Liverpool Lime Street railway station

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Liverpool Lime Street
Location
Place	Liverpool
Local authority	Liverpool
Coordinates	53°24′26″N 2°58′37″W / 53.4073, -2.977Coordinates: 53°24′26″N 2°58′37″W / 53.4073, -2.977
Operations
Station code	LIV
Managed by	Network Rail Merseyrail (Underground station)
Platforms in use	9 + 1 underground
Live departures and station information from National Rail
Annual Rail Passenger Usage
2004/05 *	13.535 million
2005/06 *	14.472 million
Passenger Transport Executive
PTE	Merseytravel
Zone	C1
History
1836	Opened
1977	Underground station opened
National Rail - UK railway stations
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
* Annual passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Liverpool Lime Street from Office of Rail Regulation statistics.
UK Railways Portal

Liverpool Lime Street railway station on Lime Street is the mainline railway station serving Liverpool, England. The station lies on a branch of the West Coast Main Line from London Euston.

[edit] History

In the early days of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, the Liverpool terminus was located at Crown Street, in Edge Hill, officially opened in 1830. Construction of a purpose-built station began in October 1833, the land being purchased from Liverpool Corporation for £9000. A tunnel was constructed between Edge Hill and the new station (starting in 1832, prior to station construction), and the station was opened to the public in August of 1836, although construction was not completed until the following year. Because of the steep incline between Lime Street and Edge Hill, trains were stopped at Edge Hill, their locomotives removed, and the passenger carriages taken down by gravity, descent controlled by brakemen. The return journey was achieved by using a stationary engine to haul the carriages up with rope.

Within six years, the rapid growth of the railways meant that the original station needed to be extended, and a plan was made to erect an iron roof similar to that found at Euston station in London, ridge roofs supported by iron columns; however, Richard Turner and William Fairburn submitted a design for a single curved roof, which won the approval of the station committee. The work cost £15,000, and was completed in 1849. The station was one of the first to send mail by train. A second roof was added in the 1880s. The North Western Hotel designed by Alfred Waterhouse, was built in front of the station - this still stands, having been converted to accommodation for students of Liverpool John Moores University.

Lime Street was part of the first stage of electrification of the West Coast Main Line in 1959. In 1966, the station saw the launch of the first InterCity service.

Lime Street was voted the equal worst of the 20 busiest UK train stations in a 2007 poll.^[1]

[edit] Layout and future expansion

Liverpool Lime Street is divided into two sections: the mainline station, which serves national and local overground services, and the Merseyrail Wirral Line station, located underground at the foot of St George’s Hall.

[edit] Mainline

The mainline station is still covered by the vast iron and glass roofs dating from the 1880s. Platforms 1 to 6 are shorter than 7 to 9, the latter dealing mainly with long-distance services to London, Birmingham, Sheffield and Norwich. Access to platforms 1-6 is through a ticket inspection barrier, while platforms 7-9 are open, with tickets being inspected on the trains. Toilets, booking offices, shops, a left-luggage office, taxi ranks and coffee bars are amongst the facilities provided.

In line with Liverpool's role as European Capital of Culture in 2008, and the city's 800th anniversary in 2007, the station and its immediate surroundings will receive a £35 million redevelopment. The Lime Street Gateway Project will see the current retail parade and office block in front of the station demolished, and an improved frontage and public plaza built. The development will be overseen by English Partnerships.

As a rule of thumb, during the day:

• Platform 1 for services to Warrington Bank Quay and Stalybridge
• Platform 2 for services to Blackpool North and Preston
• Platform 3 for services to Manchester Victoria and Manchester Airport
• Platform 4 for services to Wigan North Western
• Platform 5 for semi-fast services to Manchester Oxford Road
• Platform 6 for services to the North East (mainly Scarborough)
• Platform 7 for services to London Euston
• Platform 8 for services to Birmingham New Street
• Platform 9 for services to the East Midlands, and for the local stopper train to Manchester Oxford Road

It should be noted, that this is a rule of thumb, departure screens should be checked for the actual platform as services that arrive late or early may be diverted to a different platform.

[edit] Low level

The low level station is entirely underground, and consists of a single platform, alongside the Liverpool Loop, a single track tunnel excavated in the 1970s, and a ticket hall above. The station is connected to the Main Line station by means of a pedestrian subway and escalators, and by a lift, accessed via a long passageway which crosses beneath Lime Street itself.

As part of a programme of improvements by Merseytravel, the station has recently been fitted with automatic ticket barriers and machines.

[edit] Services

[edit] Mainline Station

The main station is currently served by East Midlands Trains, First TransPennine Express, London Midland, Northern Rail and Virgin Trains.

East Midlands Trains operate 1tph to Nottingham extending to Norwich every other hour calling at, Widnes, Warrington Central, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport, Sheffield, Chesterfield, Alfreton, Langley Mill, Nottingham, Grantham, Peterborough, Ely, Thetford and Norwich

• All evening services terminate at Nottingham, with onward connections to Norwich.

First TransPennine Express 1tph to Scarborough, operated by First TransPennine Express, calling at:

Warrington Central, Birchwood, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Piccadilly, Stalybridge, Huddersfield, Leeds, York, Malton, Seamer and Scarborough

• Services after 1900 terminate at York. There are daily services to Newcastle and Middlesbrough, and a Sunday service to Hull.

Local services are provided by Northern Rail. Destinations served by their trains include: Manchester Victoria, Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport; Manchester Oxford Road Warrington Central and Warrington Bank Quay; Wigan North Western, Preston, Blackpool North and Morecambe. Northern Rail use Class 142 (Pacer), Class 150 (Sprinter) and Class 156 (Super Sprinter) diesel multiple units (DMUs) on these routes.

The other four operators provide longer-distance services. Virgin Trains operate an hourly service via Crewe to London Euston, using Class 390 (Pendolino) electric trains. First TransPennine Express operate to destinations across the north of England, including Manchester Piccadilly, Leeds, York, Middlesbrough and Newcastle, using Class 185 (Pennine) DMUs. London Midland operate via Crewe to Birmingham New Street using Class 350 (Desiro) electric multiple units. East Midlands Trains operate the longest route of all: from Liverpool to Norwich, via Manchester Piccadilly, Sheffield, Nottingham and Peterborough, using Class 158 (Express Sprinter) DMUs.

3tph to Wigan North Western, 1tph extending to Blackpool North or Preston, operated by Northern Rail, calling at:

Wavertree Tech Park (2tph), Broad Green (2tph), Roby (2tph), Huyton, Prescot (1tph), Eccleston Park (2tph), Thatto Heath (2tph), St Helens Central, Garswood (2tph), Bryn (2tph) , Wigan North Western, Euxton Balshaw Lane, Leyland, Preston and Blackpool North

2tph to Manchester Oxford Road, operated by Northern Rail (supplemented by two fast trains per hour), calling at:

Edge Hill (1tph), Mossley Hill, West Allerton (1tph), Liverpool South Parkway, Hunts Cross (1tph), Halewood (1tph), Hough Green, Widnes, Sankey-for-Penketh (1tph), Warrington Central, Padgate (1tph), Birchwood, Glazebrook (1 train/two hours), Irlam, Flixton (1tph), Chassen Road (1 train/two hours), Urmston, Humphrey Park (1 train/two hours), Trafford Park (1 train/two hours), Deansgate and Manchester Oxford Road

• Evening trains run once per hour, and call all stations to Manchester. Last service calls all stations to Warrington, and then runs express to Piccadilly.

1tph to Manchester Airport, operated by Northern Rail, calling at:

Wavertree Tech. Park, St Helens Junction, Newton-le-Willows, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Piccadilly, East Didsbury, Gatley, Heald Green, and Manchester Airport

1tph to Stalybridge calling at:

Edge Hill, Wavertree Tech Park, Broad Green, Roby, Huyton, Whiston, Rainhill, Lea Green, St Helens Junction, Earlestown, Newton-le-Willows, Patricroft, Eccles, Manchester Victoria, Ashton-under-Lyne and Stalybridge

• Evening services terminate at Manchester Victoria.

1tph to Warrington Bank Quay calling at:

Edge Hill, Wavertree Tech Park, Broad Green, Roby, Huyton, Whiston, Rainhill, Lea Green, St Helens Junction, Earlestown and Warrington Bank Quay

1tph to London Euston operated by Virgin Trains, calling at:

Runcorn, Crewe, Stafford, Nuneaton, Milton Keynes Central or Watford Junction and London Euston

1 train per day to London Euston operated by London Midland, calling at:

Runcorn, Hartford, Crewe, Stafford, Rugeley, Lichfield, Tamworth, Atherstone and Rugby and London Euston.

There are additional peak services to Huddersfield, Ellesmere Port (parliamentary service), Rochdale, Todmorden, Morecambe and Barrow-in-Furness.

London Midland 2tph to Birmingham New Street, operated by London Midland, calling at:

Liverpool South Parkway, Runcorn, Acton Bridge (1tph), Hartford, Winsford (1tph), Crewe, Stafford, Penkridge, Wolverhampton, Coseley and Birmingham New Street

Northern Rail

Virgin Trains

[edit] Low Level Station

The underground station is situated on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network, which has services to New Brighton, West Kirby, Ellesmere Port and Chester. To reach destinations on the Northern Line of the network, passengers must either use the Wirral Line or walk the short distance to Liverpool Central station.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Liverpool Lime Street railway station

• Station information for Liverpool Lime Street from Network Rail
• Station information for Liverpool Lime Street (Underground) from Merseyrail