Notes: Situated on the Cheshire Lines Railway’s North Liverpool extension line the station opened as Aintree Racecourse on the 13th July 1880. as its first name might suggested it was very close to the famous Aintree Racecourse which was the home of the ‘Grand National’ race meet. When the station first opened it was effectively a terminus station at the northernmost end of the North Liverpool Extension line and it was used on race days only.

On the 1st September 1884 the Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway opened between Aintree and Southport Lord Street and to coincide with the opening the station was renamed as Aintree and regular public services commenced. The new line which ran from Aintree to Southport Lord Street was designed to give access to the lucrative holiday market at Southport as an alternative to the L&Y route. From the beginning the line was served by trains from Liverpool Central and from Manchester Central the former following a circuitous route that could not hope to compete with the direct Liverpool Exchange to Southport Chapel Street Route. By the 1920's the most common services ran between Manchester Central and Southport Lord Street.

Aintree Station was provided with five platform faces four of which were located on two island platforms. At the north end of the station a road passed over the line on a sandstone bridge from which steps led down to the island platforms. The non island platform on the east side of the station site was provided with the main booking facilities which consisted of a single story wooden building. This platform was connected to the road by a pathway. The centre island platform was provided with a covered waiting shelter. The generous provision of platforms for such a local station was due to the very heavy race day traffic.
 
The line from Aintree to Southport was closed to passengers on the 1st January 1917 as a war time economy measure. Until the 1st April 1919 For a brief period Aintree reverted to being a terminus station but on the 1st April 1919 services resumed on the Southport line.  The CLC became part of British Railways in 1948 and the station was renamed Aintree Central on 1st July 1950.

The Southport and Cheshire Lines Extension Railway had never really delivered the traffic levels that its promoters had hoped for. On the 7th January 1952 passenger services from Aintree Central to Southport Lord Street were withdrawn. Good services followed six months later. Once again the station became a terminus but this time it would be for good. A sparse service operated between Aintree Central and Manchester Central which called at all stations along the route. A few peak hour services ran to Liverpool Central. Passengers wanting to travel to Liverpool Central had to change at Gatearce for most of the day. The situation was very different on race days when trains ran into the station from all over the Country.

On the 7th November 1960 all regular passenger services between Aintree Central and Gateacre were withdrawn.  Officially the station remained open for race day traffic until March 1963 but it is known that services operated into the station in 1964 and 1965. The station closed to freight traffic in 1964.

Sometime after 1965 the stations buildings were demolished and in 1969 the line through the station was closed and lifted. A short section of track was left in situ just to the north of the station until the early 1990's. It served the nearby Metal Box factory which had a daily goods service until 1991. In the mid 1990s the site of Aintree Central was leveled and developed as a housing estate.

To see the other stations on the CLC North Liverpool Extension Line click on the station name: Warbreck, Walton on the Hill, Huskisson, Clubmoor, West Derby, Knotty Ash, Childwall & Gateacre

For stations on Southport & Cheshire Lines Extension Railway click on the station name: Southport Lord Street, Birkdale Palace, Ainsdale Beach, Woodvale, Mossbridge, Altcar & Hillhouse, Lydiate & Sefton and Maghull