History
The section of line from St Helens to Wigan was opened on 1 December 1869 by the Lancashire Union Railway, and the line from Huyton to St Helens was opened on 1 November 1871 by the London and North Western Railway.
In latter years, the section from St.Helens towards Rainford (originally part of the St. Helens & Runcorn Gap Railway) terminated at the Pilkington Cowley Hill works as its fuel oil storage depot - such traffic being only for that purpose. Equally, there is a similar oil depot spur to the south of St. Helens Central station serving the Pilkington Watson Street site with fuel.
Correspondingly, the section from St. Helens Central (formerly St. Helens Shaw Street) to St. Helens Junction has also been discontinued plus a substantial amount of track and signalling lifted past Sutton Oak junction - particularly the point junction just west of St. Helens Junction station, where it formerly joined the Liverpool - Manchester main line.
Read more about this topic: Liverpool To Wigan Line
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