Wrexham General Railway Station - Layout

Layout

Wrexham General comprises six platforms. Two bay platforms at the southern end of Platform 1 have recently been refurbished after decades of disuse. These were used for trains to Barmouth via the Ruabon Barmouth line until the 1960s. They are now used for Wrexham and Shropshire services to London and overnight stabling of trains. Platforms 1 and 2 are on the main Chester to Shrewsbury line, platform 3 being on an island platform opposite 2; and platform 4, until the mid-1980s a separate former Great Central Railway station named Wrexham Exchange, was on the ex-Ellesmere to Bidston line, now the Wrexham to Bidston Borderlands Line. Platform 5, once opposite and on the same route as platform 4, became disused when the line was singled, however in 2008 it has been re-surfaced and is now a private parking space.

• Platform 1 can accommodate a 10 car train, and is used for long distance southbound intercity passenger services to Shrewsbury, and onwards to Birmingham International (via Telford Central) or Cardiff Central, operated by Arriva Trains Wales, and for services terminating at Wrexham from Chester and London Euston. Due to signalling constraints, trains cannot depart to the north.
• Platform 2 can accommodate a 10 car train, and is used for regular northbound passenger inter city and regional services to Chester and services onwards to the North Wales Coast line to Holyhead and for services to Manchester Piccadilly via Chester and Runcorn, operated by Arriva Trains Wales. Inter city Services to London Euston (via Chester and Crewe) are also provided on this platform by Virgin Trains. Due to signalling constraints, trains cannot depart to the south.
• Platform 3 can accommodate a 7 car train, and was used for regular passenger services to London Marylebone via Shrewsbury, Telford Central and Tame Bridge, operated by Wrexham & Shropshire. This platform is now used by a small number of Borderlands Line passenger services (usually the first northbound and last southbound train each day), for services terminating at Wrexham from Shrewsbury and for freight services changing between the Shrewsbury-Chester line and the Borderlands line. This platform is signalled bidirectionally, so trains can depart either south towards Shrewsbury or north towards Bidston, although no services from Shrewsbury currently depart on the Borderlands line and vice versa. In practice this platform is used for trains terminating from either direction.
• Platform 4 is located outside the main station canopy and is used for regular branch line passenger services northbound to Bidston, and to Wrexham Central in the opposite direction, operated by Arriva Trains Wales. This platform is signalled bidirectionally, so trains can depart either south towards Wrexham Central or north towards Bidston.
• Platforms 5 and 6 are south facing bay platforms located at the end on platform 1. These are now only used when Platform 3 is unavailable to accommodate south bound trains starting/terminating at Wrexham.

Merseytravel are currently in negotiations with network rail and a number of other companies to upgrade the Halton Curve, a section of the Liverpool branch of the West Coast Mainline which connects to Chester, in order to start direct services to Liverpool Lime Street via Chester and Runcorn.