Notes: Garston station was situated on what became the Cheshire Lines Committee (CLC) main line between Liverpool Central and Manchester Central. The section of line on which Garston Station stood opened from a point just to the west of the station, Cressington Junction to Skelton Junction on 1.8.1873. The CLC had previously had to use the LNWR route through Warrington Arpley to access their terminal facilities at Brunswick in Liverpool from Manchester. Trains using this route had stopped at the nearby station Garston Dock.

With their own direct route the CLC where able to open their own Garston Station. They did so on 1.4.1874. The station was in a cutting and consisted of two platforms giving three platform faces. They had extensive canopies and where linked by a footbridge that in turn linked to a brick built ticket office at street level. The station was served mostly by local trains operating on the main line and after 1879 to points along the CLC North Liverpool Extension Line towards Aintree Central. Located in what became an outer suburb of Liverpool the station was always busy as it was located in a fairly central location for the areas facilities which included a market and a substantial dock facility.

In 1960 the few remaining services to Aintree Central ceased leaving a passenger service on that line that only went as far as Gateacre. In 1966 mainline services on the CLC main line where diverted to run into Liverpool's Lime Street Station. This was achieved by the use of a chord that linked the CLC line to the former LNWR main line just to the east of Garston Station. The only service by this time that continued to service Garston was the Gateacre to Liverpool Central service. This service remained popular until it was discontinued on 17.4.1972 to facilitate the construction of Liverpool's Merseyrail underground network in the city centre. Garston Station closed on this date. Prior to closure the station had been allowed to fall into a poor condition. After closure it became completely derelict. At some point around 1977 the street level building was demolished. The extensive station canopies were also removed.

Garston Station re-opened on the 3.1.1978 as a terminus station for the Merseyrail networks Northern Line extension. This had seen the line as far as Garston electrified with third rail. Only the former Liverpool direction platform was in use. The former Manchester/Aintree direction platform, which had been an island platform remained out of use as did the lines to the east of Garston. A former platform waiting room was converted into booking and waiting facilities. In its newly constituted state Garston once again became very busy. In 1983 the northern line was extended a couple of miles further east to Hunts Cross where connections with the main line where possible. The island platform was brought back into use but with only one platform face. Once again Garston became a through station.

In the late 1990's Merseytravel the local authority transport authority explored the option of creating a South Liverpool Parkway Station. This new facility would serve the former CLC line and the former LNWR main line to London. It was decided to locate the new station just to the east of Garston Station. Its west end platform ramps would be less than 10 metres away from Garston's east end ramps.

In the early part of the 21st Century work was authorised to create South Liverpool Parkway. On 11.6.2006 the new station opened. Garston closed for the second and most likely final time on the 10.6.2006.

For other stations on the Liverpool to Manchester CLC line click on the station name: Liverpool Central, Liverpool St. James, Brunswick, Otterspool, Halewood & Manchester Central.