New station: Maghull North

[PR1Berske]

Starting this thread as http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2825879 is closed

Press release from Merseytravel here - http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/abou...underway-on-new-station-at-Maghull-North.aspx

Quote:

.The station is a key piece of infrastructure in the Sefton Local Plan, supporting demand from an adjacent new housing development which will include 370 homes, with more homes planned for the area in the near future. It will also offer relief for the existing station in the town.

Facilities at the new station will include:-

· Staffed station building and ticket office with passenger toilet.
· Passenger waiting facilities on platform
· Step-free access with lifts and a bridge to, from and between both platforms and the station building.
· 156-space car park with blue badge, motorcycle parking and cycle storage.
· Pedestrian and cycle routes from School Lane and Park Lane to the station and bus stops on School Lane.
· Future provision for electric vehicle charging points.

The new station, which will be operated by Merseyrail, is expected to be open to the public in May 2018

 

[Arcadia77]

Interesting blog from a local councillor detailing the fact that work has started...

https://tonyrobertson.mycouncillor....ousing-development-and-maghull-north-station/

Maghull – Poppy Fields housing development and Maghull North Station

I went to have a look at the new housing development at ‘Poppy Fields’ yesterday. I say Poppy Fields when of course I mean the former Moss Side Hospital site (also known as Ashworth South to some folk) where Maghull’s second railway station is presently being built too.

I arrived there at around 11am. The site was accessible i.e. the gate was open but oddly the sales suite was not despite a notice saying it was on Thursday’s through to Monday’s (don’t they sell houses on Tuesdays and Wednesdays?). I did see a handful of people looking around the site though.

Another thing I thought was odd concerned the plan of the site stuck to the outside of the sales suite – it did not depict the new station being built at all. Is the new station not a big selling point for the developer?

From what I saw though they do seem to be selling houses with I would guess 50% of the properties that are partially built having sold signs on them.

But I wanted to look at the progress of the railway station too and in what seemed to be a separate locked compound excavations were taking place on the area to be occupied by the station building and car park.

Excavation works where the Station building/station car park will be.

A view of the station site from the School Lane overbridge.

Clearly house building in and around Maghull/Lydiate has been hugely controversial in recent years not least because of the loss of Green Belt and the very highest grades of agricultural land (which grows our food) for the building. But this site was not a part of such controversy, indeed building there was broadly accepted by local environment campaigners as a sensible reuse of a previously partly developed site.

My final thought for now is how much will the new housing on this site meet what I think are the greatest local housing needs – bungalows/single level accessible flats for the elderly, small starter homes for those trying to get onto the housing ladder and of course social housing? I think I know the answer…….

EDIT - I'll shrink the photos!

 

[Gathursty]

My aim is to be the first passenger on the first service from Maghull North as it is only 14 miles away!

 

[73001]

My aim is to be the first passenger on the first service from Maghull North as it is only 14 miles away!

Well I think you've set a challenge there... I'm only 2.3 miles away. It's great that this is finally going ahead; capacity at Maghull for parking etc is inadequate at the best of times.

 

[stuart100100]

Well I think you've set a challenge there... I'm only 2.3 miles away. It's great that this is finally going ahead; capacity at Maghull for parking etc is inadequate at the best of times.

5 minute walk for me from the estate behind where the Ormkirk bound platform is going to be Can't wait

 

[stuart100100]

Work on going this weekend while the line is closed between Maghull and Ormskirk

 

[Bletchleyite]

I thought it was on an embankment, not in a cutting. Are those houses going to have some of their garden compulsory purchased?

 

[stuart100100]

Not that I am aware of but the gardens will back onto the Ormskirk platform (guessing a bit like Walton). The predestian access is going to be on top of the bridge (deyes lane/school lane)

 

[Ships]

I thought it was on an embankment, not in a cutting. Are those houses going to have some of their garden compulsory purchased?

I was under this impression too.

 

[stuart100100]

Definitely under the bridge in a cutting. It becomes an embankment again at the end of Millbank Lane and Butchers Lane which is halfway to Town Green station

 

[Bletchleyite]

Definitely under the bridge in a cutting. It becomes an embankment again at the end of Millbank Lane and Butchers Lane which is halfway to Town Green station

I thought it was much further north than it actually is - I thought the whole new development it centred on was by Ashworth Hospital which is, er, half way to Town Green station

 

[stuart100100]

It is from the existing station. The new station and housing are on the old Ashworth South site School Lane on the way to the M58 junction. The road goes over the railway line and then down again. Predestian access will be from the bridge and the car park further on by the new housing estate

 

[stuart100100]

This is where I took that photo from. The railway runs underneath and the new housing will be to the left

 

[Arcadia77]

Not that I am aware of but the gardens will back onto the Ormskirk platform (guessing a bit like Walton). The predestian access is going to be on top of the bridge (deyes lane/school lane)

There's a new bridge being built with lifts - it will be right in front of the existing bridge. Station building is on the site to the right on the photo above. The plans on the Sefton Council site doesn't show any compulsory purchase orders - I would suspect looking at it, some of the gardens might have gained land over the years which was never properly registered after British Rail.

 

[stuart100100]

Some residents who back onto the new station aren't happy

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/quiet-street-thats-been-transformed-13843355.amp

Fuming and sleep-deprived residents have described how the construction of a new rail station has turned their sleepy street into “a war zone”.

The use of intrusive spotlights and deafening machinery into the early hours has forced locals to consider sleeping elsewhere.



And many fear the building work being put into the new Maghull North station will ruin their Christmases.

Matthew Gannon, who lives on Mersey Avenue and is a Borough Councillor for Sudell Ward om Sefton Council, said: “There are four sets of flood lights that also shine into the back of houses - directly into bedrooms.


“They’ve got diggers and chainsaws. There are men shouting and smoking and a temporary office that’s always lit up.

“It’s like daytime 24 hours of the day.”

Andy Wells, who also lives on Mersey Avenue, described the construction work as a “war zone”, while Simon Kerevan, another resident, said: “It’s been like the Somme.”

The view from Mr Kerevan's house has been drastically altered during the work.

Mr Wells added: “We’re all shattered. We had to go out and buy some blackout curtains.”

“Even sitting in our living room we’re aware of the constant noise.”

“My daughter also lives in Maghull and I’m seriously considering sleeping on a sofa bed there.”

Mr Kerevan admitted he and his family “had to go away and stay in [his] motorhome” during the work last weekend.

He said: “I’m not against the station per say - but it’s the fact they’re not making any reperation or meaningful dialogue.

“We’re being forced out of our home to get a nice sleep.

This garden on Mersey Avenue has also been affected by the construction work.

“It’s like living in a football stadium with these bright lights.”

One of his sons is studying for his GCSEs this year and Mr Kerevan is worried the construction work is preventing him from studying.

The £13m work is scheduled to take place every Saturday night ending on 23 December. It will restart on 27 December every day for two weeks.

Mr Kerevan, an HR consultant who works from home, said: “It’s going to ruin our Christmas.”

Mr Gannon added: “It’s the season to be jolly, isn’t it? But not with this.”

But while residents have complained to Buckingham Group, the contractor, they still feel they have not been heard.

Bright lights shine into residents' houses during the night.
Mr Kerevan said: “There has been a complete and utter lack of commucation. Nobody came to knock on our doors or have a conversation.”
The new station, which is scheduled to open in May 2018, will sit between Maghull and Town Green stations on the Ormskirkbranch of Merseyrail’s Northern Line.

The construction work took place from 12:30am on Saturday 29 October to 5:00am on the Monday and will also go ahead this weekend.

From 11 November onwards, construction work is scheduled between 9:00pm on Saturday night through to 6:00am on Sunday morning.

A spokesperson for Merseytravel and Network Rail, who represent the Buckingham Group, said: “We are aware of the concerns that have been raised by residents who live in close proximity to the new Maghull North station site.

“Due to the nature of the work that is being carried out in order to construct the new station, the only realistic and safe option is to carry out much of the work during the night when trains are not running.

“A letter was sent to residents on Mersey Avenue in advance of the work that took place at the weekend (and which will be taking place this weekend) to inform them that there would be overnight activity taking place during the 54-hour closures of the line between Maghull and Ormskirk.

“We do understand that the residents have on-going concerns relating to the work taking place. We will be inviting them to a drop-in session that will take place in the next two weeks to discuss this further and, where possible, try to find realistic solutions to the issues raised.”

 

[mcnw35282]

Always amuses me highly when people buy houses backing onto an active railway, then kick off when work is carried out on that railway.

My all time favourite was the residents in Haresfinch, St Helens, who were upset that network rail were errecting metal stanchions on railway land for the Wigan - Liverpool electrification project!

 

[PR1Berske]

I struggle to accept that the construction of a railway station is "like a warzone" or "like the Somme"

 

[HowardGWR]

^^^ It's a common use of hyperbole that newspapers love to include. Goes along with 'more rail misery this weekend' and such like.

 

[adrock1976]

Residents who reside next to operational railway lines who complain about works taking place reminds me of a scene in "The Germans" episode of Fawlty Towers where Mrs Richards who had a sea view room saw nothing but the sea.

The aforementioned script is below:

• Basil Fawlty: Well, might I ask what you expected to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House, perhaps? The hanging gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically...
• Mrs. Richards: Don't be ridiculous. I expect to be able to see the sea.
• Basil Fawlty: You *can* see the sea. It's over there between the land and the sky.
• Mrs. Richards: I'd need a telescope to see that.
• Basil Fawlty: Well, might I suggest you move to a hotel closer to the sea.
  [sotto voice]
• Basil Fawlty: Or preferably in it

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

For those new website members seeing this thread for the first time on the index pages, what is the official opening date for this new railway station?

 

[stuart100100]

May 2018

 

[stuart100100]

The station is "on track" for opening in May 2018

http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/abou...station-scheme-on-track-for-2018-opening.aspx

Maghull North station scheme on track for 2018 opening
Published on 24/11/2017

As work to build the new Maghull North station heads into its next phase, key Liverpool City Region partners visited site today (Friday 24 November) to see the progress being made.

Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, Sefton Central MP Bill Esterson and other representatives from the key delivery partners involved in developing the scheme joined Merseytravel and Network Rail at the station compound just off School Lane in Maghull.

Since work began in September this year, engineers have been hard at work preparing the site for the construction phase of the works, while enabling services to operate on the Ormskirk line as normal.

Extensive excavation and grading works have already been completed on the embankments to accommodate the new station platforms and significant progress has been made installing the platform foundations. Groundworks have also been completed in preparation for the new 156-space car park alongside the new station.

Forthcoming works planned to take place overnight on Saturdays will involve realigning both tracks to ensure the lines are level and spaced correctly in line with the new platforms.

After the festive period, from 27th December to 8th January, the line will be closed to enable engineers to install the new platforms, the new footbridge to the platforms and associated staircases, lift shafts, and new track drainage. During this time, there will be a rail replacement bus service in operation between Maghull and Ormskirk.

The new Maghull North station will be located just off School Lane next to the former Ashworth Hospital site, between the existing Maghull and Town Green stations on the Ormskirk branch of Merseyrail’s Northern Line.

The station forms a key piece of infrastructure in the Sefton Local Plan, supporting local public transport demand from a nearby new housing development that will include 370 homes, with more homes planned for the area in the near future. It will also offer relief for the existing station in the town.

Facilities at the new station will include:-

• Staffed station building and ticket office with passenger toilet.
• Passenger waiting facilities on the platforms.
• Step-free access with lifts and a bridge to, from and between both platforms and the station building.
• 156-space car park with blue badge and motorcycle parking facilities, as well as cycle storage.
• Pedestrian and cycle routes from School Lane and Park Lane to the station, and bus stops on School Lane.
• Future provision for electric vehicle charging points.

The new station, which will be operated by Merseyrail, is expected to be open to the public in May 2018.

The £13m scheme is being funded through the Government’s Local Growth Fund (LGF), Merseytravel and the Homes and Communities Association, which previously owned the land on which the station will be built. While Network Rail is building the station, it forms part of the wider £340m investment of rail improvements across the Liverpool City Region over the next three years.

More details on the scheme can be found on the Merseytravel website at www.merseytravel.gov.uk/MaghullNorth. You can find out more about the wider investment across the Liverpool city region at www.keepliverpoolmoving.com.

Steve Rotheram, Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor said:

“It was great to visit the Maghull North development today and see the fantastic progress that has been made in such a short period of time.

"This much-needed new station will greatly benefit the people of Maghull, as the town continues to grow in the years ahead. I am really looking forward to visiting the site again when the station opens next year.”

Bill Esterson, MP for Sefton Central added:

"The new station will make a big difference to people in North Maghull and Lydiate, with the extra parking also a help to the rest of Maghull as well. This investment in Maghull is also important because of the new homes which are being built and will help commuters, students and shoppers alike.

"I am pleased that Merseytravel and Network Rail are talking to nearby residents about the building works as it is important to keep them notified of upcoming works. Once the station is open, I hope that the benefits will outweigh the inconvenience during construction.

"This station has been talked about for over 30 years and I am pleased that Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, the Combined Liverpool City Region Authority, Sefton Council, Merseytravel and Network Rail have worked together to make sure it is finally being built for the many in Maghull and Lydiate."

Cllr Liam Robinson, Chair of Merseytravel said:

“The Maghull North station scheme is a prime example of our Long Term Rail Strategy being put into practice area and it’s great to see how much has been achieved on the site in such a short space of time.

“The new station will be of huge benefit to local residents, giving more travel options while playing a big part in helping the on-going development of Maghull in the coming years.”

Martin Frobisher, Network Rail’s London North Western route managing director, said:

“Fantastic progress is being made on the new Maghull North station, which is an important part of the £340m investment in the Liverpool City Region.

“Improved rail links are vital to boost connectivity and improve capacity within the city region and beyond – getting more people to work, education, services and leisure opportunities more quickly and easily.

“Much of our work has been completed at night when trains are not running to prepare for the new platforms, station and car park. Our 12 day upgrade after the festive period will be vital to install key elements of the new station including the new steel footbridge and lifts.”

Cllr John Fairclough, Sefton Council's Cabinet Member Locality Services, added:

"This project is a very important piece of infrastructure promoting public transport in Maghull and the wider Liverpool City Region.

“It’s fantastic to see progress being made and moving on to the next stage with completion planned for 2018.

"Once finished, the new station will provide some of the key infrastructure needed to support our Local Plan and will also complement other transport schemes like the improvements to junction 1 on the M58 and the A59 making Sefton even more accessible to everyone.”

Andy Heath, Merseyrail's deputy managing director, said:

"With more and more people coming to live in the area and further house-building planned, improved access to a local rail network is great news for the community, will ease congestion on the roads and help get people from A to B quickly and conveniently.

“We look forward to working with all the agents involved in this exciting project, ahead of the station opening next year.”

 

[stuart100100]

Work continuing on the station taken this morning. There are now no trains between Maghull and Ormskirk until Monday 8th January (Tuesday 9th if the strike on the Monday goes ahead)

 

[PR1Berske]

Thanks to everyone who has updated this thread

 

[KevinTurvey]

Progress continues to be made especially on the north bound platform; the weather has been very mixed over the last week with a fair bit of rain.
Photo as of this morning attached.

 

[stuart100100]

I'm starting to wonder whether May is realistic for an opening date it's only just over four months away

 

[Kendalian]

Always amuses me highly when people buy houses backing onto an active railway, then kick off when work is carried out on that railway.

My all time favourite was the residents in Haresfinch, St Helens, who were upset that network rail were errecting metal stanchions on railway land for the Wigan - Liverpool electrification project!

The press love any opportunity to attack the railways. If the same folk bought a house next to a motorway then complained about the noise they would call them "balmy" "stupid"

 

[Arcadia77]

Looks like good progress has been made during the recent possession of the line to install the platforms - taken from one of Network Rail's twitter feeds:

 

[furnessvale]

Work continuing on the station taken this morning. There are now no trains between Maghull and Ormskirk until Monday 8th January (Tuesday 9th if the strike on the Monday goes ahead)

When I was a per way engineer, an incidental advantage of a strike was the ability to get some engineering done.

 

[stuart100100]

When I was a per way engineer, an incidental advantage of a strike was the ability to get some engineering done.

Work did continue on 8th January during the strike I believe