Sutton Oak railway station

Sutton Oak railway station served the southern area of St Helens, England. The station was on the central section^[2][3] of the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway which was later absorbed by the London and North Western Railway.^[4]

Sutton Oak
General information
Location	The Sutton area of St Helens, St Helens England
Coordinates	53.439589°N 2.709201°W / 53.439589; -2.709201
Grid reference	SJ529938
Platforms	2[1]
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway
Pre-grouping	London and North Western Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
1852	Station opened as "Sutton"
1 November 1864	Renamed "Sutton Oak"
18 June 1951 (1951-06-18)	Station closed
Location

St Helens & Runcorn Gap Railway
Legend
Liverpool & Bury Railway Rainford Junction Skelmersdale branch Liverpool & Bury Railway Rainford Village Rookery Old Mill Lane Crank Halt Moss Bank Pilkington Gerards Bridge Liverpool–Wigan line to Wigan North Western St Helens Central (original GCR station) St Helens Central Liverpool, St Helens & South Lancashire Railway Liverpool–Wigan line to Liverpool Lime Street Peasley Cross Hays Chemicals Sutton Oak Liverpool & Manchester Railway to Manchester Victoria Robins Lane Halt St Helens Junction Liverpool & Manchester Railway to Liverpool Lime Street Clock Face Union Bank Farm Halt Farnworth & Bold Appleton Ann Street Halt Warrington and Stockport Railway Vladivar Vodka distillery Warrington Arpley Chester–Warrington line to Chester Warrington Bank Quay High Level│Low Level West Coast Main Line Whitecross Sankey Bridges Fidlers Ferry & Penketh Fiddlers Ferry power station Cuerdley Widnes loop to Sankey Tanhouse Lane Widnes Central Cheshire Lines Committee (Liverpool–Manchester) Hough Green Widnes South Runcorn Gap (second) Runcorn Gap (first) swing bridge Widnes Dock Ditton Mill Weaver Junction–Liverpool line to Weaver Junction & Euston Runcorn Bridge Ditton Junction Halebank Speke 1864 extension to Liverpool Church Road Garston Garston Container terminal Garston Dock Garston and Liverpool Railway to Hunts Cross Hunts Cross chord Liverpool South Parkway to Liverpool Central West Allerton Mossley Hill Sefton Park Wavertree Liverpool & Manchester Railway Edge Hill Liverpool Lime Street
This diagram: view talk edit

History

The station first appeared on public timetables in 1852^[5] and closed completely on 18 June 1951, when passenger trains were withdrawn between Widnes and St Helens.^[6][7]

Services

Two services called at Sutton Oak:

St Helens Central to Ditton Junction via Widnes South - The Ditton Dodger

and

St Helens to St Helens Junction, often continuing to Warrington Bank Quay

In 1922 nine "Down" (northbound) Ditton Junction trains a day called at Sutton Oak, 'One class only' (i.e. 3rd Class) and 'Week Days Only' (i.e. not Sundays). The "Up" service was similar. Some of these travelled beyond Ditton Junction to Runcorn or Liverpool Lime Street.^[8]

In 1951 the Ditton Junction service was sparser but more complex. Six trains called in each direction, Monday to Friday, the early morning ones providing both 1st and 3rd Class accommodation. On Saturdays four trains called in each direction, 3rd Class only. No trains called on Sundays.^[9]

In 1922 no fewer than twentyone St Helens Junction trains called in each direction, Monday to Saturday, with three on Sundays.^[10]

This level of service was maintained or even increased into the 1930s, but was cut back during WW2. After the war the St Helens Junction services were restored to earlier levels. For example, in the early 1960s there were thirty-three trains in each direction. From 1951, however, these trains passed the closed Sutton Oak.

Intensive though this service was, it was listed in The Beeching Report for withdrawal and it ended on 14 June 1965.^[11]

Preceding station		Disused railways		Following station
Peasley Cross Line and station closed		London and North Western Railway St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway		Clock Face Line and station closed
		London and North Western Railway		Robins Lane Halt Line and station closed