated on the south border of the Wirral Peninsula on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal, which in turn gives access to the River...
, Ince
Ince
Ince is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated immediately to the east of the Stanlow Oil Refinery. It shares Ince and Elton railway station with the village of Elton, which it runs into...
or Elton
Elton, Cheshire
Elton is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated approximately to the northeast of Chester, between Helsby and Ellesmere Port, near to the River Mersey. Its proximity to the River Mersey and...
. There are no bus or taxi services at this station due to the access restrictions.
Previously the road also allowed quick access to the villages of Stanlow and Thornton from Ellesmere Port and beyond.
History
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
and the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
.. The station served the Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
Thornton Aero Engine Laboratory (AEL), which was responsible for developing fuels and oils for the aircraft of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
.
A short distance from the station was a signal box. This controlled all of the sidings used for freight. Shell stopped using rail as a method of transportation of goods, and subsequently, the sidings
Rail siding
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end...
were removed. Eventually, the signal box was dismantled and donated to the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway. Today, the signals for this line and station are controlled at Helsby
Helsby
Helsby is a large village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. At the 2001 Census, Helsby had a population of 4,701.-Geography:...
and Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port is a large industrial town and port in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated on the south border of the Wirral Peninsula on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal, which in turn gives access to the River...
signal boxes, operated by Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
.
The station was originally earmarked for closure under what is known today as the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
, a report created by Dr. Beeching entitled "The Reshaping of Britain's railways".
This was basically a report commissioned by the government to find out how money could be saved, as use of the railways began to decline.