Chester Railway Station - Layout

Layout

The station has seven platforms. Platform 1 is a bay platform located at the east end used for London bound Virgin trains and local trains to Crewe. Platform 2 at the western end is another bay platform which is mainly used by trains heading towards Cardiff/Birmingham via Wrexham and Shrewsbury. Platform 3 is a through bi-directional platform and is closest to the concourse; it is most commonly used for North Wales bound services and is split into sections 3a and 3b although on occasions a London bound train will use it.

Over the bridge - or by way of lifts - is the island platform. Opposite Platform 3 is Platform 4, another through bi-directional platform although mainly used for London bound services. Some Cardiff/Birmingham bound services also reverse here to access the Wrexham line having arrived from Holyhead. There are two east facing bays (Platforms 5 and 6, for the Mid-Cheshire line) operated by Northern Rail. Platform 7 is an additional through platform, the only one with third-rail electrification; it is split into 'a' (eastern) and 'b' (western) sections and thus capable of accommodating two trains at once. Platform 7b is used solely for Merseyrail Electrics services, and Platform 7a is used either for terminating trains from Manchester via Warrington or to accommodate a second Merseyrail Electrics train.

• The east end of Chester General Station on a Summer Saturday in 1962

• Distance board found in some disrepair on a station wall

• Carved wooden owl above Platform 4 at Chester Railway station

• Platform 1, used by trains to Euston starting from Chester and for services to Crewe