Hooton Station is located in the village of Hooton and is on the Wirral Line. It has four platforms and is accessible with lifts to all platforms from the booking office and shop on Waterworks Lane.
Trains are frequent and travel to Chester, Ellesmere Port, and Liverpool Central. The fastest journey takes around 25 minutes.
Getting There
There are 89 rail journeys per day between Conway Park and Hooton. The fastest trip takes 33 mins. On average, the journey takes 41 mins. The distance between Conway Park and Hooton is 6 miles (11 kilometres). The journey time depends on the service used.
The station is located in Hooton, a small village south of Wirral on the north side of the Mersey River. It is on the Wirral Line between Chester and Ellesmere Port. It is the junction between two branches of the line – one to Chester and one to Ellesmere Port, and it’s also where the old branch line to Helsby branched off.
On 30 September 1985 the line between Rock Ferry and Hooton was electrified as part of the Wirral Line, and through services started to operate. Prior to this, passengers for Liverpool had to change at Rock Ferry.
Today the station is a busy place serving thousands of commuters and visitors to the Wirral Country Park, which occupies much of the former Platform 7. The old branch line to Helsby now only serves the local community with the service terminating at Ince & Elton instead; this is replaced by a couple of diesel ‘parliamentary’ services between Chester and Ellesmere Port, and is served by platforms 1, 3, 4, and 5. Platforms 2 and 7 remain empty and overgrown, the site of the original Platform 1 having disappeared with re-modelling.
Station Facilities
Hooton station serves the villages of Hooton and Willaston on the Wirral Peninsula and lies on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network with regular trains to Liverpool city centre and Ellesmere Port. The station is well-known amongst military aviation historians because of the role it played in the First World War and its re-use as an aerodrome during the Second.
Its three paired General Service (GS) sheds, colloquially known as Belfast hangars because of their use of Belfast trusses, and ancillary buildings are one of the best-preserved groups of First World War aviation buildings in the country. The sheds and ancillary buildings are numbered according to a plan of the aerodrome dating from 1945 as Building 16 (northern GS shed), Building 17 (central GS shed) and Building 18 (southern GS shed).
Other buildings include a hut, a store and workshops; two MT sheds and ancillary buildings; and the West Kirby branch platforms. A ticket office/convenience shop and toilets are located on the ground floor of the booking hall. An ‘M to Go’ is also located on the platforms. A new footbridge with lifts linking the platform has been installed, making the station wholly ‘disabled friendly’.
The quickest and easiest way to get from Hooton to Liverpool is by train, with services running every 10 minutes throughout the day. JustPark can pre-book parking spaces near the station for a guaranteed hassle-free start and end to your journey – simply book online before you travel and we’ll take care of everything for you.
Parking
Hooton Station is located on the Wirral Line of Merseyrail with trains to Chester, Ellesmere Port and Liverpool. The station is also close to local amenities such as schools and shops. Whether you are looking for parking in a local car park or looking for a space on one of our secure off-street spaces, JustPark offers a wide selection of pre-bookable train station parking options. Book your space online ahead of your trip and start your journey stress-free.
The station has a small waiting room with vending machines, as well as a ticket office. The main car park is adjacent to the ticket office and has a large number of free spaces as well as a few paid spaces. The main entrance is accessible via a new footbridge with lifts to all platforms, and the station is fully ‘disabled friendly’.
Until the late 1960s services to and from Hooton were sparse. At that time the West Kirby branch ended at Hooton and trains through to Rock Ferry omitted the station. Since 1985 the station has been served by through services from Rock Ferry to Chester and Ellesmere Port and through to Liverpool.
During peak times the car park at Hooton Reserve off Oteha Valley Road can fill up quickly. A trial shuttle bus service between the reserve and the station has been proposed to help alleviate pressure on this area. However, Watson warns that this may disadvantage residents who want to use the reserve’s recreation facilities.
Getting Around
There are several ways to get to Hooton Station, including bus and train. The quickest way to get there is by train, which takes around 28 minutes to travel the 7 miles distance. You can also book a taxi or take a bus from Liverpool Lime Street or the city centre.
The closest bus stop to the station is at Waterworks Lane and is served by Arriva North West services. This route operates every 10 to 15 minutes during the day. The number 2 service runs to Chester and Ellesmere Port, and the number 3 service goes to Liverpool Central. Both of these routes operate throughout the day, but their frequency decreases in the evening and on Sundays.
In addition to local bus services, Hooton Station is served by a variety of trains operated by Merseyrail Electrics. On average, the journey to Chester takes around 13 minutes and tickets cost between $3 – $6.
If you’re traveling in a group of 9, consider getting first class tickets as these usually offer more space and other amenities compared to standard class. First class tickets can be purchased at the ticket booths located inside the station. Moovit is an excellent app for planning your commute and offers step-by-step directions to the train station. It will help you find the fastest and cheapest way to get there!
