Notes: Neston south station was opened as Neston on the 1st October 1866 as part of the GWR and LNWR Joint Railway’s Hooton to Parkgate branch line. Hooton was located on the Joint Companies Birkenhead to Chester line which had opened in 1840. At the time of opening three stations were provided the other two being Hadlow Road and Parkgate.
Neston was situated on the south side of the village of Neston. The station was provided with a substantial brick built building which included a two storey house for the station master. Facilities included a booking office, a waiting room and a lamp room. Only a single track passed through the station so only one platform was provided. The station was also provided with |
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goods facilities including sidings.
Goods facilities were provided to the west of the station on the north side of the line and comprised two sidings one serving a cattle dock. There was a 10 ton crane in the goods yard.
At the time of opening passenger services mostly ran between Hooton and Parkgate with some services continuing on to Birkenhead Monks Ferry.
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On the 19th April 1886 the branch line was extended from Parkgate to West Kirby. From this time the pattern of passenger services at Neston was westbound to West Kirby and eastbound to Hooton with some going forward to Birkenhead Woodside. At this time some long distance passenger services used the connection and excursion traffic used the |
connection at West Kirby onto the Wirral line.
In later years the only significant through service was once a day when one or two coaches ran from New Brighton via Bidston to Hooton and Chester, where it was attached to a London Euston train; this ran until 1939.
One of the major users of the line were scholars travelling from stations along the route to the secondary schools in West Kirby. The line became uneconomical after WW1 with a further reduction in passenger traffic in 1927 when Neston Colliery closed but the line remained open serving a largely agricultural community and also day trippers visiting the sea side towns of Parkgate and West Kirby.
| In 1923 the line became GWR and LMS Joint but things continued as they had done previously. In 1948 the line became part of the British Railways (London Midland Region). In 1950 nine trains operated in each direction on weekdays with four on a Saturday. On 1st July 1950 Neston goods station was renamed Neston South to distinguish it from the towns other station |
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which had opened in 1896, the passenger station was also renamed Neston South on 15th September 1952.
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Like many other lines across the country the Hooton to West Kirby line suffered from increasing road competition in the 1950s and its passenger service was withdrawn on the 17th of September 1956. Neston South closed to passengers on this day. The last service to depart from Neston South was to Hooton having left West Kirby at 21:55. |
In 1961 newly introduced DMUs passed through Neston South station. However they were not for the use of passengers. The line was being used to train drivers in the use of the DMUs.
Neston South station continued to be used for goods until the 7th May 1962. The very last goods train stopped at Neston South so that the train crew could remove any remaining fixtures and fittings that were of value. Early in 1964 the demolition gangs began their work and the line was lifted.
| In 1968 the route of the Hooton - West Kirby Branch was chosen to create Britain's first country park the Wirral Country Park opening in 1973. The park forms the central section of Wirral Way, a 12 miles cycleway and footpath that follows the course of the railway between West Kirby and Hooton; however the site of Neston South station had been developed as part of a |
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housing estate before the Country Park was created so nothing of it remains today.
Tickets from Michael Stewart
To see the other
stations on the Hooton - West Kirby line click on the station
name:West Kirby, Kirby Park, Caldy, Thurstaston, Heswall, Parkgate (2nd), Parkgate (1st), Hadlow Road & Hooton |
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