Chester   | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 The front of Chester station | |||||
| General information | |||||
| Location | Station Road,Chester,Cheshire West and Chester, England | ||||
| Coordinates | 53°11′48″N2°52′47″W / 53.1968°N 2.8798°W /53.1968; -2.8798 | ||||
| Grid reference | SJ413669 | ||||
| Owned by | Network Rail | ||||
| Operated by | Transport for Wales | ||||
| Transit authority | Merseytravel (for Merseyrail services only) | ||||
| Platforms | 7 | ||||
| Other information | |||||
| Station code | CTR | ||||
| Fare zone | G1 | ||||
| Classification | DfT category B | ||||
| History | |||||
| Original company | Joint ownership ofL&NWR,C&HR,S&CR andBL&CJR | ||||
| Pre-grouping | Joint ownership ofL&NWR andGWR | ||||
| Post-grouping | Joint ownership ofLMS andGWR | ||||
| Key dates | |||||
| 1 August 1848 (1848-08-01) | Opened | ||||
| From 1872 | RenamedChester General | ||||
| 1969 | RenamedChester | ||||
| 4 May 1970 | Chester General rail crash | ||||
| Passengers | |||||
| 2019/20 |  5.093 million | ||||
| Interchange |  0.763 million | ||||
| 2020/21 | 1.058 million | ||||
| Interchange | 0.137 million | ||||
| 2021/22 | 3.443 million | ||||
| Interchange | 0.573 million | ||||
| 2022/23 | 4.122 million | ||||
| Interchange | 0.689 million | ||||
| 2023/24 | 4.727 million | ||||
| Interchange | 0.811 million | ||||
Listed Building – Grade II* | |||||
| Feature | Chester railway station | ||||
| Designated | 31 July 1970 | ||||
| Reference no. | 1375937 | ||||
| |||||
| |||||
Chester railway station serves the city ofChester, inCheshire, England; it is sited in theNewtown area. It was designed by the architectFrancis Thompson and opened as a joint station in 1848. From 1875 to 1969, the station was known asChester General to distinguish it fromChester Northgate. The station is recorded in theNational Heritage List for England as a Grade II*listed building.[1]
Prior to 1848, there were two stations opposite each other across Brook Street; both were known asChester to their respective users.[2]They were superseded by a largerjoint station that was also calledChester, although sometimes known asChester Joint orChester General.[a] The name ofChester General gradually came more into use from around 1870, to distinguish it fromChester Northgate, prior to it opening in 1875; it then reverted toChester when Northgate closed in 1969.[2][4]
The first station at Chester was opened on the north-west side of Brook Street by theChester and Birkenhead Railway (C&BR), when it opened its line fromBirkenhead Grange Lane on 23 September 1840.[5]
One week later, on 1 October 1840, theGrand Junction Railway (GJR) opened a separate station, on the south-eastern side of Brook Street, opposite theC&BR station, when it opened its branch fromCrewe.[6] This line and station had been planned and mostly constructed by theChester and Crewe Railway (C&CR), but it ran out of capital before completing the line and were taken over by theGJR on 1 July 1840.[5]
Relations between theC&BR and theC&CR had been cordial and collaborative with joint projects being undertaken. TheC&BR had arranged to rent offices and other buildings from theC&CR; however, theGJR had been hostile to theC&BR from the beginning, seeing them as competitors for traffic to Liverpool, and their takeover of theC&CR caused the joint plans to fall through.[5]
This resulted in theC&BR initially having no passenger accommodation at their station. In October 1840, their engineer reported that there "was a temporary wooden hut for a booking office but no passenger shed". Six months later "he confessed that a wooden hut had been used for five months, but latterly some houses in Brook Street had been converted into an office and waiting room, a large shed and a landing stage (platform) had been provided for the convenience of passengers."[5][7]
TheC&BR and theGJR lines were connected by a through line that avoided both stations. The two stations were connected across Brook Street, but the connecting line was gated and there were no through services, not even for the Royal Mail, whose bags were carried over the road.[8][9][10]
To the south-east of Chester, there were two railways that had been authorised in the same parliamentary session in 1844 that planned to use Chester as their terminus. One was theChester and Holyhead Railway (C&HR), which started constructing a line along the North Wales coast on 1 March 1845.[11] The other was theShrewsbury and Chester Railway (S&CR) constructing a line toRuabon andShrewsbury.[b][12] This line was planned to connect to theC&HR at Saltney Junction and use theC&HR line for the final 1 mile 67 chains (3.0 km) into theC&BR station in Chester.[c][15]
Negotiations between these two railway companies started in November 1844, as theS&CR wanted to make sure that theC&HR section of line from Saltney Junction into Chester would be open when they were ready to use it. Negotiations continued until May 1846, when it was estimated that the section might be ready by October 1846. A minimum monthly toll of £2,000 (equivalent to £245,000 in 2023[d]) was agreed until theC&HR was finished.[16]
TheS&CR took possession of the section and started running trains into Chester on 4 November 1846.[12] TheC&HR retook possession of the Chester to Saltney section when it opened its own line as far asBangor on 1 May 1848.[17] TheC&HR was operated by theLondon and North Western Railway (LNWR).[18]
TheBirkenhead, Lancashire and Cheshire Junction Railway (BL&CJR) was incorporated by theBirkenhead, Lancashire and Cheshire Junction Railway Act 1846 (9 & 10 Vict. c. xci) on 26 June 1846 and authorised to construct a line from Chester to Walton junction nearWarrington where it connected to theGJR. The same act of Parliament authorised theBL&CJR and theC&BR to amalgamate, retaining the Birkenhead, Lancashire and Cheshire Junction Railway name.[19]
In the meantime, theGJR amalgamated with several others to become theL&NWR on 16 July 1846.[20]
By 1845, there were four railway companies having or planning their lines terminate at Chester and it became "apparent that the separate but adjoining stations would have to be replaced by something better"; ajoint station was proposed.[e][23] A site was selected south of the existing stations and east of Brook Street; it was an area of simple fields and kitchen gardens with a little brooklet, spanned by a rustic bridge, with the odd-sounding name ofFlookersbrook.[23][24]
In December 1846, the four project partners (theL&NWR, theC&HR, theS&CR and a joint partnership between theBL&CJR and theC&BR) agreed to share the cost of the land and buildings and a joint committee of one director from each company was set up.[f][25] Additionally, on 9 July 1847 theMold Railway was granted parliamentary authority to construct its line which joined theC&HR at Saltney Ferry junction and it intended to use Chester as its terminus.[26]
| Shrewsbury and Chester Railway Act 1847 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act to authorize theShrewsbury and Chester Railway Company to make certain Branches, and to provide Station Room and other Conveniences in the City ofChester, and to raise additional Capital for these purposes; and for amending the former Acts relating to the said Company. |
| Citation | 10 & 11 Vict. c. ccliv |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 9 July 1847 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Chester and Holyhead Railway (Chester Extension and Amendment) Act 1847 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
| |
| Long title | An Act to authorize an Extension of and the Construction of a Station in connexion with the Chester and Holyhead Railway at Chester; and for other purposes. |
| Citation | 10 & 11 Vict. c. cxlviii |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 9 July 1847 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The station was authorised by two acts of Parliament: theShrewsbury and Chester Railway Act 1847 (10 & 11 Vict. c. ccliv) and theChester and Holyhead Railway (Chester Extension and Amendment) Act 1847 (10 & 11 Vict. c. cxlviii); both acts put in place the joint responsibility for building and altering access lines from the old stations to the new.Robert Stephenson was appointed as the engineer for the project. The station was designed by the architectFrancis Thompson, assisted by C. H. Wild and was constructed byThomas Brassey. The foundation stone was laid in August 1847.[25] The station was opened on 1 August 1848, having cost £55,000 (equivalent to £6,975,000 in 2023[d]).[27]
It was designed with one very long platform, chiefly for departing trains, with two long bay platforms at each end and three shorter ones for terminating trains. The whole area was covered by atrain shed, supported by cast iron columns designed by C.H.Wild.[27][28][29] On the other side of the through tracks was "a large carriage shed with an iron and glass roof and beyond that a goods shed."[27] A useful sketch of the station layout is in Biddle (1986) and Maund (2000).[30][31]
The long singleplatform was used for trains running in opposite directions; it had a scissor (or crossover junctions) installed in the middle to enable two trains to occupy it and leave in either direction.[30] This made the station very long and Thompson designed "a highly ornamental Venetian-style façade 1,050 feet (320 m) long in dark red brick with generously applied stone dressings and sculptured decoration" byJohn Thomas.[g][28][32]
There was a central fifteen-bay two-storey entrance and office building, containing 50 rooms and offices. It was flanked by five bay projecting taller ornate, turreted, balconied sections; the whole was extended in both directions by arcaded screen walls terminating in lower towers.[27][28] Windows in the central range are adorned with pediment carvings, described by Jenkins (2017) as "Hindu in character".[33] Pedestrian access was protected by an entrance canopy with decorative ironwork.[34]
The interior of the station had the principal passenger accommodation done in wood and plasterwork.[32] The refreshment rooms were better decorated than the waiting rooms, having more elaborate plasterwork, decorated woodwork and a finecoffered ceiling.[35][36] The refreshment room was run by Mr Hobday, who paid the joint station committee £500 per year for the right (equivalent to £66,000 in 2023[d]).[3][7]
The goods station, a substantial red and blue brick building, consisted of a shed 180 feet (55 m) long and 120 feet (37 m) wide; it has four railway and two cart entrances, at either end, and one railway entrance in front. It is covered by two large roofs, supported down the centre of the building by cast-iron columns and girders, and lighted by two skylights.[37] To the west of the station, there was a triangular junction which allowed some trains to by-pass the station and was used to turn locomotives.[27]
Brook Street needed to be moved to accommodate the station; at the same time, it was converted into a bridge over the station approach tracks. The bridge is of brick and stone, consisting of six girder and fifteen brick arches; the latter of which were converted into stabling.[5][37][38]
There was long standing rivalry between theL&NWR and theGWR over access to the area, in particular toBirkenhead andLiverpool. This came to a head at Chester in 1849. TheL&NWR was the most powerful of the joint committee partners and it had considerable influence over theC&HR whose trains it operated, and some influence over theBL&CJR who had so far not objected to theL&NWR's actions.[39] TheL&NWR ranged itself against theS&CR and its new partner theShrewsbury and Birmingham Railway (S&BR) which opened a line fromShrewsbury to a temporary station at Wolverhampton on 12 November 1849. These two companies were a possible threat to theL&NWR by letting theGWR into the area.[39]
After one quarrel over the routeing of passengers, theL&NWR refused to allow passengers to be booked to Wolverhampton or beyond viaShrewsbury, which was a sensible way to go but competed with theL&NWR route viaCrewe; theL&NWR had theS&CR booking clerk forcibly ejected from his office. Connections withS&CR trains were deliberately timed to create inconvenience, and when theS&CR ran horse buses for the convenience of its passengers they found them barred from the station forecourt.[32][40][41]
TheMold Railway opened on 14 August 1849; it ran two services daily into Chester and was operated by theL&NWR.[42][43] TheC&HR main line was connected throughout on 18 March 1850 and trains, operated by theL&NWR, started running through toHolyhead.[44][45]
On 18 December 1850, theBL&CJR opened a line from Chester to Walton Junction, near Warrington, where it connected to theL&NWR railway running from Crewe toWarrington Bank Quay, now part of theWest Coast Main Line.[23][46]
In January 1851, theS&CR and theS&BR entered into a mutual running agreement with theGWR and they became part of theGWR on 7 August 1854.[27][47]
In 1858, theC&HR agreed to amalgamation with theL&NWR; this took effect on 1 January 1859 and included the Mold Railway.[48]
In 1859, theBL&CJR changed its name to theBirkenhead Railway (BR).[49] In 1860 it came to an arrangement with theL&NWR and theGWR jointly for them to work their railway. A joint committee was formed to do so, this was formalised by parliament in 1861.[h][49]
The committee decided to improve road access to the station, believing the approach by way of Brook Street was inadequate. The station needed a more direct access from Foregate Street. Unfortunately, the committee had no power to purchase properties for the purposes of road construction or improvement, but it did have some land in front of the station which it could utilise. Negotiations started in 1857 and, in 1860, theQueen Hotel opened opposite the station and connected to it via a covered passage. By 1866, the buildings which obstructed a better road access had been purchased and demolished and City Road, a wide, almost straight approach road was opened; unfortunately, the Queen Hotel blocked the view of the station clock, manufactured byJ. B. Joyce & Co, from the new City Road above the station entrance and the clock was moved to an off-centre location closer to the left towered section.[7][51][52]
A report in 1861 shows the station having a throughput of two million passengers, using an average of 115 trains daily. This level of traffic was catered for by 58 departing and 57 arriving trains. 44 of the arriving trains were divided and reformed into new trains; this work was done by two horses kept for the purpose. The station had one stationmaster, one inspector, ten clerks, six ticket collectors and examiners, 32 porters (including four foremen), and assorted greasers, police, watchmen, carriage examiners, shunters, waiting room attendants, cleaners and lamp men; a total of 82. There were ten more in the parcels office and 138 in the goods department, who dealt with an average of 130 daily goods trains.[53]
A change of committee occurred in 1867. TheL&NWR and theGWR had, at the time, eight joint committees including theBR and the Chester Joint Station Committee; all eight were merged into a L&NW & GW Railway Joint Committee. The change did not affect the workings of the individual concerns, except the line from Chester Joint station eastwards to where the line to Walton junction branched off, about 24 chains (1,600 ft; 480 m) was now considered part of theBR (see the junction diagram).[54]
On 1 May 1875,Chester Northgate railway station was opened by theCheshire Lines Committee (CLC), to reduce confusion between the stations, this station, the older one was renamedChester General although it had been frequently known by this name since opening in 1848.[2][3][55][56]
In 1875 and 1885, there was a joint booking office by the station entrance,[38][31] by 1905 each of the companies had their own booking office,L&NWR to the right as you entered and theGWR to the left.[57]
From March 1876, a luncheon basket service for passengers on theIrish Mail was introduced at Chester station, the first in the country; it was described by Neele in 1904 as "either aristocratic or democratic, depending on the contents and cost."[58]
In 1890, a new island platform was added and eight through lines provided; there were five bays at the Crewe end and three at the Holyhead. Additional buildings, extended roofing, two new footbridges and hydraulic luggage lifts completed the improvements.[36][59]
The goods station had to be relocated to create the space to achieve this and it was moved further away from the passenger station, adjacent to Lightfoot Street, at the same time it became single sided with access from the Crewe end. The new warehouse opened on 7 January 1889; it had six lines running into the shed and five sidings outside. This shed and its yard were theL&NWR goods facility for the station; it was equipped with a 10-ton crane. TheGWR goods facilities consisted of a shed and yard on the other side of, and accessed from, Brook Street. The access road sloped down past the cattle pens along the line towardsMollington; it was also equipped with a ten-ton crane.[60][61][62]
The grouping had little effect on the station, whose owners went from being theL&NWR and theGWR to being theLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) and theGWR.[63]
The station was renovated between 1955 and 1961, with new platform coverings, track circuiting and colour-light signals.[64]
Chester Northgate station was scheduled for closure on 6 October 1969. Before closing, a level junction was installed atMickle Trafford so that trains from Manchester could run directly into Chester General; the junction had been removed in 1875.[65]
On 7 November 2005, a plaque commemorating Thomas Brassey was installed on the wall opposite the booking office.[66] Brassey was born atBuerton, 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Chester.[67]
TheChester Renaissance Project was carried out between 2005 and 2007; it provided a new roof, improved customer facilities and better access to the station. Details included:[68]
LocalGWR trains operated toRuabon,Shrewsbury andWrexham General.[70] Chester was served by mostGWR express passenger trains; the service started on 1 May 1857, running fromLondon Paddington initially toBirkenhead Monks Ferry,[71] and then toBirkenhead Woodside after it opened in 1878. In 1880, a fast train was introduced, taking 4 hours and 50 minutes, more than an hour faster than previously from London. The return train was not quite so fast, taking 5 hours and 20 minutes. By 1912, the fastest service took 4 hours 15 minutes; there were normally six trains daily.[72]
TheGWR introduced other long-distance services from time to time, often just during the summer. In July 1922, there were through trains toLeamington Spa,Dover Marine,Pwllheli,Southampton Town,Bournemouth[i],Aberystwyth and through carriages toBarmouth.[70]
Calling at Chester involved a reversal of train direction forGWR trains; the fastest services therefore used the curve to avoid the station. For some years, the Chester portion of the Birkenhead train was detached at Wrexham; it had even been known for it to be detached in the cutting, west of the station.[73] The final service from London Paddington ran on 4 March 1967, specially namedThe Zulu; it was hauled by7029Clun Castle fromBanbury toBirkenhead.[75]
LocalL&NWR trains ran to Crewe,Stafford,Whitchurch,Corwen,Liverpool Lime Street andManchester Exchange.[76]
Through fares to London were available by 1847. The local newspaper advertisement indicated that the service was on a single train, but Bradshaw (1847) suggests that a change of trains would be needed atBirmingham.[21][77] By 1850 trains were running through; there were six services, with four continuing toBangor.[78]
TheL&NWR service to and fromLondon Euston was taking around 4 hours. There were an average of fourteen daily trains in 1922; eight of which, including the twice dailyIrish Mails, continued to Holyhead. There were also a couple of services going to Holyhead that ran through Chester without stopping.[79]
The joint lines of theBR were worked by both companies: theL&NWR and theGWR, which led to someGWR locomotives taking trains from Chester to Manchester Exchange.[80]
RegularL&NWR services to Liverpool Lime Street via theHalton Curve were withdrawn on 5 May 1975. Line usage was reduced to a scheduledparliamentary summer Saturdays-only return service between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester.[81][82]
In 1987, the station had nearly 120 departures each weekday with localdiesel multiple unit services toHooton,Helsby, Manchester viaNorthwich andWarrington, andWrexham. Main line services were still locomotive-hauled; there wereboat trains and early morning newspaper trains from Manchester.[83]
On 3 September 1993, theMerseyrail network was extended and electrified, using the 750 voltDCthird rail system; theWirral Line line from Hooton connected to Chester station. The line provided an every 15 minute peak and an every 30 minutes off-peak service toBirkenhead andLiverpool.[84] The extension uses platform 7, the only one that has been electrified.[85]
The Halton Curve services restarted running in May 2019,[86] providing Chester with a direct link toLiverpool Airport viaLiverpool South Parkway and an alternative route to Liverpool city centre with trains running to Liverpool Lime Street.[87]
In January 2016, according to theOffice of Rail and Road, passenger numbers doubled over the previous ten years, making Chester the eighth-busiest station in theNorth-West region. The rise was attributed to new services, such as direct trains to London and increased frequencies on the Merseyrail network.[88]
Chester has generally been a desirable destination for excursion traffic. In 1857, "up to a third of a million excursion passengers reportedly passed through Chester station during the second half-year, around 12,000 a week." It was further reported in 1858 that "over 52,000 excursionists visited Chester by rail in Whit week."[89]
The three day race meeting in May is the busiest time of the year, with cup day being the most popular. As early as 1848, the stations had to cope with despatching 426 carriages in the hours after the meeting.[90] In 1905, the station staff dealt with 358 arrivals and departures over thirteen hours; a crowded train every two minutes.[91]
There were also excursions from Chester, when Brunel'sSS Great Eastern was at Holyhead in October 1859; as many as fifteen excursion trains a day were organised from Chester to visit it.[92]
When the station was constructed, an octagonal office with a pagoda roof was constructed in its centre for the stationmaster.[36] From the opening of the joint station, the management committee decided the stationmaster should be neutral; that is, not recruited from any of the participant companies.[93]
The station has a booking office that is staffed from 15 minutes before the first train until 15 minutes after the last train. There are live departure and arrival screens, a shop and a cafe. It has lifts and is fully accessible for disabled users. There is a car park with 83 spaces and cycle racks for 68 bicycles.[109][110]
Railway lines in Chester | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The station has seven platforms:
Chester is served by four train operating companies; the typical off-peak service in trains per hour/day is:
.jpg)
![A carved wooden owl above platform 4 was intended to scare away pigeons, apparently declared unsuccessful in 1987.[83]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aChester_station_owl.jpg)
24 & 25 Vict. c. cxxxiv
Railway stations inCheshire | |
|---|---|
| West Coast Main Line | |
| Crewe–Manchester line | |
| Styal line | |
| Crewe–Derby line | |
| Stoke–Manchester line | |
| Buxton line | |
| Mid-Cheshire line | |
| CLC Liverpool–Manchester line | |
| Chester–Warrington line | |
| Hooton–Helsby line | |
| Chester–Birkenhead line | |
| Welsh Marches line | |
| Borderlands line | |
| Shrewsbury–Chester line | |
| Crewe–Liverpool line | |
