Neston South railway station was a station on the single track
Hooton to
West Kirby branch of the
Birkenhead Railway
The Birkenhead Railway was a railway company in North West England. It was incorporated as the Birkenhead, Lancashire and Cheshire Junction Railway (BL&CJR) in 1846 to build a line connecting the port of Birkenhead and the city of Chester with ...
, on the
Wirral Peninsula,
Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...
,
England. The station served the town of
Neston.
History
The Birkenhead Railway, owned jointly by the
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...
(GWR) and
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway (LNWR, L&NWR) was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. In the late 19th century, the L&NWR was the largest joint stock company in the United Kingdom.
In 1923, it became a constituent of the Lo ...
(LNWR), opened a branch line from Hooton to
Parkgate on 1 October 1866. This was to serve the
colliery near Neston and the residential area and bathing resort of Parkgate.
The railway was extended to West Kirby in 1886.
From its opening in 1866 until 1952, it was known simply as Neston railway station. Consisting of brick station buildings and two platforms, it was situated half a mile south east of Neston North railway station, which is now named
Neston railway station. A factor which affected Neston South during its existence was being sited some distance away from the town centre. This was due to a dispute between the railway company and the local landowner the
Earl of Shrewsbury.
Closure
Neston South railway station was closed to passengers on 17 September 1956. The track continued to be used for freight transportation and driver training for another six years, closing on 7 May 1962. The tracks were lifted two years later.
The station buildings and platforms have been demolished and the site redeveloped for housing.
Wirral Country Park
The route became the Wirral Way footpath and part of
Wirral Country Park in 1973, which was the first such designated site in Britain.
References
Further reading
*
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Neston South Railway Station
Disused railway stations in Cheshire
Former Birkenhead Railway stations
Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1866
Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1956
1866 establishments in England
Neston