page_title: Warrington
section_title: Transport
hierarchical_section_title: Warrington / Transport
caption_attribution_description: Warrington station 1851
context_page_description: Warrington is a large town and unitary authority area in Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is 20 miles east of Liverpool, and 16 miles west of Manchester. The population in 2018 was estimated at just over 209,500, more than double that of 1968 when it became a new town. Warrington is the largest town in the county of Cheshire.
  Warrington was founded by the Romans at an important crossing place on the River Mersey. A new settlement was established by the Saxons. By the Middle Ages, Warrington had emerged as a market town at the lowest bridging point of the river. A local tradition of textile and tool production dates from this time.
  Historically part of Lancashire, the expansion and urbanisation of Warrington coincided with the Industrial Revolution, particularly after the Mersey was made navigable in the 18th century. The West Coast Main Line runs north to south through the town, and the Liverpool to Manchester railway west to east. The Manchester Ship Canal cuts through the south of the borough. The M6, M56 and M62 motorways form a partial box around the town.
context_section_description: The town has two main railway stations: Bank Quay is on the West Coast Main Line between London Euston and Glasgow Central and the Manchester Piccadilly to North Wales via Chester line, while Central is on the Liverpool to Manchester line (via Widnes and Warrington) with through services to the North East and to East Anglia. Bank Quay is much altered, but Central (built 1873) is of some architectural merit, featuring polychromatic brickwork. Both have undergone some refurbishment including new entrances. There are also railway stations in the suburbs at Padgate, Sankey, Glazebrook and Birchwood. A new railway station, Warrington West in Chapelford, near Great Sankey, opened in December 2019.
  The town lies close to the M62, M6 and M56 motorways and midway between Liverpool and Manchester airports. It also has four Primary A roads, A49, A50, A56 and A57. The A580 (East Lancashire Road) forms part of the northern boundary of the borough.
  Warrington's Own Buses, one of the few municipal bus companies to survive in public ownership, runs most bus services within the town. First Greater Manchester and Arriva North West provide bus links to surrounding destinations such as Manchester, the Trafford Centre, Liverpool, St Helens, Runcorn, Widnes and Chester. A real-time passenger information system was installed and has recently been updated. A new bus station known as Warrington Interchange opened in 2006 at the Golden Square Shopping Centre.
  The River Mersey runs through the heart of the town dividing it in two. There are only two main thoroughfares crossing the Mersey in Warrington: at Warrington Bridge at Bridge Foot and at the Kingsway Bridge. Before the M6 was built, these routes were very busy with through traffic.
  The Manchester Ship Canal runs through the south of the town; three swing bridges and a high-level cantilever bridge provide crossing points. Although shipping movements on the ship canal are far less frequent than in years past, they can cause severe delay to local road traffic. The Bridgewater Canal runs through the borough from the village of Lymm to Walton Hall and Gardens, a local park/leisure area. The course of the Sankey Canal runs through the west of the town, although most of it is not suitable for navigation.
caption: Warrington after the coming of the railway, 1851
exif: {}