[2] Encouraged by the success of the Stockton and Darlington Railway which opened in 1825, in 1829 a group of local businessmen arranged for a survey for a line from Cowley Hill Colliery, north of St Helens, to Runcorn Gap on the River Mersey.

At this time the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, which ran to the south of St Helens, was being built and its surveyor, Charles Blacker Vignoles, was commissioned to undertake the survey; he was later appointed as the engineer.

[6] Because of perceived competition from the railway, the Sankey Canal was extended from Fiddlers Ferry to Runcorn Gap by what was known as the "New Cut".

[3] The line was originally intended for freight but public demand led to passenger coaches being added to the rear of the trains, this service starting in September 1833.

It set about to improve the situation, doubling the track and easing the gradients so that the whole line could be operated by steam locomotives.

[10] The company bought land at Garston with the intention of building a dock and linking it with a line to Runcorn Gap.

[11] The creation of these branch lines created an unusual feature on British railways, a flat crossing.

The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) wanted to build a line between Edge Hill and Garston.

Following discussions, the LNWR leased the line from Garston to Warrington with effect from 1 September 1860, paying £5,000 for the first year and £12,000 annually from 1861.

The track has been lifted and some of the southern part of the route is occupied by Watkinson Way, a road providing an easterly bypass for Widnes and connecting the Silver Jubilee Bridge with the M62 motorway.

[1] As of 2009, where the line runs near the St Helens Retail Park, the embankment has been reinforced and is said to be for a rail link for visitors from out of town to the new Saints RLFC stadium.

[citation needed] Work is close to completion in 2014 to reclaim the section of the railway that ran from Clock Face to Farnworth and Bold as a footpath for walkers and cyclists.

The footpath can now be enjoyed as part of the reclaimed Sutton Manor Colliery and Jaume Plensa's Dream monument, winner of Channels 4's 'The Big Art Project'.

[citation needed] In the Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands, the UK government proposed using the Warrington Bank Quay to Ditton as part of a new connection to Liverpool from High Speed 2.