Notes: Thurstaston station was opened on the 19th April 1886 as part of the GWR and LNWR Joint Railway’s extension of its Hooton to Parkgate branch line to West Kirby.

Thurstaston Station was located half a mile to the west of its village namesake on the south side of Station Road which crossed the line by an overbridge. The station was provided with two platforms so that trains could pass at this point, the line being a single track branch. Thurstaston station was provided with a substantial brick built building on the Hooton direction

Thurstaston Station also had goods facilities that were located to the south of the station site on the east side of the line. The goods yard comprised a short siding serving a loading dock for livestock set into the south end of the Hooton direction platform.

At the time of opening passenger services mostly ran between Hooton and West Kirby with some services continuing on to Birkenhead Woodside. In the early days some long distance passenger services used the connection and excursion traffic used the connection at West Kirby onto the Wirral line. In later years the only significant through service was once a day when one or two coaches ran from New Brighton via Bidston to Hooton and Chester, where it was attached to a London Euston train; this ran until 1939.

One of the major users of the line were scholars travelling from stations along the route to the secondary schools in West Kirby. The line became uneconomical after WW1 with a further reduction in passenger traffic in 1927 when Neston Colliery closed but the line remained open serving a largely agricultural community and also day trippers visiting the sea side towns of Parkgate and West Kirby. 

In 1923 the line became GWR and LMS Joint but things continued as they had done previously. During the Second World War Thurstaston was chosen as the site for anti aircraft defenses that were installed in an attempt to protect the busy ports along the River Mersey at Birkenhead and at Liverpool. The railway was used to bring in munitions and other supplies.

In 1948 the line became part of the British Railways (London Midland Region). In 1950 nine trains operated in each direction on weekdays with four on a Saturday. The Hooton to West Kirby line suffered from increasing road competition in the 1950s. Thurstaston station was in a very remote location that was not very convenient to passengers. It closed to passenger services on the 1st February 1954. Passenger services continued to pass through but not for long as the branch lost its passenger service completely on the 17th of September 1956.

In 1961 newly introduced DMUs passed through Thurstaston station. However they were not for the use of passengers. The line was being used to train drivers in the use of the DMUs.

Thurstaston Station station continued to be used for goods until the 7th May 1962 but from 1st February 1952 it had been downgraded to an unstaffed public siding.. The last goods train called at Thurstaston to collect any remaining fixtures and fittings that were of any value. Early in 1964 the demolition gangs began their work and the line was lifted.

In 1968 the route of the Hooton - West Kirby Branch was chosen to create Britain's first country park the Wirral Country Park opening in 1973. The park forms the central section of Wirral Way, a 12 miles cycleway and footpath that follows the course of the railway between West Kirby and Hooton. There is a visitor centre and car park at Thurstaston Station.

Tickets from Michael Stewart

To see the other stations on the Hooton - West Kirby line click on the station name:West Kirby, Kirby Park, Caldy,Heswall, Parkgate (2nd), Parkgate (1st), Neston South, Hadlow Road & Hooton