Widnes train station
Coordinates: 53 ° 22 '43.2 " N , 2 ° 44' 1.5" W.
The station operated by Northern Rail in the town of Widnes in Halton in County Cheshire in the north-west of England is on the Liverpool – Warrington – Manchester line . The station building was entered by English Heritage in Grade II as "Widnes North Railway Station" in the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest .
Buildings
The one-story structure on Victoria Avenue in Farnsworth has an H-shaped floor plan and spans eight bays . It is made of brown bricks , the base is made of sandstone . The roof is slated . The verges are made of wood and have three differently carved ornamental motifs. The protective roof on the platform side is supported by four octagonal columns with arched collars between them. The motifs used for decoration are cross , three-pass and wecke . The windows are slightly Gothic in style and the window sills are made of stone. On the wall on the platform side there is a drinking fountain with a shell-shaped bowl, above which an inscription shows the year of construction.
The station building is a standard Cheshire Lines Committee building . A pedestrian bridge connects the two platforms. In 2009 the station was renewed. In addition to the ticket office, there is a shop and a beauty salon inside. Toilets or waiting options for passengers are only available in the previously existing shed on the platform leading towards Manchester .
history
The station opened in 1873 and was originally named Farnworth. Farnworth was a village north of Widnes at the time, but was later incorporated and is now a northern suburb of the city. The station was later named Widnes North and is now called Widnes because the other stations in town, Widnes Central and Widnes South, were closed in the 1960s.
service
Northern Rail local trains served the station twice an hour in each direction in 2008. They lead east to Manchester Oxford Road and west to Liverpool Lime Street . An hourly express train is offered by East Midlands Trains , which runs via Manchester Piccadilly to Nottingham and East Anglia .
Paul Simons song Homeward Bound
It is believed that while waiting at this train station , Paul Simon was inspired to write his song Homeward Bound while traveling around the UK . A plaque commemorates this claim. It is located in the station building on the side of the platform leading to Liverpool. The song was actually played, however, on the now disused Ditton Junction station . Simon is quoted as saying, "[if] he has ever seen Widnes, he will know why I was inclined to come back to London as soon as possible".
Individual evidence
- ^ Widnes North Railway Station ( English ) In: Images of England . English Heritage . Archived from the original on October 22, 2014. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
- ↑ Widnes North Railway Station ( English ) In: Listed Buildings Online . Heritage Gateway. October 31, 1983. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
- ↑ http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/ ( alphabetical list under "Widnes" )
- ^ Margret Campbell: Just ask Sunday Mail (Glasgow) (English) . December 24, 2006, p. 38.
- ↑ Mike Amos: Paul's fair deal for Scarborough (English) , Northern Echo. June 7, 2006, p. 11.
- ↑ Mike Amos: Backtrack (English) , Northern Echo. November 21, 2008, p. 11. " [i] f you'd ever seen Widnes, then you'd know why I was keen to get back to London as quickly as possible. "
