West Coast Main Line Trains at Runcorn on May 15th 2025

1st visit to Runcorn on West Coast Main Line (Liverpool Branch) featuring services from Avanti West Coast, London Northwestern Railway, Transport For Wales and a few freighters plus a new Class 730/2 Aventra on Test Run that morning from Crewe C.S.

Runcorn station was opened on April 1st 1869 which serves the industrial town of Runcorn, Cheshire

The station is situated close to the nearby Runcorn Railway Bridge which the line crosses over the River Mersey and Manchester Ship Canal with the bridge originally designed by William Baker and opened a year earlier in 1868.

Alongside the Up Platform 2 is a single line used by Freightliner to nearby Runcorn Folly Lane.

Runcorn has 2 stations with the other being Runcorn East on the Chester to Warrington Line which joins up with the West Coast Main Line at Warrington Bank Quay.

Electrification of the West Coast Main Line reached Runcorn and beyond to Liverpool Lime Street in 1962

Today services that serve here include Avanti West Coast which the station is managed by that operate to and from London Euston with services shared by both Class 390 Pendolinos and also Class 807 Everos.

The Class 807 Everos entered service in November 2024 which also operate services to and from Birmingham New Street and since filming operate service to and from Blackpool North and were built by Hitachi at Newton Aycliffe, Durham.

London Northwestern Railway provide half hourly services to and from Birmingham New Street via Wolverhampton which presently served by Class 350 Desiros although in the future some workings will be operated by new 5 car Class 730/2 Aventras which at the time were undergoing testing.

The first Class 730/2 would enter service a few weeks after filming on June 9th although its not expected that all 36 sets will be in service until early 2026.

The faster Birmingham - Liverpool service runs non stop between Crewe and Runcorn whilst the slower service calls at all stations such as Acton Bridge, Hartford and Winsford after the Liverpool branch joins the WCML at Weaver Junction.

Transport For Wales services run hourly between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester which diverge from the WCML at Halton Curve.

Nowadays services are provided by 2 car sometimes 3 car Class 197s first entered service in 2022 although some occasional morning or evening services do continue beyond Chester towards Wrexham General.

Music used:
JJD - Adventure
Music provided by NCS

Video link:
NoCopyrightSounds
   • JJD - Adventure | Glitch Hop | NCS - Copyr...  

Filmed on Thursday May 15th 2025 on iPhone 15 Pro and edited on iMovie

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#class66 #class197 #class350 #class390 #class730 #class807 #siemensdesiro #siemens #alstom #caf #hitachi #runcorn #westcoastmainline #cheshire #trainspotting #trainspottinguk