THE majority of railway stations in the borough have been named in the bottom 20 percent of best-performing stations.

New data collated by On Times Trains has revealed how each railway station in the UK has performed so far in 2023.

Researchers have collected data of the number of cancellations, delays, and disruptions from each station in the UK - with the majority of St Helens stations coming in the worst performing 500 stations.

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St Helens Star: Newton-le-Willows has often scored poor marks on delays and cancellationsNewton-le-Willows has often scored poor marks on delays and cancellations (Image: On Time Trains)

While rail travel has returned to normal routines following pandemic lockdowns, complaints about delays and cancellations have persisted in the North West for a number of years.  

Travel has also been impacted by RMT Union strikes that affected many trains during the year.

TransPennnine Express, which runs through borough stations, had the highest cancellation rate of all train operators before it was brought into government control in May, while BBC analysis shows that almost half of the trains that ran across Britain were at least one minute late.

St Helens Star: St Helens Central is ranked as the 2,274th best performing station in the UKSt Helens Central is ranked as the 2,274th best performing station in the UK (Image: St Helens Star)

Despite the poor performances from rail operators, plans were announced in July that hundreds of station ticket offices would close over the next three years.

If the controversial plans go ahead, this would see every borough station losing their ticket office apart from St Helens Central, which would operate at reduced hours.

St Helens Star: Residents and councillors protesting the axing of ticket offices at Garswood stationResidents and councillors protesting the axing of ticket offices at Garswood station (Image: St Helens Labour)

Last month, deputy leader of St Helens Borough Council and cabinet member for strategic transport, Cllr Seve Gomez-Aspron also requested funding from the Liverpool City Region for a series of rail improvements in the borough.

Asking for funding to allow feasibility studies on potential projects, this included improving accessibility at Garswood Station, extending Merseytravel services at Rainford Station, building a new station at Carr Mill and reopening the Sutton Oak line between St Helens Central and St Helens Junction.

With On Time Trains collecting data from 2,616 stations, only Thatto Heath and Rainford lie outside the worst 500 performing stations in the country.

Train station performance in St Helens: 

  • Newton-le-Willows: Average of 2,540 passengers a day - 420th busiest station. Rated 2,451st best station out of 2,616 stations.
  • St Helens Central: Average of 1,408 passengers a day - 659th busiest station. Rated 2,274th best station out of 2,616 stations.
  • Lea Green: Average of 927 passengers a day - 862nd busiest station. Rated 2,453rd best station out of 2,616 stations.
  • Earlestown: Average of 670 passengers a day - 1,033rd busiest station. Rated 2,375th best station out of 2,616 stations.
  • Rainhill: Average of 404 passengers a day - 1,314th busiest station. Rated 2,365th best station out of 2,616 stations.
  • St Helens Junction: Average of 341 passengers a day - 1,407th busiest station. Rated 2,470th best station out of 2,616 stations.
  • Garswood: Average of 330 passengers a day - 1,427th busiest station. Rated 2,345th best station out of 2,616 stations.
  • Thatto Heath: Average of 271 passengers a day - 1,524th busiest station. Rated 2,088th best station out of 2,616 stations.
  • Eccleston Park: Average of 160 passengers a day - 1,788th busiest station. Rated 2,113th best station out of 2,616 stations.
  • Rainford: Average of 61 passengers a day - 2,138th busiest station. Rated 825th best station out of 2,616 stations.