The station opened as Farnworth for Widnes on 1 August 1873 when the Cheshire Lines Committee opened the line between Glazebrook and Cressington & Grassendale to passengers.[a][3][4]Farnworth being at the time a village over 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Widnes, but has since been absorbed to become a northern suburb of the town.[5]
The station is located where the line is bridged by Birchfield Road, now the B5419. The main station building is of the "common twin-pavilion type adopted by the CLC" with a larger, two-storey, projecting pavilion forming a house and a smaller single-storey one. Linking them is an entrance hall, ticket office and three-bay iron-arcaded waiting shelter. The building is decorated with elaborately fretted bargeboards. The station was equipped with a carved stone drinking fountain.[6] Opposite the main building was a matching waiting shelter, this was replaced sometime after 1961 with a steel and glass type shelter.[7]
Disused and weather-worn fountain at Widnes station
It had two platforms, both accessed by steps down from the road overbridge[b] on either side of two running lines, the platforms had sidings at their back the one to the north was equipped with a cattle pen.[9] There was a goods yard and shed to the north of the lines and west of the station.[10][11] The goods yard was able to accommodate most types of goods, it was equipped with a five-ton crane.[12]
In about 1914/15 the station was renamed Farnworth for Appleton and then Farnworth (Widnes) around 1938/39.[3] The station was renamed Widnes North on 5 January 1959 , the former LN&WR station becoming Widnes South at this time and finally Widnes on 6 May 1968 after Widnes Central and Widnes South had closed.[3][13]
The station closed to goods traffic on 6 July 1964 and the goods yard demolished.[14][15]
"Homeward Bound" by Paul Simon
Plaque
Widnes railway station is generally believed to be where Paul Simon composed the song "Homeward Bound",[16] although some think it more likely that it was Ditton railway station, in order to get to London by train. Simon is quoted as saying "[i]f you'd ever seen Widnes, then you'd know why I was keen to get back to London as quickly as possible."[17] However, rather than actually being 'homeward bound' (Simon temporarily lived in London at the time), he was on tour and had just performed at local DJ Geoff Speed's Howff Folk Club and was reportedly dropped off at Widnes station by him.[18][19] Simon was not headed for London but for Humberside and Widnes station would have been the logical choice of station to travel there.[20]
Facilities
A footbridge now connects the two platforms. The station is staffed, but only until early afternoon. There is a car park outside. The station was refurbished in 2009 and as of 2010 houses a station shop and a beauty parlour, though there are still no toilet or waiting facilities for passengers other than the already existent shelter on the Manchester-bound platform. The platforms and footbridge have recently been refurbished. A ticket machine has been installed on both platforms. Digital display screens and automated announcements provide train running information.
The ticket office is staffed on a part-time basis between the hours of 07:00 and 14:25 Mon-Sat. Step free access is available to both platforms.[21]
Services
There is an hourly local service (operated by Northern Trains) in each direction calling here, running eastbound to Warrington Central and west to Liverpool Lime Street. This stops at most stations en-route to Liverpool and at Warrington West before terminating at Warrington Central. A small number of peak and late evening trains between Liverpool and Manchester Oxford Road also stop here. On Sundays, the service is hourly to Liverpool and Manchester Oxford Road.
^GB eNRT May 2023 Edition, Table 86 (Network Rail)
Bibliography
Biddle, Gordon (2003). Britain's Historic Railway Buildings: An Oxford Gazeteer of Structures and Sites. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN9780198662471.
The Railway Clearing House (1970) [1904]. The Railway Clearing House Handbook of Railway Stations 1904 (1970 D&C Reprint ed.). Newton Abbot: David & Charles Reprints. ISBN0-7153-5120-6.
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