Transport in Warrington
There are various modes of transport available in Warrington.
Rail
The town has two main railway stations, Bank Quay on the London to Glasgow and Chester – Warrington – Newton-le-Willows – Manchester lines, and Central on the Liverpool – Widnes – Manchester line and the Transpennine route. Bank Quay is much altered, but Central (built 1873) is of some architectural merit, featuring polychromatic brickwork. However, both main railway stations have suffered from years of under investment. A new entrance and concourse has been built at Bank Quay, and similar work started in July 2010 at Central station. There are also stations in the suburbs at Padgate, Sankey and Birchwood.
Routes through Bank Quay
Warrington Bank Quay (WBQ), to the south-west of Warrington's Town Centre, is between Crewe and Preston on the West Coast Main Line from London Euston and Birmingham New Street to Glasgow and Edinburgh, with services operated by Virgin Trains. There are also regional trains to Chester and North Wales and to Liverpool and Ellesmere Port. Arpley and Walton Sidings nearby are a major rail freight interchange, and connect the main line to the freight line to Fiddlers Ferry Power Station, crossing the main line under Bank Quay station, where there were once low level platforms.
Routes through Central
Central station has local services to Liverpool and Manchester and express services from Liverpool to Manchester then to Yorkshire or East Anglia.
The trains departing Central serve the urban-rural fringe of Warrington and Manchester, serving Birchwood, Padgate, Irlam etc. before heading into Manchester. To the west, trains serve Sankey-for-Penketh before heading into Merseyside and Liverpool. Beyond Manchester, the hourly TransPennine Express Trains serve Yorkshire before terminating at Scarborough, while the hourly East Midlands Trains serve Manchester and then head to Nottingham and East Anglia.
The station has an average daytime frequency of four trains per hour (two local trains operated by Northern Rail, one fast train to Norwich (East Midland Trains) and one fast train to Scarborough operated by TransPennine Express).
In the case of First TPX, the trains operate Warrington, Birchwood then to Oxford Road.
In the case of Northern Rail, trains operate a local stopping service to Manchester Oxford Road.
History
The first railway to reach Warrington was the Warrington and Newton Railway in 1831, which connected to the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. Later, the Grand Junction Railway provided a connection to Birmingham and thence to London.
By 1900 the local rail network was complete, with the London and North Western Railway having 3 routes
- North to South (Carlisle-Preston-Warrington Bank Quay-Crewe-London)
- East to West (Manchester-Warrington Bank Quay (low level)-Ditton Junction-Liverpool
- Warrington Bank Quay to Chester and North Wales
and the Cheshire Lines Committee having one route from Liverpool Central via Warrington Central to Manchester Central. There was also a line avoiding Warrington Central (closed in 1968).
The Warrington Bank Quay low level route was closed to regular passenger traffic in 1962. Freight services continue on the Ditton Junction-Warrington section but the line east towards Manchester has been closed and converted into the Trans-Pennine Trail.
Former stations in the Warrington area include
- closed 1949 – Sankey Bridges
- 1950 – Fidler's Ferry and Penketh
- 1954 – Warrington Arpley
- 1962 – Heatley and Warburton, Lymm, Latchford, Thelwall
Buses
The town and its districts are fairly well served by bus services. Warrington Borough Transport are the main provider of services, operating 78% of day time bus routes. Arriva, First, Bennetts of Warrington and Warrington Coachways, Halton Transport. National Express also operate their long-distance services through Warrington. All services that serve Warrington depart from and arrive at the new bus station (known as Warrington Interchange). However services can be caught from various points around the town centre, principally Rylands Street (for South and Eastbound routes), Academy Way (Inbound and Eastbound routes), Warrington Central for Northbound services, Sankey Street for Westbound, Eastbound and Southbound buses.
Routes
Notes
- First buses are those leaving either Wilderspool Depot (in the case of Warrington Borough Transport) or the Town Centre, to start the full route.
- Last buses are those leaving the outer terminus on linear routes, or arriving into Warrington on circulars; some last buses terminate elsewhere in the town centre, e.g. Garven Place.
- Asterisked times show first/last bus operating full route, beyond this there may be a partial operation, terminating before the normal terminus.
- A red background in the route number column denotes routes normally operated by Warrington Borough Transport
- A teal background in the route number column denotes routes normally operated by Arriva North-West & Wales
- A golden background in the route number column denotes routes operated by Fairbrothers
- A green background in the route number column denotes routes operated by Link Network
- A purple background in the route number column denotes routes operated by Halton Borough Transport
- A grey background in the route number column denotes routes operated by First Manchester
Daytime route table [1][2][3][4][5][6]
Route Number | Route Summary | Direction | Mon - Sat Frequency | Sunday Frequency | Route |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | Warrington - Westy Circular Warrington - Westy Circular | Southbound Eastbound | 30 mins 30 mins | 60 mins 60 mins | Warrington, Knutsford Road, Latchford, Westy, Manchester Road, Warrington Warrington, Manchester Rd, Westy, Latchford, Knutsford Road, Warrington |
| Warrington - Westy | Eastbound | 15 mins | No service | Warrington, Knutsford Road, Latchford, Westy |
| Warrington - Martinscroft | Eastbound | 30 mins | 30 mins | Warrington, Paddington, Woolston, Manchester Road, Martinscroft |
| Warrington - Woolston | Eastbound | 30 mins | No service | Warrington, Paddington, Woolston |
35 | Warrington - Altrincham | Southbound | 60 mins 60 mins | 60 mins No service | Warrington, Stockton Heath, Grappenhall, Thelwall, Statham, Lymm, Warburton, Dunham, (Partington - infrequently), Altrincham Serves Broomedge and Agden instead of Warburton and Dunham |
6C | Warrington - Thelwall Circular Warrington - Cobbs Estate | Southbound | 30 mins Infrequent | No service 60 mins | Warrington, Stockton Heath, Cobbs Estate, Grappenhall, Thelwall Warrington, Stockton Heath, Cobbs Estate |
| Warrington - Liverpool | Westbound | 30 mins | 60 mins | Warrington, Penketh, Cronton, Huyton, Broadgreen, Edge Hill, Liverpool |
8 8A 9 | Warrington - Appleton Thorn - (Stretton - infrequently) Warrington - Appleton Thorn - (Hatton - peak only) Warrington - Hatton Warrington - Hatton | Southbound | 120 mins
Peak only |
No service No service No service No service | Warrington, Stockton Heath, Cobbs Estate, Dudlow's Green, Appleton Thorn, (Stretton - infrequently) Stockton Heath, Cobbs Estate, Appleton Thorn, (Stretton - infrequently), (Hatton - infrequently) Serves Bridgewater High instead of Cobbs Estate Serves Owens Corner instead of Cobbs Estate and Appleton Thorn |
| Warrington - Edgewater Park | Eastbound | 30 mins | No service | Warrington, Farrell Street, Westy, Edgewater Park |
11A 12 | Warrington - Lower Walton Circular | Southbound | 30 mins Afternoon only 30 mins | No service | Warrington, Knutsford Road, Latchford, Westy, Loushers Lane, Gainsborough Road, Lower Walton, Centre Park, Warrington Serves Wilderspool Causeway instead of Gainsborough Road and Lower Walton Centre Park, Lower Walton, Gainsborough Road, Loushers Lane, Latchford, Westy, Knutsford Road, Warrington |
| Warrington - Whittle Hall | Westbound | 30 mins | No service | Warrington, Chapelford, Whittle Hall |
15 15A | Warrington - Sankey Circular | Westbound | 30 mins 30 mins No service |
No service
No service 60 mins |
Warrington, Hood Manor, Sankey Station, Lingley Green, Meeting Lane, Penketh Lane Ends, Warrington Warrington, Penketh Lane Ends, Meeting Lane, Lingley Green, Sankey Station, Hood Manor, Warrington Warrington, Hood Manor, Meeting Lane, Lingley Green, Sankey Station, Hood Manor, Warrington |
16A | Warrington - Dallam | Westbound | 30 mins 30 mins | 30 mins (16/20A/21A) No service | Warrington, General Hospital, Folly Lane, Dallam Serves Troutbeck Avenue |
| Warrington - Dallam | Westbound | 30 mins | No service | Warrington, General Hospital, Folly Lane, Dallam |
17C | Callands - Warrington - Birchwood | East/westbound | 30 minutes Infrequent Infrequent | 60 mins No service No service | Warrington, Gemini, Callands, Westbrook, Old Hall, Warrington, Paddington, Fearnhead, Birchwood, Oakwood Also serves Birchwood Park Also serves Birchwood Park |
| Warrington - Callands | Westbound | 30 mins | See 17 | Warrington, Old Hall, Westbrook, Callands |
| Warrington - Leigh | Northbound | 60 mins | 60 mins | Warrington, Winwick, Croft, Culcheth, Glazebury, Leigh |
20A 21 21A | Warrington - Orford Circular Warrington - Orford Circular Warrington - Longford Circular Warrington - Longford Circular | Northbound | 12 mins Early morning only 12 mins Early morning only | 60 mins 60 mins 60 mins 60 mins | Warrington, Winwick Rd, Longford, Orford, Warrington Also serves Warrington Hospital and Dallam Warrington, Orford, Longford, Winwick Road, Warrington Also serves Dallam and Warrington Hospital |
| Warrington - Longford Circular | Northbound | 30 mins | No service | Warrington, Orford, Longford, Winwick Road, Warrington |
| Warrington - Vulcan | Northbound | 60 mins | 60 mins Terminates at Earlestown | Warrington, Winwick, Newton-le-Willows, Earlestown, Vulcan |
23A | Warrington - Cinnamon Brow Warrington - Orange Grove | Eastbound | 60 mins 60 mins | See 26/27 | Warrington, Paddington, Fearnhead, Cinnamon Brow Also serves Orange Grove |
25A | Warrington - Gorse Covert Warrington - Cinnamon Brow | Eastbound | 30 mins 2 early morning journeys | See 26/27 | Warrington, Orford, Cinnamon Brow, Birchwood, Oakwood, Gorse Covert Terminates at Cinnamon Brow |
| Warrington - Ryfields Village | Eastbound | Infrequently | No service | Warrington, Ryfields Village |
27 | Warrington - Gorse Covert | Eastbound | No service No service | 120 mins 120 mins | Warrington, Orford, Cinnamon Brow, Birchwood, Oakwood, Gorse Covert Serves Fearnhead instead of Cinnamon Brow |
28A | Warrington - Leigh | Eastbound | 60 mins Peak-only | No service 60 mins | Warrington, Paddington, Padgate, Longbarn, Birchwood, Locking Stumps, Risley, Culcheth, Glazebury, Leigh Omits Birchwood |
30B | Warrington - Penketh Circular | Westbound | See 32A Infrequent | 60 mins No service | Warrington, Liverpool Road, Penketh Lane Ends, Meeting Lane Also serves Sankey Station and Lingley Green |
| Warrington - Penketh Circular | Westbound | 30 mins | See 30 | Warrington, Liverpool Road, Penketh Lane Ends, Meeting Lane, Tannery Lane |
40 40B 41 41A 42 42A | School services to Lymm High | Eastbound | Infrequent | No service | Grappenhall, Lymm High School Stretton, Stockton Heath, Grappenhall, Lymm High School Martinscroft, Hollins Green, Latchford Locks, Lymm High School Walton, Grappenhall, Lymm High School Stanton Road, Lymm High School Grappenhall Heys, Appleton Thorn, Grappenhall, Lymm High School Warrington, Knutsford Road, Lymm High School |
| School service to Little Bollington | Southbound | Infrequent | No service | Partington, Lymm, Little Bollington |
| Warrington - Northwich | Southbound | 120 minutes | No service | Warrington, Stockton Heath, Owens Corner, Stretton, (Antrobus - infrequently), Comberbach, Budworth, Wincham, Lostock Gralam, Marston, Northwich |
| Warrington - Northwich | Southbound | 120 mins | No service | Warrington, Stockton Heath, Owens Corner, Stretton, Antrobus, Comberbach, Anderton, Barnton, Northwich |
| Warrington - High Legh | Southbound | Infrequent | No service | Warrington, Latchford, Grappenhall, Lymm, Broomedge, High Legh |
62A | Warrington - Widnes | Southbound | 30 mins Peak only | No service No service | Warrington, Walton, Moore, Murdishaw, Halton Lea, Runcorn, Widnes (often continuing to Halebank as service 2) Also serves Daresbury Science and Technology Park |
| Warrington - Manchester | Eastbound | 60 mins | Hourly | Warrington, Martinscroft, Hollins Green, Partington, Cadishead, Trafford Centre, Eccles, Salford, Manchester Shudehill |
| Warrington - Murdishaw | Westbound | 20 mins | 30 mins | Warrington, Penketh, Widnes, Runcorn, Halton Lea, Murdishaw, (Whitehouse - peak only), (Windmill Hill - Sun only) |
| Warrington - Widnes | Westbound | 2 per hour | No service | Warrington, Penketh, Widnes |
| Warrington - Saint Helens | Northbound Southbound | 30 mins | No service | Warrington, Winwick, Burtonwood, Collins Green, Parr, Saint Helens |
| Warrington - Wigan | Northbound | 30 mins | No service | Warrington, Winwick, Newton-le-Willows, Golborne, Wigan |
| Warrington - Chester | Southbound | 60 mins | No service | Warrington, Walton, Daresbury, Halton Lea, Frodsham, Helsby, Chester |
Evening route table [7][8]
Route Number | Route Summary | Direction | Mon - Sat Evening Frequency | Route |
---|---|---|---|---|
| Warrington - Westy Circular | Southbound | 60 mins | Warrington, Knutsford Road, Latchford, Westy |
| Warrington - Martinscroft | Eastbound | 60 mins | Warrington, Paddington, Woolston, Manchester Road, Martinscroft |
| Warrington - Lymm | Southbound | 120 mins | Warrington, Stockton Heath, Cobbs Estate, Grappenhall, Thelwall, Statham, Lymm |
| Warrington - Liverpool | Westbound | 60 mins | Warrington, Penketh, Cronton, Huyton, Broadgreen, Edge Hill, Liverpool |
| Warrington - Appleton Thorn | Southbound | 120 mins | Warrington, Stockton Heath, Cobbs Estate, Appleton Thorn |
| Warrington - Sankey Circular | Westbound | 60 mins | Warrington, Hood Manor, Meeting Lane, Lingley Green, Sankey Station, Hood Manor, Warrington |
| Warrington - Dallam | Westbound | 60 mins | Warrington, General Hospital, Folly Lane, Dallam |
| Warrington - Callands | Westbound | 60 mins | Warrington, Old Hall, Westbrook, Callands |
| Warrington - Longford Circular | Northbound | 60 mins | Warrington, Orford, Longford |
24E | Warrington - Earlestown | Northbound | 120 mins 120 mins | Warrington, Winwick, Newton-le-Willows, Earlestown Warrington, Winwick, Burtonwood, Collins Green, Earlestown |
27E | Warrington - Cinnamon Brow | Eastbound | 60 mins 60 mins | Warrington, Winwick Road, Longford, Orford, Cinnamon Brow Warrington, Orford, Padgate, Cinnamon Brow |
| Warrington - Leigh | Eastbound | 60 mins | Warrington, Paddington, Padgate, Longbarn, Locking Stumps, Birchwood, Gorse Covert, Risley, Culcheth, Glazebury, Leigh |
| Warrington - Penketh Circular | Westbound | 60 mins | Warrington, Liverpool Road, Penketh Lane Ends, Meeting Lane |
Roads
There are three key motorways serving the town and surrounding areas. The town is located roughly halfway between Liverpool and Manchester.
The M6 has four junctions in Warrington. Junction 20 serves the rural south-eastern outskirts of Warrington (i.e. Lymm, Grappenhall, Appleton Thorn and Hatton), it also acts as the "Lymm Interchange" for the M56. Junction 21 serves Woolston, Padgate, Birchwood and the town centre. Junction 21A is the "Croft Interchange" for the M62. Finally, junction 22 serves the north-eastern rural suburbs (i.e. Kenyon, Croft, and Culcheth). To the North, the next exit is for Haydock, to the south the next exit is for Macclesfield, Knutsford and Northwich.
The M62 also has four junctions serving Warrington. Junction 11 serves the Eastern suburbs (Birchwood, Risley, and Culcheth). Junction 10 is known as the "Croft Interchange" and links to the M6. Junction 9 serves the town centre, and inner city areas (Orford, Winwick, and Longford). Finally, junction 8 serves the western suburbs (Westbrook, Sankey and Callands). To the west, the next junction serves St. Helens, Prescot, and Widnes. Towards the east, the next junction is known as the "Eccles Interchange", linking the M60.
The third motorway skirts the south-east of Warrington, the M56 interchanges with the M6 at junction 9. Junction 10 serves the very rural outskirts of Warrington (Stretton and Hatton).
There are several A-roads serving Warrington:
- A49 (Ross-on-Wye-Preston)
- A56 (Chester-Skipton)
- A57 (Liverpool-Lincoln)
- A562 (Liverpool-Sankey)
- A572 (St. Helens-Swinton)
- A574 (Sankey-Leigh)
- A579(Winwick-Ainsworth)
- A5088
- A6144
River
The River Mersey runs through the heart of the town dividing it into two. There are only two main thoroughfares crossing the Mersey in Warrington: at Bridgefoot and at the Kingsway Bridge. Another crossing is planned from Lower Walton to Arpley.
Canals
Warrington is also divided by the Manchester Ship Canal but there are three swing bridges and a high-level cantilever bridge providing crossing points, and another high-level crossing is planned between Warrington and Runcorn.
The picturesque Bridgewater Canal runs through the Borough from the scenic village of Lymm to Walton Lea Gardens, a local park/leisure area.
The first modern canal is also located in Warrington. The Sankey Canal starts at Spike Island in Widnes, going through Sankey Valley Park past Bewsey Old Hall & Gullivers World theme park, on through Earlestown and ending at the old Safeway store (now Tesco) in St. Helens.
Air
Although, Warrington itself does not have an airport, it is within half an hour (by road) of two international airports : Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Manchester Airport, each with a mix of various international, European, domestic and regional flights. You can reach Manchester Airport by train (via Piccadilly Station in Manchester).
At one point Warrington was home to a world-famous military airfield used intensively during World War Two at Burtonwood. Now the runway is part of the M62 and the area has now been transformed into Gemini business park. When driving down the M62 one can still see some of the old aircraft hangars that are now home to various businesses.
Cycling
Warrington is home to the Warrington Cycle Campaign, a cycling advocacy group that has received international attention with its 'Cycle facility of the month' feature.
External links
- Network Warrington
- Arriva
- Fairbrothers of Warrington
- Halton Transport
- First Group
- Warrington Metro Map
- National Rail
- RAF Burtonwood Association
- Sankey Canal Restoration Society (SCARS)