The Hooton–Helsby line is a railway line in the north-west of England that runs from Hooton on the Chester–Birkenhead line to the village and junction station at Helsby where it joins the Chester–Warrington line. History The line from to was opened in 1863. The line was built by the Birkenhead Railway which had been taken over by the LNWR and the Great Western Railway (GWR) jointly in 1860. The section west of has been part of the Merseyrail network since 1994. This part of the line is electrified. There are no longer through train services to Liverpool's city centre via Birkenhead. A branch at Helsby connected the line to the former West Cheshire Railway to Northwich via Mouldsworth Junction. The line closed in 1991 and tracks were lifted in 1995. Passenger services Former services Services previously used to operate from Hooton to Helsby. This service was relatively frequent (every half-hour until 1993), operating via Ellesmere Port. It was withdrawn after the line was electrified west of Ellesmere Port. Station signs at Ince and Elton railway station still display signage relating to services to/from Hooton. Hooton–Ellesmere Port Services are operated by Merseyrail as part of the Wirral Line network with trains running every 30 minutes. From Hooton services continue to Liverpool via the Chester–Birkenhead line. Ellesmere Port–Helsby Northern did, until May 2019, operate a Department for Transport-set minimum service of three trains daily in each direction between Ellesmere Port and Helsby, Cheshire. There were 6 passenger services each day (except Sunday): 05:10 Liverpool Lime Street to Ellesmere Port 06:33 Helsby to Ellesmere Port 18:50 Helsby to Ellesmere Port 06:19 Ellesmere Port to Helsby 06:53 Ellesmere Port to Warrington Bank Quay 19:10 Ellesmere Port to Manchester Victoria In previous years, services have operated towards Hooton via Ellesmere Port and Liverpool Lime Street via Warrington Bank Quay. Since the May 2019 and the introduction of the "Northern Connect" Chester to Leeds services the Ellesmere Port line timetable was altered. There still are 6 services per day excluding Sunday. Services are: 05:10 Liverpool Lime Street to Ellesmere Port 06:17 Ellesmere Port to Helsby 06:34 Helsby to Ellesmere Port 07:15 Ellesmere Port to Leeds All of the above are operated by the same unit. Another unit operates the below services: 15:38 Leeds to Ellesmere Port 18:23 Ellesmere Port to Manchester Victoria - Unit then goes to Newton Heath Depot just north of Manchester Victoria. Freight