St Helens Southern Gateway

St Helens Borough Council is working with Merseytravel and Northern Rail to improve Lea Green rail station and access to it. Since 2018, more services stop at the station and offer more opportunities to travel across the UK.

The St Helens Southern Gateway project includes:

• Providing a new station building with better passenger facilities
• Increasing the capacity for park and ride at the station
• Creating safer routes for walking and cycling to the station, with routes on Clock Face Road, Chester Lane, Eaves Lane, New Street, Marshalls Cross Road, Sutton Park, Sherdley Park, Elton Head Road and Lea Green Road
• Making changes to the Bull & Dog junction to make it easier to use on foot and by cycle

Following a consultation in February 2021, the Council and Merseytravel have secured £14.8 million from the Liverpool City Region's Transforming Cities Fund for delivery of these measures. Results from the consultation survey are attached below. 

An animated film of the proposals for the rail station and surrounding area can be viewed below.

The scheme complements proposals as part of the Bold Active Travel Scheme which would extend the proposed route along Clock Face Lane to the borough boundary with Warrington.

Car park closure

With work underway on an extension to surface car parking facilities, the existing oversubscribed car park closed on 21 August 2022 to accommodate the construction of a modern decked car park, which will increase park and ride capacity to around 450 vehicles.    

As car parking at the station will be significantly reduced for the duration of works, rail customers who normally drive to Lea Green station are being advised to use nearby St Helens Junction station - on the same line - where possible, until the new car park opens in early Spring 2024. Parking spaces will continue to be available for disabled, with drop off and pick up facilities remaining in place. 

Passengers wanting to access Trans Pennine Express services via St Helens Junction should visit the TPE website for more information and availability of services.