The most recent study, conducted by Network Rail in 2008, investigated the costs of extending the Merseyrail network third-rail electrification to Wrexham. These combine to give a service at least every five minutes from Birkenhead Hamilton Square and around the loop under Liverpool's city centre. It would have extended the Merseyrail underground network from Liverpool Central Station to Edge Hill Station using existing freight tunnels. From the document: KeolisAmey Wales, the operators of the Wales and Borders franchise Transport for Wales, are to use refurbished Class 230 metro trains using electric motor traction supplied with power by on-board batteries. [75] In March 2015 the Electrification Task force placed the electrifying of the line from Southport to Salford Crescent via Wigan in the Tier 1 priority category. [12] The tunnelled route was extended to Liverpool Central in 1890. In 1977, the Liverpool to Kirkby section of the Liverpool-to-Bolton route was electrified being merged into Merseyrail. As it was still necessary to accommodate a reversing siding to serve Central Low Level, and as the width of the high-level tunnel did not permit a three-track alignment, a new section of single-track tunnel was built for the Central to Garston line. The current fleet is now more than 30 years old and the trains are rented at a cost of £12m a year. However, the initial phases of electrification scheduled until 2016 do not list this line. [25], The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers opposed driver-only operation on the new fleet, which they said would put passenger safety and security at risk. The key components of the Loop were as follows: The West Section - The existing Merseyrail Electrics Northern Line from Sandhills in the north (later Aintree on the Ormskirk branch) to Hunts Cross. Although these two lines of the system by the strictest definition only partially fulfil the requirements of a pure rapid transit network (as it uses Network Rail-owned infrastructure), its legislative isolation from the national franchise system, high frequency in the central, underground sections, and operation as a self-contained network make it practically comparable to one or, more accurately, comparable to European S-train systems. The first train operating company awarded the Mersey Rail Electrics franchise contract was MTL, originally the operating arm of the PTE, but privatised itself in 1985. This statistic shows the average age in years of the Merseyrail Electrics 2002 Ltd rolling stock between 2007/08 and 2018/19. The diesel hauled line from Liverpool Central High Level to Gateacre in the south of the city was abandoned in 1972. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Long Term Rail Strategy document of October 2017, states that trials of new Merseyrail battery trains will be undertaken in 2020. This would have the added benefit of diverting all local urban routes from the mainline terminus station at Lime Street to underground rail in Liverpool's centre. Point-to-point or return tickets are purchased from staffed offices or ticket machines, but the system is tightly integrated with Merseytravel's City Region-wide pass system, which also encompasses the Mersey Ferries and city and regional bus networks. The Vivarail built trains will serve the line between Wrexham and Bidston. The third line, separate from the electrified network, is named the City Line. The Northern Line is shown in blue on the Merseyrail map and denoted by the above wordmark on underground stations. Over the years, Merseyrail has pioneered a number of control and communications initiatives and is currently rolling out new ‘connected’ trains. [99][100], In December 2012 Merseytravel commissioned Network Rail to study route options and costs of connecting to Skelmersdale with Merseytravel contributing £50,000 and West Lancashire Council contributing £100,000. Shelters both towards and away from Liverpool. The currently disused St James railway station is located on the corner of St.James' Place and Parliament Street in the Baltic Triangle district being with closure in 1917. A programme of new stations on the Merseyrail network expanded the coverage of the system. It would extend the two connecting tunnels from Central Station in a large radius curve to the north, passing beneath the mainline Lime Street station approach cutting accessing Edge Hill via a section of the Waterloo/Victoria Tunnel. Merseyrail extends further than just the 3rd rail stations, track and trains run by Merseyrail Electrics. [11], Typical weekday off-peak service on the Merseyrail-run Northern and Wirral lines is as follows:[16][17], City Line services are not operated by Merseyrail, but have timetables produced by Merseytravel and are included here for completeness. [36], Operating as a self-contained network means there are relatively few problems because there is little conflict with other train operating companies. [50] Unfortunately a small section of the Liverpool to Southport line was not saved from the Beeching Axe. The City Line was also privatised under the 1993 Act, but as part of a different, much larger North West Regional Railways (NWRR) franchise. The line is mainly electrified with one branch, the Liverpool to Manchester line via Warrington, operated by diesel trains.[10][11]. The Wapping Tunnel would have given access to Edge Hill via the historic Cavendish cutting, built for the 1830 Liverpool and Manchester Railway. The Mersey Railway was electrified in 1903 being the world's first full electrification of a steam railway. Services operate on three main routes: from Hunts Cross in the south of Liverpool to Southport via the Link tunnel from Brunswick Station through central Liverpool, from Liverpool Central to Ormskirk and from Liverpool Central to Kirkby. The Northern Line effectively creates a north–south crossrail enabling passengers to travel from the south to the north of the city, and vice versa, via Liverpool city centre. Apart from giving ease of transport around most of Merseyside, the rapid-transit network would give all the regions on the urban lines ease of access to the one remaining mainline station at Liverpool Lime Street, compensating for the loss of three mainline terminal stations. The present Northern Line underground station at Liverpool Central was originally the Mersey Railway terminus at Liverpool Central Low Level. Hooton is a junction station where the line to Helsby via Ellesmere Port branches off the main Chester line. [84] An on-board diesel generator charges the batteries, with regenerative braking extending the battery's charge. Two services are not electrified, the Manchester via Warrington Central and Chester via Runcorn. Monday-Saturday services are every 15 minutes from Liverpool to Chester, New Brighton and West Kirby, and every 30 minutes to Ellesmere Port (Monday - Sunday). The loop extension offered direct mainline station access to Wirral residents after the decommissioning of the mainline Woodside terminal station in Birkenhead. Merseyrail's plan to introduce driver-only-operated trains from 2020 is the reason for the vote. The enforcement of the 'feet on seat' by-law by Merseyrail was judged to be "draconian"[44] in September 2007; however, Merseyrail stated that it did not want to take offenders to court, but was not allowed to fine offenders otherwise (unlike people who smoke on trains or station platforms). The contract is for 25 years expiring in 2028. The latter is still intact although only used by maintenance trains whilst the former is now partially built over. Merseyrail warns it is unable to run a train service on Friday, January 8 TheBusinessDesk.com 17:09 7-Jan-21. Merseyrail have said due to adverse weather conditions forecast for the county and beyond they expect to cancel all train services. Two lines known as the Northern Line and the Wirral Line with each line having substantial branches compose the network. Most Merseyrail trains follow a standard Monday-Friday and weekend service timetable, however, there are sometimes alterations to these times that could affect your journey. Rock Ferry railway station had been a terminus for Wirral Line services since the Mersey Railway was extended there from Green Lane in 1891. Merseyrail does not operate the trains or stations; however, the trains stop at two stations operated by Merseyrail. Many of the City Line stations are branded Merseyrail using Merseyrail ticketing. The new trains will be longer, with either four or eight car services. [28] The transfer of Kirkdale depot and Merseyrail engineering personnel took place in October 2017, as construction work to modernise the depot, which is the planned maintenance hub for the Class 777s, commenced.[29]. Merseyrail and Northern Rail trains are generally timed to meet for ease of interchange. Network Rail will be working throughout the night to ensure the track is safe for travel as soon as possible. Staff are available to help you 15 minutes before start of service and 15 minutes from the end of service. The electrification of the former Wirral Railway lines to (New Brighton and West Kirby) took place in 1937 and allowed through running into Liverpool via the Mersey Railway tunnel. As of March 2019 Merseytravel ticketing is transitioning to the local Walrus smartcard system, including Merseyrail travel.[9]. The rolling stock interchange section of the tunnel is not used for passenger traffic.[56]. The Met Office said icy stretches are likely to form perhaps leading to some disruption to travel with snow falling for some places. [59] In August 2014 Merseytravel gave details of a 30-year plan for the network to be presented to the leaders of the city region. The last regular passenger trains ran over the curves in 1962; the tracks were subsequently lifted. [76], Southport to Wigan has been identified by Network Rail as a route where electrification in conjunction with extension of electrification from Ormskirk to Preston and reinstatement of the Burscough Curves would enable new patterns of passenger service to operate. Most of these lines were modern electrified lines. The network normally carries 110,000 passengers on weekdays and a total of 34 million passengers per year along its 75 miles of route with 68 stations. This included the unrealised Edge Hill Spur scheme from Liverpool Central Low Level to Edge Hill using the Waterloo Tunnel and a section of the City Line from Edge Hill to Broad Green. [69], In August 2009, it was reported that a new tram-train link to Liverpool John Lennon Airport and a link to Kings Dock from the east of the city had been proposed.[70]. (Figures shown are attributable to Merseyrail Electrics 2002 Ltd, (who operate the Northern and Wirral Line sections of the "Merseyrail" branded network). Create the Outer Rail Loop; effectively a rail loop around the outer suburbs of the city using existing lines, that would also run through the city centre. From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Merseyrail is a British train operating company owned by Serco-Abelio and overseen by Merseytravel. A junction and two headers tunnels to facilitate future construction of the Spur, were built south of Central station during the construction of the Northern Line tunnel, which is a Liverpool north-south crossrail line.[108]. A further project, known as the Edge Hill Spur, would have integrated the City Lines into the city centre underground network. The curves allowed northbound trains from Ormskirk to run directly to Southport to the west, and southbound trains from Preston to run west to Southport. Trains run at an off-peak interval of fifteen minutes on most branches, with lines converging to provide a frequency of up to every five minutes within central Liverpool, and under the Mersey to Birkenhead. The core of Merseyrail incorporates the original Mersey Railway, which was opened in 1886, giving Merseyrail the distinction of being the second oldest underground urban railway in the world and the first with lift access to its stations. The Edge Hill Spur was not completed due to budget cuts. This isolated the City Line preventing integration into the full network with local services still entering mainline Lime St station, occupying platforms that could be used for long haul routes. [76][77], The Ellesmere Port to Helsby route is included in Merseytravel's rail strategy as a "long-term aspiration". A yellow weather warning for ice and snow has been issued from 5pm today (January 7) through to Friday (January 8) at 11.59pm.. Merseytravel are represented on a board led by Lancashire County Council which has developed a flowchart detailing how the scheme may be delivered. [54] Until the 2015 electrification of the Lime Street to Manchester and Wigan lines, the City Line remained 100% diesel hauled with the Lime Street to Warrington line still retaining diesel traction. Find the travel option that best suits you. In 2020 a series of investments and land purchases advanced the case for a station at the site of St James in the Baltic Triangle. Liverpool is to finally get new trains for its Merseyrail network after local leaders approved a £460 million project to replace the existing 40-year-old fleet. This would give Skelmersdale, the second largest town in North West England without a railway service, direct access to Liverpool city centre. They are considering 3rd rail electrification and other alternatives with a new station at Headbolt Lane to serve the Northwood area of Kirkby. [85][86] These new trains have put the full electrification of the line on hold. These locomotives were sold to a preservation company in 2002. ], A new station at Headbolt Lane north east of Kirkby was first proposed in the 1970s, however a later proposed plan in 2013 failed to receive funding. Carrying approximately 110,000 passengers each weekday, or 34 million passengers per year, it forms the most heavily used urban railway network in the UK outside London. [60], A further proposal to resurrect the Edge Hill spur scheme with a new station at Paddington Village was revealed in 2016 by Liverpool's mayor Joe Anderson, as part of a scheme to extend Liverpool's Knowledge Quarter onto the site of the former Archbishop Blanche School. [52] In March 2015 the Electrification Task force placed electrifying the line from Liverpool to Manchester via Warrington Central in the Tier 1 priority category. The Merseyrail electric and the Northern Rail diesel services use opposite ends of the same platform at Kirkby. An increase in integration and connectivity of the network would have been achieved. [75][78], In a parliamentary debate on 27 April 2011, the Burscough Curves were a prime point of the debate. The Spur would have also formed the central section of the proposed Outer Rail Loop splitting the loop into two smaller loops (see Outer Loop section). In 2015, Class 319 electric multiple units were transferred from the Thameslink route, refurbished, repainted in Northern livery and following the removal of the third rail collector shoes, are operating on the newly electrified lines between Liverpool, Wigan and Manchester, which incorporates the City Line. Riverside terminal station at the Pier Head was the fourth terminal station to close. Called the Northern Line, under Liverpool's city centre, it created a north–south crossrail. The Outer Rail Loop would have been double track throughout and electrified using the 750 V DC third-rail system used by the Merseyrail Electrics network. The extent of the electrified City Line. A feature was that passengers on the mainline radial routes into Lime Street from the east and south could transfer onto the Outer Loop at two parkway interchange stations completing their journey to Liverpool suburbs avoiding the need to travel into the city centre, which would also relieve pressure on Lime Street station - Liverpool South Parkway was one of these stations opening thirty years after the initial proposal. The Department for Transport's Rail electrification document of July 2009 stated that the route to Liverpool Docks would be electrified via overhead wires. [23] Merseyrail will hold trials for battery train operation. New state-of-the-art trains will arrive on the network in 2020 and replace the current 40 year old fleet of 59 fully refurbished electric trains. The core of the network is formed by two dedicated electrified lines known as the Northern Line and the Wirral Line, which run underground in central Liverpool and Birkenhead. The report found that the Wapping Tunnel was in good condition though suffered from flooding in places and would require some remedial work, but that the concept of reopening the tunnel was viable. Two sets have been written off and scrapped. [60][74] No detailed analysis has been carried out into the feasibility. The Northern Line would form the western section through the city centre. Passengers for the lines to Chester and Helsby would change trains at this station from the electric service on to mainline services, operated by steam and diesel. [30], The electric fleet is maintained and stabled at Stadler's maintenance depot and UK headquarters at Kirkdale and Birkenhead North TMD. [109] Further references are made to the scheme, as a future option, in MerseyTravel's 30-year plan. The new trains are a custom-built, bespoke design specifically for the Merseyrail network with driver only capability. Old Roan train station serves the village of Aintree in Merseyside with regular Northern Line services by Merseyrail. [88] The latest refresh of Merseytravel's Long Term Strategy puts the opening of the curves in Network Rail's CP7 period. [23] The deal also involves the transfer of 155 of Merseyrail's maintenance workers and the operation of its maintenance depot at Kirkdale to Stadler Rail Service. [95] This delay in electrification may delay any proposed passenger use for the line. The route circled the outer fringes of the city of Liverpool using primarily existing rail lines merged to create the loop. The new class 777 trains built by Stadler being introduced from 2020 onto Merseyrail, are being built to take power from the 3rd rail electric network. The scheme was started along with the creation of Merseyrail however postponed due to cost cutting. 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