An Illustrated History of Old Sutton in St.Helens
Part 17 (of 41) - Sutton Transport Timeline
Researched & Written by S.R.Wainwright ©MMX Contact Me 
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Above a postcard dated 1911 which visitors to St.Helens might send to their family back home. This timeline examines developments in the transport infrastructure which allowed people and goods to get in and out of Sutton and be transported within the town of St.Helens
Sutton Transport Timeline
• 1757 - First stretch of the Sankey Brook Navigation opened
• 1770s - Sankey Brook Navigation reaches north Sutton
• 1828 - Ellen Hughes agreed to sell land at Lea Green so the planned Liverpool to Manchester railway could cross her Sherdley estate.
• 6th October 1829 - First day of the Rainhill Trials held on a two mile stretch of level line between Sutton at Lea Green and Rainhill.
• 15th September 1830 - Liverpool and Manchester line opened at a cost of £739,165. Lea Green station also opened (originally known as 'Kendrick’s Cross' station and briefly 'Sutton')
• 21st February 1833 - St.Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway officially opened
• 1833 - St.Helens Junction station opened
• 1852 - Sutton (St.Helens) station first appeared in timetables
• c.1852 - Clock Face station opened (reduced to halt status from July 1926)
• 1870 - The Times of Sept. 27th mentioned that Sutton (St.Helens) has been redesignated Sutton Oak station
• 1878 - Three groups approach St.Helens Corporation with separate proposals for horse powered tram services
A crash at St.Helens Junction station (undated)
• 24th July 1879 - An Act of Parliament incorporated ‘The Saint Helens and District Tramways Company’ with an authorised capital of £70,000 in £10 shares. The legislation also authorised tramways to Sutton at the corner of Robins Lane and Marshalls Cross Road.
• Mid-November 1881 - Father Sebastian Enrico CP, Rector of the Passionist monastery in Ovada, Italy and resident at St.Annes, was "cut to pieces" by the Manchester express at St.Helens Junction station after crossing the line to catch a train.
• May / June 1882 - After numerous disputes between the tramways company and St.Helens Corporation, a through service from Dentons Green to Peasley Cross terminus at the corner of Sutton Road began (exact date uncertain). However for unknown reasons it ended 32 chains short of the authorised terminus at Robins Lane. The open top double-deckers with a capacity of 36 persons, would travel to Peasley Cross via Church Street returning to St.Helens via Shaw Street, Corporation Street and Cotham Street.
• 16th July 1883 - The Saint Helens & District Tramways Act authorised an extension from the Peasley Cross terminus to St.Helens Junction station via Sutton Road, Worsley Brow, Ellamsbridge Road and Junction Lane although the finance could not be found to construct it. The Act also authorised steam traction but, again, the company could not afford it.
Loco at Sutton Oak Sheds photographed on 14th May, 1939
• February 1887 - The Saint Helens and District Tramways Company were accused of poor management of its services and after commissioning a report, the shareholders sacked the directors at a meeting. It was alleged that crews were often drunk and rude to customers and would routinely let their friends travel for free. Delays in return journeys at termini meant that tram cars would often be left idle for a considerable time while the staff enjoyed themselves in a local pub!
• July 1888 - The Saint Helens and District Tramways Company went into receivership
• 22nd October 1889 - From the ashes of its predecessor, the St.Helens & District Tramways Company Limited was registered.
• 9th December 1891 - Two coal trains collided near St.Helens Junction, causing the engine of one from Lea Green to roll down the embankment. The Times reported it was a "serious" collision and the engine-driver had a "marvellous escape".
• 1894 - Consideration was given to extending the Peasley Cross tram line to St.Helens Junction but, again, nothing happened.
• 1st April 1897 - St.Helens Corporation purchased the tramways for £23,000 but the existing tram company continued as operator.
• October 1897 - St.Helens Corporation decided to electrify, a bold move considering the few existing electrified tramways in the country.
• 12th August 1898 - An Act authorised electrification and yet another proposed extension from Peasley Cross to St.Helens Junction but following a different route.
• 1st October 1898 - The Corporation awarded a 21 year lease to the existing tram operator.
Times advert of 5/12/1898 promoting the New St.Helens & District Tramways Company share issue
• 4th November 1898 - After control of the operating company had changed hands, the new Board decided to form another new company and the New St.Helens & District Tramways Company Limited came into being with a capital of £150,000 in £1 shares.
• 19th September 1900 - After months of work building the extension to St.Helens Junction, public services began although the new terminus was at Peckers Hill Road instead of the actual station (Ellamsbridge Road initially).
• June 1914 - County Carriers began a motor bus service between Sutton Manor and Market Street, St.Helens, the first in the town.
• 1st October 1919 - St.Helens Corporation refused to extend the lease and took over operations of the tramways.
• 4th August 1921 - The St.Helens Corporation Act authorised the operation of motorbuses and trolleybuses.
• Autumn 1921 - Two motorbuses were used on the St.Helens Junction line to maintain the service whilst tram tracks were being re-laid, probably the first use of motorbuses in Sutton. This was some years prior to regular bus services being established.
• 1927 - A new tram terminus was opened at St.Helens Junction station extending the existing Peckers Hill Road terminus, albeit by only 110 yards.
• 21st June 1931 - The long-standing through service from Denton’s Green to St.Helens Junction ended. The Junction tram service from St.Helens town centre costing 2½d, now left from Sefton Place.
• 28th July 1933 - Part IX of the St.Helens Corporation Act formally authorised the abandonment of tramways.
• 1st May 1935 - Trolleybuses replaced trams on the St.Helens Junction route. By the end of the year there were only 8 tramcars still in service in St.Helens, with 36 trolleybuses and 28 motor buses in use.
• 12th October 1936 - Robins Lane Halt rail station opened on the line that connected the Widnes & Runcorn Gap railway with Liverpool & Manchester line.
• 31st December 1936 - The Times announced that a new station was to be built at Marshalls Cross which would replace Lea Green station nearby. only to close in September 1938.
• 26th September 1938 - Robins Lane Halt station closed through lack of passenger traffic.
• September 1939 - The onset of war led to a number of Sutton motor bus services being reduced or withdrawn.
• February 1940 - There was some easing of the service reductions with some buses now run to Sutton Leach and Sutton Manor.
• December 1943 - Motor bus services to Sutton Manor were increased, partly to transport workers to the colliery.
• September 1946 - A new bus service to Sutton Leach was launched.
• February 1947 - Sutton Leach bus services were extended to Clock Face and Bold, bringing frequent daily services to the district for the first time.
• 1950 - The Bold and Gorsey Lane bus routes were linked to Clinkham Wood and the Sutton Heath service was extended to Sutton Manor.
• 1951 Clock Face station closed.
A Class 40 (D354) arrives at St.Helens Junction station
• 18th June 1951 - Sutton Oak Station closed to passenger traffic
• 2nd February 1952 - St.Helens Junction trolleybus service ceased operations with a replacement motorbus service commencing the following day.
• January 1955 - St.Helens Corporation’s fleet was now 100 motorbuses (8 single-deck) and 39 trolleybuses.
• 1958 - St.Anne’s RC Church in Monastery Lane began its own Sunday bus service.
• 25th September 1958 - Lea Green station completely closed - it had closed to passengers on 7th March 1955. A new station was opened in 2000.
• April 1967 - The 22 bus route between Lancots Lane and Eccleston became one of only two routes in St.Helens to begin using one-man vehicles.
• 1981 - The St.Helens & Runcorn Gap Railway was closed as a through route with the sections between Sutton Manor Colliery and St.Helens Junction remaining open until 1986 and the mid-1990s, respectively. The line was cut back to a point just south of the site of Peasley Cross Station, where a siding led into Hays Chemical works.
• September 2000 - A new railway station opened at Lea Green adjacent to Sherdley Park.
• 27th September, 2002 - Trains ceased using the St.Helens & Runcorn Gap line through to Peasley Cross.
To Be Continued - Please contact me if you can add to the transport timeline or spot any errors. Thank you! - Also see the Transport in Sutton page
Sutton Beauty & Heritage's History Pages:
01) Township of Sutton & St.Helens | 02) Lords & Masters
03) Michael Hughes of Sherdley | 04) The Sherdley Estate
05) Sutton's Halls & Houses | 06) Dr. Henry Baker Bates
07) Religion in Sutton | 08) Rev. Henry Vallancey
09) Education in Sutton | 10) Mineworking in Sutton
11) Sutton Manor Colliery #1 | 12) Sutton Manor Colliery #2
13) Clock Face Colliery | 14) Bold Colliery
15) Industry in Sutton Township | 16) Sutton Transport
17) Sutton Transport Timeline | 18) Health & Sanitary Conditions
19) Old Sutton Pubs | 20) Sport in Sutton
21) Sutton Boxers & Wrestlers | 22) Rapid Rise of Sutton Harriers
23) Leisure & Entertainment | 24) Sutton Celebrations
25) Sutton Streetnames | 26) Pudding Bag
27) Notorious & Curious Crime | 28) Sutton Tragedy #1
29) Sutton Tragedy #2 | 30) What's Wrong With Sutton?
31) How Sutton Has Changed | 32) Memories of Sutton Part 1
33) Memories of Sutton Part 2 | 34) Memories of Sutton Part 3
35) Memories of Sutton Part 4 | 36) Memories of Sutton Part 5
37) Memories of Sutton Part 6 | 38) Memories of Sutton Part 7
39) Sutton Trivia & True Facts | 40) Clog Clatters in Old Sutton
41) Research Sources, References & Bibliography
Transport; Sport, Leisure & Entertainment; Sutton Streets;
Sutton Manor Colliery #1; #2; #3; #4; Clock Face Colliery;
Bold Colliery; Sutton Industry;
Sutton Beauty & Heritage strives for factual accuracy at all times. Please do also get in touch if you believe that there are any errors, with details of any corrections contained within the site's update history page, which also details the regular updates. Many individuals from all over the world have kindly contributed Sutton information or photographs. If you would like to participate in this project, I would be delighted to hear from you and this website always credits any assistance given. Do also consider contributing any recollections of old Sutton that you might have for the Sutton Memories pages, which are proving very popular. I respond quickly to all emails and if you haven't received a response within 12 hours, please check your junk mail folder or send your message again. Thank you! SRW
