- Ditton railway station
-
Ditton Location Place Ditton Area Halton, Cheshire Grid reference SJ487846 Operations Pre-grouping London & North Western Railway Post-grouping London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London Midland Region of British Railways
RailtrackPlatforms 5 History 1 July 1852 Opened 1 May 1871 Resited 230m west and renamed (Ditton Junction) 7 May 1973 Renamed (Ditton) 29 May 1994 Closed Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom Closed railway stations in Britain
A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–ZDitton railway station, earlier known as Ditton Junction, was in the town of Widnes in Cheshire, England on Hale Road on the border between Ditton and Halebank. The station, on the London-Liverpool line, was closed to passengers on 27 May 1994.
On 17 September 1912 15 people were killed when the 17:30 train from Chester derailed while crossing from the fast to the slow line at speed.
It was at this former railway station (being one of two stations in Widnes at the time) that Paul Simon reputedly composed "Homeward Bound," a hit for Simon and Garfunkel in 1966. It is reputed that Paul Simon wrote the song when he was stranded overnight on a platform in 1965, after mis-reading the timetable. A plaque commemorates this event at the present Widnes station (formerly known as Widnes North).[citation needed]
The station was the first to be closed by Railtrack following the privatisation of British Rail in 1994. It had been in decline since the 1960s and 1970s with the steady withdrawal of services; that to St Helens Central (the Ditton Dodger) had been first to go in 1951, followed by those to Manchester Oxford Road in 1962, and to Chester which continued to North Wales via the North Wales Coast Line in 1975, leaving the station with an hourly shuttle between Crewe and Liverpool. By the late 1980s even this service had begun to omit Ditton from its schedule and dwindling passenger numbers eventually led to its closure.[1]
Future
Halton Borough Council has protected the site of the station as well as the Halton Curve from development prejudicial to their reuse as part of the rail network; the Council notes that "there is an opportunity for the re-opening of this station, particularly with the possible increase in patronage from major industrial, commercial and housing developments in the area. It may be possible to use the station as a park and ride facility."[2] The alignment of the "Shell Green Route" which linked Ditton with Widnes South and Warrington is also protected.
Preceding station Disused railways Following station Hale Bank LNWR
St Helens RailwayWidnes South LNWR Runcorn References
See also
Coordinates: 53°21′21″N 2°46′20″W / 53.35578°N 2.77221°W
Closed railway stations in Cheshire St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway Birkenhead Railway Chester to Crewe Waverton · Tattenhall Road · Beeston Castle and Tarporley · Calveley · WorlestonMacclesfield to Marple Bollington · Higher Poynton · Middlewood HigherNorthwich to Sandbach Winsford and Over Branch Line Whitegate · Winsford and OverWhitchurch and Tattenhall Railway Sandbach to Kidsgrove Wheelock and Sandbach · Hassall Green · LawtonWarrington and Altrincham Junction Railway Warrington Arpley · Latchford · Thelwall · Lymm · Heatley & WarburtonMid-Cheshire Line Chester & Connah's Quay Railway Helsby to Mouldsworth Junction Helsby and Alvanley · ManleyNantwich to Market Drayton Wirral Line Other stations Alsager Road · Balderton · Betley Road · Bosley · Burton Point · Collins Green · Culcheth · Ditton · Macclesfield Hibel Road · Minshull Vernon · Moore · Mow Cop and Scholar Green · Newchurch Halt · North Rode · Over and Wharton · Preston Brook · Radway Green and Barthomley · Sutton Weaver · WillastonCategories:- Disused railway stations in Cheshire
- Railway stations opened in 1871
- Railway stations closed in 1994
- North West England railway station stubs
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.