Merseyside: New stations planned

[Statto]

If it ran parallel to the M53 and adjacent canal, I can't imagine it being too difficult to build a light rail link.

I don't believe Liscard has yet been mentioned in this thread; I see that being a great option for rail expansion. Unless I'm much mistaken it once was connected by rail?

It was called Liscard & Poulton on the old Seacombe Ferry line, was still some distance away from the centre of Liscard, the station & some of the line are now part of the Kingsway Tunnel approach Road.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It was called Liscard & Poulton on the old Seacombe Ferry line, was still some distance away from the centre of Liscard, the station & some of the line are now part of the Kingsway Tunnel approach Road.

That was the penultimate station on the branch line. The terminal station was Seacombe and Egremont that was situated in the cutting that now is the approach road to the Kingsway (Wallasey) tunnel.

This branch line was never electrified and both stations ceased serving passenger traffic in the very early 1960's.

 

[Wavertreelad]

Yes, those are the proposals that were shot-down last time around.

Whilst I am not suggesting the Bootle Branch stations will be the top of the list of priorities, if at all, the report at point 7.4 states

"Converting Freight Lines to Passenger Usage
Facilitating the use of existing and disused freight lines for passenger services to serve new markets. This will need to be undertaken with care and will take into account the needs of the freight operation."

Whilst not specific to the Bootle Branch the line does pass through some areas of relatively low car ownership and links some areas where there is no direct bus route due the way the local bus routes are currently organised. Apart from the North Mersey Branch which is unused but remains in situ and Ditton to Warrington route these are the only routes that might offer worthy of further investigation that I can immediately think of in the Liverpool area. Any other suggestions?

An old wish list of Merseytravel was the lifted CLC route from Halewood to Walton/Kirkdale or Aintree which many years ago was on proposed as outer loop line but the plans were dropped and the line closed in the mid 1970's. One option could be to reopen the southern section from the present Merseyrail terminal at Hunts Cross to Gateacre or even perhaps to a site at the rear of Broadgreen Hospital, but north of here the line is partially obstructed by a Sainsbury supermarket and again by a housing development in the Walton area I believe. The line now forms a footpath and cycleway called the ‘Liverpool Loopline Path’, part of the Trans-Pennine Trail, and as far as I know all the infrastructure remains in place.

The full report is also available at
http://councillors.knowsley.gov.uk/...trategy.pdf?StyleType=standard&StyleSize=none

 

[Bevan Price]

There have been occasional suggestions that they would like to reopen the line between St. Helens & St. Helens Junction, with a service to Warrington. Even if they could raise funds to reopen the line (very doubtful in the next decade or three...), I think the only service that would be viable would be a through service between St. Helens & Manchester / beyond.

Carr Mill station is more likely, as considerable house building has taken place since the former station closed.

 

[Holly]

The old local council said they considered a link to Cheshire Oaks but were told the curve off the main line would be too tight. A strange argument. Units wait idle for around 20 mins at Ellesmere Port so there would be time to get to Cheshire Oaks & back. But the council said shoppers would not use the train unless there was one waiting in the platform at all times. You could not make this up.

Precisely why light rail would have been the thing to do. Light rail is much cheaper than heavy rail and tight curves are not a problem.

It was called Liscard & Poulton on the old Seacombe Ferry line, was still some distance away from the centre of Liscard, the station & some of the line are now part of the Kingsway Tunnel approach Road.

Wallasey (Liscard, Egremont, Seacome) has longer no good routes for railway rights of way. The roads are too narrow for trams, arguably even for trolley-buses.

One thing that could and should be done, at almost no cost (just signage), to improve the lives of older people would be to allow battery powered golf carts on the promenade from Seacombe Ferry to Fort Perch Rock and beyond. And for very limited distances on the side streets off the promenade (e.g. Hertford Drive). That kind of arrangement is common and popular in Florida.

 

[Wavertreelad]

Well one scheme going ahead already appears to be the Halton Curve.

From the Cornwall & Liverpool investment thread.

Two small funding announcements by the Government today.

Liverpool
£10.4m to fund the Halton Curve
£5.6m for road safety around Knowsley Industrial Park
£4 million of improvements to A5300 Knowsley Expressway
£14.4m upgrade of car parking and public transport access at Newton-Le-Willows
(and £5m towards the £15m cost of a University Enterprize zone focussing on sensor technology, Bradford (digital healthcare), bristol (robotics and biosciences) and Nottingham (big digital, i.e. spacecraft communication and aerospace manufacting) will also get University Enterprize zones)

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...for-science-and-atlantic-gateway-in-liverpool

Cornwall
The Government is contributing £9m towards a £146.6m package of works including:
Night Riviera Sleeper trains to be refurbished.
Long Rock train maintenance site at Penzance will be expanded to maintain the sleepers.
Penzance to Totnes signalling improvements broought forward five years allowing the possibility of 30 minute frequency services on the Cornish mainline.

(Of course the reason for this package is because of the negative PR from the line being severed and the South West thinks its missing out on GWML improvements)

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-package-of-rail-improvements-for-cornwall

Does this mean Merseyrail could also be operating dual voltage stock eventually?

 

[Cheshire Rover]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0219syp
Just heard that the Halton Curve is to fully reopen. Apparently this news is contained in the link to a radio station above. I cannot currently play the clip.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

I made a thread about extending the line to Cheshire Oaks here.

I think the general conclusion was that it was unviable.

Even me, who lives not far from Cheshire Oaks, if I were to take a train, it would be to Ellesmere Port then the number 36 bus to Runcorn which runs express to Cheshire Oaks via the M53.

 

[Scouseinmanc]

On looking into this in depth, I've found 22 stations that could possibly be reopened. These being:

On Lines Still Open:
St James (1st stop south out of Central)
Otterspool
Spellow (Walton)
Walton & Anfield
Breck Road (Anfield)
Tuebrook
Stanley
Edge Lane
Wavertree
Sefton Park
Carr Mill (St Helens)
Linacre Road (Bootle)
Ford (Bootle / Aintree)

On Lines Closed:
Gateacre
Childwall
Knotty Ash & Stanley
West Derby
Clubmoor
Walton on the Hill
Skelmersdale
Sutton Oak (St Helens)
Peasley Cross (St Helens)

Brand New Stations:
Headbolt Lane (Kirkby)
Maghull North

This totals 24. Can anyone think of others. I have deliberately omitted anything on the Wirral.

 

[Y961 XBU]

On looking into this in depth, I've found 22 stations that could possibly be reopened. These being:

On Lines Still Open:
St James (1st stop south out of Central)
Otterspool
Spellow (Walton)
Walton & Anfield
Breck Road (Anfield)
Tuebrook
Stanley
Edge Lane
Wavertree
Sefton Park
Carr Mill (St Helens)
Linacre Road (Bootle)
Ford (Bootle / Aintree)

On Lines Closed:
Gateacre
Childwall
Knotty Ash & Stanley
West Derby
Clubmoor
Walton on the Hill
Skelmersdale
Sutton Oak (St Helens)
Peasley Cross (St Helens)

Brand New Stations:
Headbolt Lane (Kirkby)
Maghull North

This totals 24. Can anyone think of others. I have deliberately omitted anything on the Wirral.

Am glad you mentioned Breck Road as i was there today and was thinking how good a Train Service would be for the local area! am i right in thinking that Line is still open but for Freight only?

 

[Wavertreelad]

Am glad you mentioned Breck Road as i was there today and was thinking how good a Train Service would be for the local area! am i right in thinking that Line is still open but for Freight only?

Yes it on the Bootle Branch linking the Port of Liverpool with Edge Hill (westbound) or Olive Mount Junction (eastbound) on the Chat Moss Route.

From the list originally posted I would suspect the following in Liverpool are possible on the basis potential passenger numbers

Most likely in no particular order

St James (1st stop south out of Central)
Carr Mill (St Helens)
Skelmersdale
Linacre Road (Bootle)
Ford (Bootle / Aintree)
Headbolt Lane (Kirkby)
Maghull North
Spellow (Walton)
Walton & Anfield
Breck Road (Anfield)
Tuebrook
Stanley
Edge Lane
Wavertree or Sefton Park but probably not both.
Gateacre or Childwall (replacing Hunts Cross as terminal station for Merseyrail) should CLC route be electrified.

The route to these stations is partially blocked so reinstatement of the line could be difficult.
Knotty Ash & Stanley
West Derby
Clubmoor
Walton on the Hill

That's 16 possible in the Liverpool area so far, out of the 14 proposed by Merseytravel.

 

[8A Rail]

From the list originally posted I would suspect the following in Liverpool are possible on the basis potential passenger numbers
Most likely in no particular order............. Skelmersdale..............

This one made me laugh and you said Liverpool!! As far as I am aware , this is in Lancashire, some 15 miles away. I think you should of stated Merseyside not Liverpool for the others, given its Merseytravel you are referring too. Sorry but could not resist!

 

[Wavertreelad]

This one made me laugh and you said Liverpool!! As far as I am aware , this is in Lancashire, some 15 miles away. I think you should of stated Merseyside not Liverpool for the others, given its Merseytravel you are referring too. Sorry but could not resist!

We've only done the same as Manchester did to Wigan which if my memory serves me correctly was also in Lancashire. Forget Ukraine, it could be War of the East Lancs - now who are United playing in Europe this season coming?

 

[lancastrian]

Would the extension of the Merseyrail 3rd rail system through the approaches to and entering into Preston railway station have any difficulties that one not blessed with a depth of knowledge concerning that matter such as I would not recognise ?

Personally I think that the extension of the Merseyrail 3rd Rail to Preston could be done, although this would require dual electrification from Farringdon Curve Junction about a mile into Preston Station. It would make far more sense to reinstate the North Burscough Curve and OHL Electrify the line from Farringdon Curve junction all the way into Southport. This would reinstate the direct services between Preston and Southport that were lost with the regrettable closure of the West Lancashire Line in September 1964.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We've only done the same as Manchester did to Wigan which if my memory serves me correctly was also in Lancashire. Forget Ukraine, it could be War of the East Lancs - now who are United playing in Europe this season coming?

If you really want to be pedantic, Manchester too was once part of Lancashire, together with Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, Oldham and Salford.

Tameside and Trafford, two made up named bodies, have parts of both Lancashire and Cheshire in their environs and Stockport is most definitely one for the historians to fully examine its boundaries and associations with the noble county of Cheshire. Did you know that Stockport once had a castle. In the words once accredited to Michael Caine..."Not many people know that"...

 

[Wavertreelad]

If you really want to be pedantic, Manchester too was once part of Lancashire, together with Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, Oldham and Salford.

Tameside and Trafford, two made up named bodies, have parts of both Lancashire and Cheshire in their environs and Stockport is most definitely one for the historians to fully examine its boundaries and associations with the noble county of Cheshire. Did you know that Stockport once had a castle. In the words once accredited to Michael Caine..."Not many people know that"...

Ah, but Merseytravel does not cover them, yet!

And yes I know that Carr Mill (St Helens) is not in Liverpool neither are Linacre Road (Bootle), Ford (Bootle / Aintree) and Maghull North which are all in Sefton whilst Headbolt Lane (Kirkby) is in Knowsley but all four were previously in Lancashire.

 

[northwichcat]

Ah, but Merseytravel does not cover them, yet!

The awarding of funding for new projects is to the LEP. The LEP in question is Merseyside & Halton. Putting Halton with Merseyside instead of Cheshire will make it easier to integrate the Halton Curve in to plans.

 

[oglord]

If you really want to be pedantic, Manchester too was once part of Lancashire, together with Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, Oldham and Salford.

Tameside and Trafford, two made up named bodies, have parts of both Lancashire and Cheshire in their environs and Stockport is most definitely one for the historians to fully examine its boundaries and associations with the noble county of Cheshire.

TO be even more pedantic, these places still are geographically in their respective counties, irrespective of under which administrative body they fall:

http://wikishire.co.uk/map/#/centre=53.437,-2.180/zoom=11/base=outline

 

[northwichcat]

I can only see Maghull North mentioned in today's parliamentary release, along with making Newton-le-Willows a fully accessible interchange:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...7604/22_Liverpool_City_Region_Growth_Deal.pdf

 

[frodshamfella]

I read something a while ago about Jaguar wanting a station near their Halewood plant for staff to travel to work, maybe that idea could be part of the "station" list, and also as a stop for services via Halton Curve ?

 

[DJH1971]

I read something a while ago about Jaguar wanting a station near their Halewood plant for staff to travel to work, maybe that idea could be part of the "station" list, and also as a stop for services via Halton Curve ?

Reopening Ditton station could help too.

 

[LateThanNever]

I read something a while ago about Jaguar wanting a station near their Halewood plant for staff to travel to work, maybe that idea could be part of the "station" list, and also as a stop for services via Halton Curve ?

Bearing in mind the cost of most stations these days it would probably be cheaper just to give that man a Jaguar!

 

[fowler9]

Well Ditton is nowhere near the Jaguar plant, if a new station was opened near the Jaguar plant which services would call there and at Ditton? Would they call at West Allerton and Mossley Hill, there are a lot of people in this area working at Jaguar. How would this fit in with the pathing? It would be interesting if it can be done.

 

[AntoniC]

Apparently there is to be a new station called Maghull North

 

[Merseysider]

Well Ditton is nowhere near the Jaguar plant, if a new station was opened near the Jaguar plant which services would call there and at Ditton? Would they call at West Allerton and Mossley Hill, there are a lot of people in this area working at Jaguar. How would this fit in with the pathing? It would be interesting if it can be done.

It could be that it receives a limited service during peak hours only, similar to Ardwick. Two trains in the morning and afternoon rush hour to cater for the workers.

 

[fowler9]

It could be that it receives a limited service during peak hours only, similar to Ardwick. Two trains in the morning and afternoon rush hour to cater for the workers.

If it fits in with the shifts it wouldn't be peak hours, at least not the way the special bus services are timed. In fact it would be at a time hardly any trains other than freight run.

 

[Cheshire Rover]

It could be that it receives a limited service during peak hours only, similar to Ardwick. Two trains in the morning and afternoon rush hour to cater for the workers.

Three shift working at Jaguar. The place is going very well.

 

[Wavertreelad]

Well Ditton is nowhere near the Jaguar plant, if a new station was opened near the Jaguar plant which services would call there and at Ditton? Would they call at West Allerton and Mossley Hill, there are a lot of people in this area working at Jaguar. How would this fit in with the pathing? It would be interesting if it can be done.

I'd suspect that a station near the Jaguar plant might be a little too close to Liverpool South Parkway, although for commuters to from the surrounding industrial developments a station near Higher Road with a park and ride facility could put a fair number of bums on seats, but still be some distance from the plant and associated industrial developments.

I would have thought any local services using the Halton Curve could call all stations to and from Lime Street especially if electrically powered.

 

[8A Rail]

Reopening Ditton station could help too.

I doubt it as passenger numbers using it would be no different to when it was open many years ago. Sadly, the population living near the closed station has not increased over the years since closure partly because there has been hardly any new house building in a mainly industrial area. The only thing that has changed is the increase size of the Stobarts industrial complex.

 

[LDECRexile]

I can only see Maghull North mentioned in today's parliamentary release, along with making Newton-le-Willows a fully accessible interchange:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...7604/22_Liverpool_City_Region_Growth_Deal.pdf

I am very confused by the announcements, BBC and newspaper items and this official release and wonder if anyone can clarify. I had thought the monies were to revive the road/rail freight interchange at Parkside which got to the public consultation stage c2010 and was subsequently abandoned (afaik.)

This release suggests something else entirely, ie making the present NLW station a decent interchange, presumably with car parking, bus access etc.

Anyone any clearer?