Cressington Station

Story

Cressington railway station serves the Grassendale district of Liverpool, England. It is situated on the Southport-Hunts Cross route of the Northern Line of the Merseyrail suburban system. The station takes its name not from a district in Liverpool, but the nearby Cressington Park.HistoryThe station, originally called Cressington & Grassendale, opened in 1864 as part of the Garston and Liverpool Railway line between Brunswick and Garston Dock. In 1865 the station and line were incorporated into the Cheshire Lines Committee.The station closed in 1972 but reopened in 1978 as part of the Kirkby-Garston line of the Merseyrail system. Services were extended from Garston to Hunts Cross in 1983, and diverted to Southport instead of Kirkby in 1984.From 11 December 2006 the Monday-Saturday evening service was increased to run every 15 minutes, instead of half-hourly as previously.The station is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building, and has a traditional façade. As part of the Merseyrail upgrade, the platforms were lengthened to accommodate 6-car trains. This proved problematic, as the station is situated between two bridges in a narrow cutting. Special dispensation was given by the Railway Inspectorate to build the platforms narrower than the 6ft width which would normally be required.