The original Halewood East Junction was twenty-one chains to the west of Halewood station and it formed the eastern point of the triangle. The Junction opened on 1 December 1879 when the North Liverpool Extension Line opened to passenger services. To serve the junction a signal box was provided on the down side of the line.

In 1883 the main line between Halewood East Junction and Hunts Cross West Junction became quadruple. The two new lines were designated as the up and down slow and were located north of the original railway. At Halewood East the four tracks extended to a point only six chains to the west of Halewood station. The North Liverpool Extension Line connected to the new slow lines.

Not all lines and crossovers are shown.

By this time the signal box was a timber CLC type CL1a with a thirty-two lever frame.

In 1897 a new east chord opened from Halewood East Junction to Halewood North Junction. It was to the east of the original line. At Halewood East Junction it diverged from the slow lines immediately to the west of the junction. The original Halewood East Junction was renamed as Halewood West Junction. A new signal box was opened, also on the down side of the main line and only fifteen chains to the west of the Halewood East box, to control the original junction and also the sidings that were located inside the triangle. The new box was originally provided with a 30 lever frame but in 1915 when extra sidings were laid a 40 lever frame was installed.

The new east chord was used by passenger trains and through goods services. After 1897 the original chord was designated as a goods line.

The layout at Halewood East Junction (and the nearby Halewood West Junction) remained the same for the next sixty-five years although extra sidings were laid within the triangle during the Second World War.

On 21 October 1962 British Railways opened a new signal box in the fork of the Halewood West Junction (The original 1879 Halewood East Junction). The new box was called Halewood East Junction and was a type LM15 box with a brick base and timber upper cabin. The box was provided with a sixty lever frame and when it opened the original Halewood East and the Halewood West boxes closed and were demolished as the new box was able to control both junctions and the eastern end of the sidings.

The investment in the new box was a sign that in 1962 British Railways were optimistic that the Halewood triangle would remain a busy railway location. However within the space of only six years there would be no need for a box at Halewood East Junction such would be the reduction in freight traffic. The goods lines to Halewood North Junction (the 1879 eastern chord) and all of the sidings within the triangle closed on 14 May 1967. The slow lines between Hunts Cross East Junction and Halewood East also closed. Regular traffic between Halewood East Junction and Halewood North Junction ceased on 5 August 1968 and it was closed on 28 October 1968.

Halewood East Junction signal box was left with no junction to control. By 15 February 1970 when Hunts Cross East Junction signal box closed Halewood East became a simple block post between Hunts Cross West Junction and Hough Green. It survived in its reduced role until it was destroyed by fire on 26 October 1981 being officially abolished on 24 January 1982.

The 8D Association - Dedicated to promoting the history of South Lancashire and North Cheshire railways. Web Site