Originally built by the
Cheshire Lines Committee and opened in May 1874, Hunts Cross was the only four-platform station on the line running between
Liverpool Central and
Manchester Central stations. It was also a junction at the southern end of the
North Liverpool Extension Line to
Gateacre,
West Derby, north
Liverpool docks and
Southport. This line was closed in stages from 1952 to 1979 and is now part of
National Cycle Network Route 62, the
Trans Pennine Trail. The closure of the North Liverpool route left Hunts Cross to be served by the local service from
Liverpool Lime Street to
Warrington and
Manchester. In 1983, Merseyrail's electrified Northern Line from
Liverpool Central was extended to Hunts Cross from its previous terminus at
Garston. One of the former Gateacre line platforms was reinstated as a bay platform for terminating electric services. Northern Line trains originally ran through to
Kirkby, but in 1984 the timetable was altered and trains continued to
Southport instead. The station underwent a £900,000 facelift in 1995, with the improved facilities reopening on 10 May. When the Merseyrail service was introduced, the service from
Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester was cut back to terminate at Hunts Cross. Passengers from Manchester wishing to continue to Liverpool had to change to a Merseyrail train. This arrangement was short-lived and ended in 1989 when the through trains to Lime Street were restored. From 11 June 2006, the number of Manchester-bound trains stopping at Hunts Cross was reduced from two trains per hour to one. However, during morning and evening peaks the half-hourly frequency is still maintained. From 11 December 2006, the Monday-Saturday evening Northern Line service was increased to run every 15 minutes. Previously, services had reduced to a half-hourly frequency after 7.30pm. In the May 2013 'Network News' section of the Northern Line timetable, it was announced that Hunts Cross would shortly receive funding in order to develop improvement schemes at the station. ==Facilities==