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Widnes formerly Runcorn Gap
(1852 - 1870)


The station opened as Runcorn Gap on July 1 1852 replacing a station of the same name that was located some distance to the east on the original St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway

The new station opened on the west side of Waterloo Road on the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway Companies Garston line that opened at the same time. The following year they also opened a line to Warrington. The line crossed the original St Helens line on the level to the east of the station and a connection was put in which allowed St Helens trains to access the new station and also to run to Garston

On September 1 1864 the station was renamed as Widnes which better reflected its location

Widnes station closed on March 1 1870 as it was replaced by a new facility only metres away to the north. The new station was part of a Deviation Line which was built by the LNWR who had taken over the lines by then. The new line allowed trains to cross the busy Waterloo Road and the busy St Helens line on bridges so less obstruction was caused. The original line remained open for goods traffic until the late 1960's. Rails remained in situ at the station site until the late 1980's as sidings. In the early 1990's a new road was built to the Silver Jubilee Road Bridge and its embankment occupies part of the station site









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