Last Train From Exchange Station Liverpool

[Jack Hay]

Demolition of Central certainly began while the Gateacre trains were still running. A schoolfriend and I had a day of gricing in Liverpool and stood in the still-open station watching sections of roof being tossed down.

Yes, I remember using Central in the last weeks and the two platforms that remained (or possibly just one left) had been reduced to just 2 coaches length, at the outer end of the station, and the rest of the station was a demolition site which you had to walk around. I can't think of another station closure locally where demolition was well under way whilst the station was still in use. Even though Exchange had shrunk to 4 platforms in its last few years, the station remained intact around them until closure. Not so at Central.

 

[Djgr]

Yes, I remember using Central in the last weeks and the two platforms that remained (or possibly just one left) had been reduced to just 2 coaches length, at the outer end of the station, and the rest of the station was a demolition site which you had to walk around. I can't think of another station closure locally where demolition was well under way whilst the station was still in use. Even though Exchange had shrunk to 4 platforms in its last few years, the station remained intact around them until closure. Not so at Central.

Again, to go slightly off tangent, I am sure that if Hunt's (or Hunts-this appears to be another debate topic!) Cross to Gateacre had been retained it would have been performing well today.

From reading around it's not immediately obvious why this line was lost and not reopened at the same time as Garston to Hunts Cross in 1983. I guess the early 1980s was not a good time for projects like this in the City, as Maggie was in her most destructive phase.

 

[Jack Hay]

Again, to go slightly off tangent, I am sure that if Hunt's (or Hunts-this appears to be another debate topic!) Cross to Gateacre had been retained it would have been performing well today.

From reading around it's not immediately obvious why this line was lost and not reopened at the same time as Garston to Hunts Cross in 1983. I guess the early 1980s was not a good time for projects like this in the City, as Maggie was in her most destructive phase.

From my understanding, that was not the reason. The reason was geography. It is a very indirect route to travel from Gateacre to Liverpool via Hunts Cross & Garston, and the likely passenger volumes didn't look sufficient to justify it. I guess it was quicker by bus. I don't know if that is still true.

 

[Djgr]

From my understanding, that was not the reason. The reason was geography. It is a very indirect route to travel from Gateacre to Liverpool via Hunts Cross & Garston, and the likely passenger volumes didn't look sufficient to justify it. I guess it was quicker by bus. I don't know if that is still true.

Certainly not the most direct as the crow flies.

It looks like off peak buses take around 40 mins, whilst the train (if it existed) around 28 mins. My guess is that during peak buses probably are clocking around the hour mark. So probably a lost opportunity here.

 

[WAO]

It's surprisingly difficult (impossible?) to find reliable info online for the date when electric trains to Kirkby actually started and the through route towards Wigan was permanently severed.

Many sources (Maund's Merseyrail Electrics, the relevant issue of Modern Railways mag etc.) say the Kirkby sparks started on 2nd May 1977 - the same date Southport and Ormskirk trains were switched from Exchange to Moorfields and The Link.

I

Can anyone point to any authoritative info confirming when Kirkby was actually electrified and the through route was severed?

Gillham J C, "The Age of the Electric Train", p144 & 146 gives 02 May 1977 and Wiki "the Kirkby branch line" also gives 1977. It's implicit in Gahan J W, "Seaport to Seaside". They may just be repeating the same source...

WAO

 

[frodshamfella]

I've heard a lot of conflicting information about exactly what happened to the Kirkby line in 1977/78! I suppose what would solve it once and for all is a contemporary timetable- alternatively, "Djgr", do you have a date on your certificate of the first electric to Kirkby?

When did the Skelmersdale link go...i have a feeling it wasn't so long ago? Of course now trying to get it back !

 

[Bletchleyite]

When did the Skelmersdale link go...i have a feeling it wasn't so long ago? Of course now trying to get it back !

1956, according to Wiki.

It wouldn't have been useful anyway; the station was where the Railway Road roundabout in Old Skem was, which is about as useful a modern-day Skem station as Upholland station currently already is. For it to succeed the station needs to be at the Concourse, as it pretty much will be if the "reopening" goes ahead - it's not really a reopening, it's a completely new line mostly in a different place.

 

[frodshamfella]

1956, according to Wiki.

It wouldn't have been useful anyway; the station was where the Railway Road roundabout in Old Skem was, which is about as useful a modern-day Skem station as Upholland station currently already is. For it to succeed the station needs to be at the Concourse, as it pretty much will be if the "reopening" goes ahead - it's not really a reopening, it's a completely new line mostly in a different place.

Just hope they get on with it,,,taking an age

 

[Dr Hoo]

Again, to go slightly off tangent, I am sure that if Hunt's (or Hunts-this appears to be another debate topic!) Cross to Gateacre had been retained it would have been performing well today.

From reading around it's not immediately obvious why this line was lost and not reopened at the same time as Garston to Hunts Cross in 1983. I guess the early 1980s was not a good time for projects like this in the City, as Maggie was in her most destructive phase.

The Liverpool Central-Gateacre service was withdrawn in 1972. This was with a view to demolishing the old Central High Level station and building the Loop and Link before re-instating services along the CLC line.

During the mid-1970s under the second spell of Harold Wilson's Labour administration there was a financial crisis. The CLC line was not originally reinstated beyond Garston around 1978 and the disused Hunts Cross-Gateacre stub was lifted.

This was all before Margaret Thatcher swept to power.

Re-opening Garston-Hunts Cross was surely an early achievement during the Thatcher years (but the Gateacre leg was too far gone by then).

 

[dvfmlfc]

I've just caught up with this particular thread, and have to admit, I have a certain fascination with the last days of Exchange. One thing that's always intrigued me is that moment when the tracks were realigned to approach Moorfields, rather than Exchange.. After the last train, when the realignment was completed, would that have meant no motive power would have been able to run into Exchange for asset retrieval? Before this event, surely there would have been a points split to run test trains over the new route whilst letting regular trains use Exchange as normal. Tracks were still in place at Exchange for several months after closure.

On Exchange's demise, it was ironic considering Merseyside PTE's pro-rail policy. The simple fact was that Exchange was situated in the wrong part of town, slap-bang in an ever diminishing business district, a fair distance from the main shopping area. When the Link was opened, it coincided with a massive reduction of city-bound bus services, particularly from the Crosby area. MPTE constructed a purpose-built bus/rail interchange facility at Waterloo where all local buses connected with the trains to and from the city that sort-of worked. A very similar scheme was put in place at Kirkby at a later date.