Notes: The Station was situated on the St. Helens and Runcorn
Gap Railway's eastern extension from Widnes to Warrington which
opened on 1.2.1853. At the same time an extension was opened from
Widnes to Garston Dock. With an end on connection to the Warrington
and Stockport Railway at Warrington Arpley an alternative to the
LNWR Liverpool to Manchester route was now opened up. However
by the late 1850s the line was absorbed into the LNWR network
and from that point was always viewed as a secondary route.
Sankey Bridges Station stood at a point where the line crossed
the Sankey Canal (1757) by way of a swing bridge which remained
in use until the 1950s. In November 1858 there was a crash at
this point when the bridge was left open to canal traffic. A light
engine Actaeon was returning from Garston after hauling a Kings
Cross Garston train. It crashed into the canal.
Sankey Bridges Station first closed on 1.1.1917, reopening on
1.7.1919 finally closing to passengers on 26.9.1949 but the line
was still used for passenger services by the Ditton Junction to
Manchester Oxford Road via Warrington Bank Quay Low Level train
which continued until 10.9.1962. Today the line is a busy freight
route from Ditton to Warrington Arpley.
To see the other
stations on the Ditton Junction to Skelton Junction Line click
on the station name: Ditton,
Widnes South, Cuerdley,
Fidlers
Ferry & Penketh, Warrington
Bank Quay Low Level, Warrington
Arpley, Latchford,
Thelwall, Lymm,
Heatley &
Warburton,
Dunham Massey & Broadheath.
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