Overview/Traffic:
Runcorn is a small town situated between Liverpool and Chester, it has a 2 platform mainline station which is on the Crewe-Liverpool branch of the WCML. It's current passenger service consists of hourly pendolinos and half-hourly london midland desiro units in each direction. Runcorn's current freight is mostly Freightliners from Ditton and Garston with a variety of Freightliner traction ranging from Intermodal pool 66s, 86/6s and 90s, but Runcorn also gets Automotive trains from Halewood and Garston these are hauled by DBS traction and range from 66s/67s/90s and 92s. Two popular trains with Photographers are the 14:03 4L92 Ditton-Felixstowe liner (Booked Pass Time 14:38) which is booked as a pair of FLT 86/6s and the 16:34 6L48 Garston-Dagenham cartics (Runcorn Booked Pass Time 16:48). The Cartics is often hauled by a DBS class 90 if any of the sleeper pool have recently been overhauled at Crewe IEMD and it has been known to be a NXEA 90 on occasions when they are returning back to London too. Other trains that aren't frequent runners but nevertheless are booked to run via Runcorn are Engineers Trains from Basford Hall-Tuebrook Sidings (DBS Traction) and Coal from Liverpool BT-Ironbridge (DBS Traction) but as previously said these don't run all that frequently! Behind the back of platform 2 is the short branch down to Folly Lane, this line receives 2 freight a week in the form of Tuesdays and Fridays Only 6F61 Folly Lane-Warrington Arpley Acid Tanks (or if running early 6F62) this is more commonly DBS 66 hauled now but has been a mixture of traction from 37/60/67 in the recent past depending on what is spare at Warrington! Keep a close eye on this branch as a new development in the near future involves the building of a new rail served incinerator and the freight paths for 5 binliner trains a day are already in the system! The trains are all Greater Manchester originated and this contract is currently operated by Freightliner Heavy Haul 66s so i'd expect these to be the haulage once the trains start up.

Here's a 24 Hour Freight Timetable courtesy of me for a typical Friday (I wanted to pick a day when the Folly Lane Tanks runs) 00:01 to 24:00 with the binliners included although they don't run yet! I've ommited light engine moves as theres quite a few and most have different headcodes for the same move but starting at different places...

00:37 4M98 Southampton-Garston Liner
01:20 4L41 Ditton-Felixstowe Liner
03:17 4M89 Felixstowe-Ditton Liner
03:35 4M37 Tilbury-Garston Liner
04:08 4F37 Basford Hall-Ditton Liner
04:31 6F01 Bescot-Halewood Cartics
05:03 6G61 Liverpool BT-Ironbridge Coal
05:08 4M42 Felixstowe-Garston Liner
05:34 4M73 Felixstowe-Ditton Liner
05:57 4O27 Garston-Southampton Liner
06:53 4F32 Northenden-Folly Lane Bins
06:58 4K74 Ditton-Basford Hall Liner
07:17 6X41 Dagenham-Garston Cartics
07:43 4L72 Ditton-Tilbury Liner
08:06 6F60 Warrington Arpley-Folly Lane Tanks
09:02 4F45 Basford Hall-Garston Liner
11:02 4M45 Felixstowe-Ditton Liner
11:11 4J34 Folly Lane-Pendelton Bins
11:28 6F62 Folly Lane-Warrington Arpley Tanks
12:10 4K64 Garston-Basford Hall Liner
12:13 4F33 Bredbury-Folly Lane Bins
13:10 4M72 Tilbury-Ditton Liner
14:38 4L92 Ditton-Felixstowe Liner
15:29 6F61 Folly Lane-Warrington Arpley Tanks
16:48 6L48 Garston-Dagenham Cartics
17:29 4H33 Folly Lane-Bredbury Bins
19:15 4L71 Ditton-Felixstowe Liner
19:43 4M81 Felixstowe-Ditton Liner
20:13 4L60 Garston-Felixstowe Liner
21:41 6G46 Halewood-Castle Bromwich Cartics
21:46 4L80 Garston-Tilbury Liner
23:01 6F54 Penmaenmawr-Garston Ballast
23:20 4F34 Pendleton-Folly Lane Bins

Facilities/Photography Tips:
The station car park is expensive but you can park in the streets surrounding the station or the large free car park in the town centre (10 minutes walk) for a cheaper option, in the same way the mini-shop located on the station is expensive so for the cheaper option use the Co-op in the town centre roughly 10 minutes walk away or alternatively board the C1 bus from the road underneath the train station and this will take you to the centre for free, it runs every 15 minutes in each direction until 8pm. The town centre is also the best location for hot food, there is a well respected chip shop that also does chinese meals and rather a lot of pizza/kebab/chicken fast food places. The nearest pub is 'The Railway' this is virtually opposite the station but again for the cheaper option the town centre has a newly fitted Wetherspoons. The station has free toilets and an enclosed waiting room on both Platforms. For the best pictures in the sun stand on Platform 1 in the early morning and Platform 2 in the afternoon and through the evening, the station also has an angled curve which I think makes pictures more interesting.

Anyone requiring more info please message me directly, if you let me know your planning to visit I could meet you for a guided tour!

Cheers Tom
www.arriva142.fotopic.net