Ainsdale railway station opened in 1848 as an intermediate station on the Liverpool, Crosby and Southport Railway. On 14 June 1855, it became part of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (LYR), which took over from the LCSR. The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway amalgamated with the London and North Western Railway on 1 January 1922 and in turn was Grouped into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923. Nationalisation followed in 1948 and in 1978 the station became part of the Merseyrail network's Northern Line (operated by British Rail until privatised in 1995). In August 2009, electronic real-time passenger information screens were installed at a cost of £50,000, one located in the ticket office, one in the waiting room on the Southport bound platform and one on the entrance of the Hunts Cross Platform. There are no real-time passenger information screens on the platforms itself however, unlike other Merseyrail stations. The station itself has benefited from £100,000 of improvements, both platforms have had their waiting shelters refurbished, with automatic doors added, as well as lighting, heating, CCTV, floor tiles and new seating.
Trains operate every 15 minutes throughout the day from Monday to Saturday and on summer Sundays to Southport to the north, and to Hunts Cross via Liverpool Central to the south. Winter Sunday services are every 30 minutes in each direction.
Ainsdale station is fully accessible. Although a footbridge links platforms, both platforms can be accessed via a level crossing. Staff are on hand to assist those passengers requiring it. There is an induction loop, help point, and lost property. A new toilet building located on the Southport-bound platform was completed in May 2007. Access is by request at the ticket office. There is a car parking for 56 vehicles, cycle racks for 6 bikes and a secure cycle storage for a further 32 bikes. In early June 2014 it was announced that the station would be among a small number of stations across the Merseyrail network that would undergo a £3.7m programme of improvements. The improvement plans for the station were revealed at a public meeting at the village church on 20 July 2015, and it includes new waiting rooms and a new ticket office, as well as better access to the platforms and car park. Work on the scheme is started in late 2016 and will be completed in summer 2017. Bus Connection Timetable.
Local Taxis 01704 537 777, 01704 547 000, 01704 531 000
Connections: 49 (Woodvale to Crossens)
