The route through the station carried significant amounts of freight from the outset, from the docks at Birkenhead and later from the oil refineries and dock complex at Ellesmere Port as well as a local passenger service between Birkenhead Monks Ferry (from opening until March 1878)/Birkenhead Woodside (from April 1878) or Hooton and Helsby, where passenger could access the other section of the joint line between Warrington Bank Quay and Chester.

[2] This was never implemented, although services gradually began to reduce and the remaining through trains to/from Birkenhead Woodside ended in 1967 when the station there was closed.

The pattern was then altered again when electrification of the Hooton to Ellesmere Port section was completed in 1994 – from that point onwards, all services from Helsby terminated at Ellesmere Port but ran beyond Helsby to Warrington Bank Quay and Liverpool Lime Street (every two hours Mon–Sat), calling at all stations en route.

The alternative exit, via the narrow path involves walking up steep steps, which is not accessible for passengers with pushchairs and/or mobility problems.

The station is served by a limited parliamentary service of two trains per day in each direction on weekdays and Saturdays only between Ellesmere Port and Helsby.

[6] When the Shell oil refinery at Stanlow used the railways to transport freight, over fifteen trains per day used this line.