St Helens Central to Junction link explored in rail funding requests

Earlier this week, deputy leader of St Helens Council and cabinet member for strategic transport, Cllr Seve Gomez-Aspron, wrote to the mayor of Liverpool City Region to ask for funding to research the feasibility of railway improvements across the borough.

Improved accessibility at Garswood station and a new station at Carr Mill were two proposals put forward, while another highlighted project is one that has been spoken about for decades - the revival of the disused Sutton Oak line between St Helens Central and St Helens Junction.

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A train on a neighbouring line to the old St Helens to Runcorn Gap Railway (Image: Brain Roberts)

As previously reported, the Central to Junction line was part of the historic St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway, which opened in 1833 to connect central St Helens to Widnes and Runcorn, and compete with the freight trade along the Sankey canal.

Interestingly, it was public demand that ensured that the line opened to passengers rather than just freight, and a spur was put in place to link it to St Helens Junction, which lay just off the main line.

Establishing greater connectivity across St Helens and neighbouring regions, the railway line was a popular mode of transport for more than 100 years, until the government's Beeching Report recommended the route's withdrawal in 1963 to cut costs and refine national railways.

A map of the old St Helens to Runcorn Gap railway line (Image: Alan Young)

As the line's withdrawal severed ties between St Helens Central and Junction, it has become an increasing problem over the years as it has inhibited town centre commuters from travelling to places like Newton-le-Willows, Warrington, or Manchester on direct services.

With the two-mile route still largely untouched, historic rail enthusiast Paul Wright previously said that the revival of the rail link is a "no brainer" as it would improve connectivity and help decarbonise the economy.

As improved connectivity will also benefit the town centre as it gears up for regeneration plans, Cllr Gomez-Aspron said that there is a "definite potential" in reviving the two-mile route that has been left disused for decades.

Cllr Seve Gomez-Aspron (Image: St Helens Council)

Cllr Gomez-Aspron said: "The reason that the Sutton Oak Link is important isn’t the same as the historic reason it was built, [which was] to connect Widnes Docks to St Helens industry. The stretch we talk about was just a spur linking industry to the Liverpool to Manchester Railway.

"However, nowadays, the benefits of reopening the link are different. Due to having big cities to our east and west, those links are good, but travelling North to South by Rail at a local level is difficult.

"If the link was reopened, one of the uses that it had could be reinstated which was a loop commuter service between St Helens Central, Warrington and Wigan, via Earlestown [and Newton-le-Willows].

"This new route would then create capacity on the West Coast Railways around Parkside, and also for high-speed routes between Scotland and London.

"That would link new developments in NLW with new developments in Bold, and on to regeneration of both town centres.

"The link also provides greater options to import material by rail into huge material users like Pilkingtons."

The revived rail link would provide much greater access to St Helens Central (Image: St Helens Star)

Although the deputy council leader touted the possibility of the link's possible revival, he emphasised that research needs to take place about its viability and seek answers to what types of rail or modes of transport would most benefit the route.

If the link was revived, the councillor suggested that new station developments could be built along the line, and if it was deemed undeliverable, it could be transformed into a tram or cycling route to make use of the historic route.

Cllr Gomez-Aspron added: "There’s definitely potential [in reviving the rail link]. But we need to kick that forward rather than just theorising since it closed.

"A devolved budget to the City Region enables us to set that local priority, so I can’t wait to see the solution that comes forward!"