St Helens & Runcorn Gap Railway
Legend
Liverpool & Bury Railway Rainford Junction Skelmersdale branch Liverpool & Bury Railway Rainford Village Rookery Old Mill Lane Crank Halt Moss Bank Pilkington Gerards Bridge Liverpool–Wigan line to Wigan North Western St Helens Central (original GCR station) St Helens Central Liverpool, St Helens & South Lancashire Railway Liverpool–Wigan line to Liverpool Lime Street Peasley Cross Hays Chemicals Sutton Oak Liverpool & Manchester Railway to Manchester Victoria Robins Lane Halt St Helens Junction Liverpool & Manchester Railway to Liverpool Lime Street Clock Face Union Bank Farm Halt Farnworth & Bold Appleton Ann Street Halt Warrington and Stockport Railway Vladivar Vodka distillery Warrington Arpley Chester–Warrington line to Chester Warrington Bank Quay High Level│Low Level West Coast Main Line Whitecross Sankey Bridges Fidlers Ferry & Penketh Fiddlers Ferry power station Cuerdley Widnes loop to Sankey Tanhouse Lane Widnes Central Cheshire Lines Committee (Liverpool–Manchester) Hough Green Widnes South Runcorn Gap (second) Runcorn Gap (first) swing bridge Widnes Dock Ditton Mill Weaver Junction–Liverpool line to Weaver Junction & Euston Runcorn Bridge Ditton Junction Halebank Speke 1864 extension to Liverpool Church Road Garston Garston Container terminal Garston Dock Garston and Liverpool Railway to Hunts Cross Hunts Cross chord Liverpool South Parkway to Liverpool Central Allerton West Allerton Mossley Hill Sefton Park Wavertree Liverpool & Manchester Railway Edge Hill Liverpool Lime Street
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Rainford Village railway station was on the railway line from St Helens to Rainford Junction,^[1] then Ormskirk, England.^[2]

The station was opened on 1 February 1858 by the St Helens Canal and Railway Company (SHC&R).^[3] The SHC&R was absorbed by the London & North Western Railway (LNWR) on 29 July 1864.^[4] From 1 January 1923 the LNWR became part of the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS). From 1858 until November 1861, the station was named 'Rainford', but it was thought this would cause confusion with Rainford Junction railway station and the word 'Village' was added.^[3]

The station was located immediately north of the level crossing over Crosspit Lane. The main station building for trains to St Helens was on the east side of the twin tracks (furthest from the village centre).^[5] A lightly constructed wooden building on the opposite side of the tracks sufficed for passengers towards Rainford Junction and Ormskirk, next to which was the signalbox which controlled the level crossing gates.

Two small lightly built railway 'halts' were constructed nearby to serve other parts of the Rainford area. Rookery, adjacent to Rookery Lane, existed from 1865 until 18 June 1951. Old Mill Lane, adjacent to Pilkington Brothers sand washery a mile south of the village, opened on 1 October 1911 and closed on 18 June 1951.^[6]

The three stations were served by local steam loco-hauled trains, some originating in Ormskirk, with others starting at Rainford Junction. In July 1922, thirteen LNWR trains left Rainford Village for St Helens (Shaw Street) each weekday, all carrying only third class passengers, first class accommodation not being provided.^[7][8]

By July 1946, the LMS timetable showed ten weekdays passenger trains to St Helens, still described as 'one class only'.^[9]

In 1951 the Up service consisted of five trains on weekdays with three extra on Saturdays, all stations to St Helens. The rolling stock was "Third Class Only". No trains called on Sundays. The Down service was similar.^[10]

British Railways took over the LMSR on 1 January 1948 and withdrew the passenger service on 18 June 1951, closing the station.^[3]

Rainford Brewery was situated a short distance west of the station. It was rail connected between at least 1890 and 1925.^[11]

Victoria Colliery's Nos 3 and 5 pits were connected to the line a short distance north of the station. The colliery went into liquidation in 1891. Around 1900 an engineering firm was established on the colliery site and the siding's connection was renewed in 1905. Over time the engineering works became an oil works, which continued to use rail until August 1961, though cessation was not formally agreed until September 1963.^[12]

Goods trains continued to pass through the village until 6 July 1964 when the line north of Mill Lane was closed and lifted. Much of the railway's route through Rainford has been converted to a 'linear park', with shorter stretches used for housing.

• Awdry, Christopher (1990), Encyclopedia of British Railway Companies, Patrick Stephens Ltd, ISBN 1-85260-049-7
• Blacklock, Henry (1946), Bradshaw's Guide to the British Railways August 1946, Henry Blacklock & Co Ltd
• Bradshaw, George (1985) [July 1922]. Bradshaw's General Railway and Steam Navigation guide for Great Britain and Ireland: A reprint of the July 1922 issue. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-8708-5. OCLC 12500436.
• Butt, R.V.J. (1995), The Directory of Railway Stations, Patrick Stephens Ltd, ISBN 1-85260-508-1
• Pixton, Bob (1996), The Archive Photographs Series Widnes and St Helens Railways, The Chalford Publishing Company, ISBN 0-7524-0751-1
• St John Thomas, David (1985), Bradshaws July 1922 Railway Guide, David & Charles Ltd
• Smith, Paul; Turner, Keith (2012), Railway Atlas Then and Now, Ian Allan Publishing, ISBN 978-0-7110-3695-6
• Townley, C H A; Peden, J A (2002), Industrial Railways of St Helens, Widnes and Warrington, Part 2, Industrial Railway Society, ISBN 1-901556-25-5
• Welbourn, Nigel (2008). Liverpool and the Mersey (Lost Lines). Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-7110-3190-6.

• A detailed history via Disused Stations UK
• The station on an 1888–1913 Overlay OS Map via National Library of Scotland
• The station on an old O.S. Map via npemaps