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Port Sunlight Railway Station began as a private halt in the early twentieth century, eventually opening to the public in the 1920's.

19th Century
The first railway between Birkenhead and Chester was opened in the 1830s. Originally comprising just two tracks, it was widened to four in 1847 and crossed the open fields south of Bebington, alongside Greendale Road. Despite the railway line running alongside it, at the turn of the century there was still no train station at Port Sunlight Village. Thus, Lever Brothers employees had to disembark at Bebington station and continue their journey on foot.

Early 20th Century
Electric trams only ran as fas as Rock Ferry, and in 1909 Lever Brothers approached the Birkenhead Tram Corporation to extend the tram service to Port Sunlight Village. However, this proved unsuccessful as the local authorities could not reach an agreement.

Eventually, Lever Brothers opened a private railway stop at Port Sunlight in 1914. The opening coincided with the Royal visit to Port Sunlight on 25th March 1914 and, with the King and Queen amongst the first to use the new platform, provided an encouraging opening.

Passengers travelling to Port Sunlight station from Birkenhead would alight at a wooden platform behind the Men's Social Club, also known as "The Pavilion", which had been built alongside the railway in 1896. To get to the other platform, passengers passed under Tramway Bridge and up a set of steps. In 1910 the Men's Social Club had opened an annexe, containing a large central concert hall, which subsequently became the station entrance. In 1920, to improve access to the station platforms, a subway was built under the railway and through the back of the social club concert hall. The booking office was created by boxing in the front veranda of the clubhouse. For many years the entrance still displayed the sign that it was "licensed for singing and dancing".

Public Use
The station opened to the general public in 1927. Until this time the railway had not appeared on any time-tables or guides as it was technically not a station but a private halt (although it had opened as a partially ordinary station in 1922). This was altered when the railway company agreed to run an ordinary service of trains calling at Port Sunlight. From 9th May 1927, it was classed as a fully-fledged station, with services operating between Chester and Birkenhead. The following month a number of additional trains were confirmed with the hope that full use would be made of the service, thus ensuring the Railway Company would be justified in continuing its operation.

1960s
The station remained largely unchanged until 1969 when the line was reduced to two tracks from four. The station also received a refurbishment, with improvements to the platforms and waiting rooms. The woodwork was replaced with functional glass-faced structures and brighter hues. Further developments also meant halts like Port Sunlight no longer had their own stationmaster; instead, British Rail introduced area managers, with the Port Sunlight area including 13 stations between Rock Ferry, Helsby and Upton-by-Chester. At the time it was recorded that, on weekdays, there were 24 trains from Port Sunlight, with 15 connections a day from Hooton to Ellesmere Port and Helsby. Passengers booked daily at Port Sunlight numbered 200, with 600 passenger arrivals.

1980s
Substantial changes also took place in 1982 with the construction of two new platforms. In the same year, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Port Sunlight village, arriving in the Royal train at Port Sunlight station on 4th May. Having been welcomed on the platform by the Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside, Wing Commander Ken Stoddart, they met British Rail officials and dignitaries at the station entrance, including the Mayor of Wirral. This commenced the start of a two-day Royal tour of Merseyside.

Electrification
Plans for electrification of the Rock Ferry-Chester Line (through Port Sunlight) had been mooted since 1969. Direct train services to Liverpool began in the mid-1980s when the line between Rock ferry and Hooton was electrified; previously passengers for Liverpool had to change at Rock Ferry. Further electrification in the early 1990's allowed electric train services to be extended to Chester and Ellesmere Port.

Today
The station is now a stop on the Merseyrail network, running from Liverpool to Chester and Ellesmere Port, as part of the Wirral Line. There are six cycle racks and 60 spaces for secure cycle parking.