opened). Parkside is notable as the site of the world's first fatal rail accident, at which a notable MP at the time, William Huskisson died. Two other local railway related landmarks are Newton Viaduct and the Sankey Viaduct which is locally known as the "Nine Arches". Governance Forming part of the historic county boundaries of Lancashire from a very early time, Newton-le-Willows is an ancient town. It was initially part of the Fee of Makerfield, which was part of the West Derby Hundred. It was later made a parliamentary borough from 1558 until 1832, one of the earliest in Lancashire. From this date until 1894, the town came under the control of a court leet and improvement commissioners. The developing industrial town was then created into an urban district under the name Newton in Makerfield. The name of the urban district was changed in 1939 to Newton-le-Willows. On 1 April 1974 Newton-le-Willows Urban District Council merged with a number of neighbouring local authorities, to create St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council in the new ceremonial county of Merseyside. Newton-le-Willows is split into two wards, Newton East and Newton West, each ward returns three councillors to serve on St Helens Borough Council. As of May 2022, the East ward is represented by three Labour councillors, while Newton West has two Independent councillors and one Labour. Geography Newton-le-Willows is located off the A580 East Lancashire Road between Liverpool and Manchester in north-west England. It is in the east of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens in Merseyside, near to the border with Wigan in Greater Manchester. To the south is the Borough of Warrington in Cheshire. The wider built-up area of Newton-le-Willows includes Earlestown and areas of Wargrave and Vulcan Village. The town is considered as part of the Greater Manchester Built-up Area for statistical purposes despite being situated within Merseyside. Transport The M6 and M62 motorways and A580 East Lancashire Road pass close to the town. This has helped Newton become an important commuter town now that most of its industry has gone. There have been many new housing estates built around the outskirts of the town. The Sankey Canal passes through the town and is crossed, on the Sankey Viaduct, by the world's first passenger railway, also within the boundaries of the town. Newton-le-Willows and Earlestown railway stations have a regional service with regular trains running to Liverpool and Manchester, St