Halton Curve
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The Halton Curve is a railway line in the borough of Halton, Cheshire. It runs from Frodsham Junction (north of Frodsham station) to Halton Junction (south of Runcorn station), providing a link from the North Cheshire Line to the Liverpool branch of the West Coast Main Line.
The line can currently only be used in the Northbound direction. This is because the crossover at the Runcorn end of the curve, which would provide access to the line for Southbound trains, has been removed. Because of this, the line is rarely used. There are occasional freight workings, and one scheduled passenger train service: a Parliamentary train, operated by Northern Rail train which runs on summer Saturdays only, non-stop from Chester to Runcorn. During 2008 the train left Chester at 8.25am and arrived at Runcorn at 8.51 giving a 26 minute journey time. There is no other direct train to the main Runcorn station from Chester (although Runcorn East railway station receives a regular service). Non-direct journeys can often take 2 hours or more.[1]
[edit] Future
In 2004 the Strategic Rail Authority announced that it intended to close the line. The Runcorn area of the West Coast Main Line was due to be resignalled, and the SRA claimed that incorporating the curve into the scheme added a significant extra cost which could not be justified given the scant service. The closure plans have since been postponed.
Other organisations are working to upgrade the line rather than close it. The North Cheshire Rail Users Group campaign for the reintroduction of regular services. [2]
Merseytravel have proposed upgrading the Halton Curve so it can be worked bidirectionally, providing a second rail route between Liverpool and Chester. Other new services could include direct trains from Liverpool Lime Street to Wrexham and Llandudno via Liverpool South Parkway and Runcorn.
In conjunction with the above proposal, Halton Borough Council are investigating the possibility of a new station on the curve, at Beechwood, which would provide convenient interchange with Runcorn's busway network.
On 8 March 2005, the then Transport Minister Tony McNulty announced in Parliament that the resignalling work is currently scheduled for 2010 and the future of the Halton Curve will be "resolved" by then. [3]
Network Rail's draft Route Utilisation Strategy for Wales discusses the future of the line. An hourly service between Liverpool and Chester via Runcorn and Helsby, calling at all stations except Edge Hill could be feasible if the curve was restored to bidirectional operation.[4]. The RUS document recommends that further development work take place.
