Notes: Warrington Bank Quay Low Level was situated on what was to become known as the Ditton Junction to Skelton Junction line on a section that was opened by The St. Helens Railway on 1.5.1854. The St. Helens Railway arrived in the town at a temporary terminus at Whitecross on 1.2.1853 with a line from Garston Dock. Six months later the Warrington and Stockport Railway (which did not actually run to Stockport but to Altincham) ran to a temporary terminus at Wilderspool and opened on 1.11.1853

On the 1.5.1854 the two lines were joined together at a new joint station Warrington Arpley which was situated to the east of Bank Quay. At the point on Bank Quay would be built the Garston Line crossed the LNWR Newton and Birmingham line on the level.

The line from Garston to Altrincham connected at the latter location with the MSJ&A line created an alternative Liverpool to Manchester route to that of the LNWR. However by 1860 the LNWR had a lease on the Warrington and Stockport line and on 1.1.1861 bought it out completely. It was only then a matter of time and on 1.8.1864 the St. Helens Railway was absorbed also. This was to seal the lines fate as from this point forward it would always be a secondary route as far as passenger services were concerned.

In 1868 the LNWR lifted the elevation of their Newton to Birmingham line so that it crossed the former St. Helens Railway Garston line on a bridge. In order to best serve both lines they built a new station, Warrington Bank Quay on two levels with platforms serving both lines. This new station was called Warrington Bank Quay. The platforms on the Garston line were numbered 5, 6 and 7. The first two where through platforms whilst number 7 was a bay platform facing towards Manchester. Very early on platforms 5, 6 and 7 became known as Bank Quay Low Level but interestingly the name was not the stations official title with 'Low Level' used solely for identification purposes (the line is even known today as the Low Level Line).

Although some longer distance trains served Warrington Bank Quay Low Level the majority were local services. By the 1950's services had settled into a routine which saw services from Liverpool Lime Street to Warrington Bank Quay and services from Bank Quay to Manchester Oxford Road. Some trains did run from Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester but they were not very frequent. The most common service on the line was the Ditton Junction to Manchester Oxford Road Service provided by a tank engine and push/pull sets of coaches. There was a brief interlude when DMU's were tried in the late 1950's but the service reverted to the Push/Pull sets by the early 1960's.
Regular passenger services on the line finished on 10.9.1962 but a York Mail train continued to serve the Low Level platforms until 14.7.1965 after which the Low Level station closed. It was demolished and no trace now remains. The former Newton and Birmingham Platforms continue to thrive as part of the West Coast Main Line.

The Low Level line was always a busy with Goods Services and remains so to this day although the line to the east, the original Warrington and Stockport Railway is now truncated at Latchford. By the 1980's expensive repairs were needed to the bridge over the Manchester Ship Canal at Latchford and many trains could take alternative routes. The line closed east of Latchford with the last booked trains running on 7.7.1985

To see the other stations on the Ditton Junction to Skelton Junction Line click on the station name: Ditton, Widnes South, Cuerdley, Fidlers Ferry & Penketh, Sankey Bridges, Warrington Arpley, Latchford, Thelwall, Lymm, Heatley & Warburton,
Dunham Massey & Broadheath.