Liverpool Central Closure

[lsluke]

Realise that this is quite an old thread now so may not be picked up but there is a website promoting the Liverpool Central closure (www.loveliverpoolcentral.com). Worth checking it out if you have any queries over the closure.

 

[Gareth]

Yep, it's going to be painful. If anyone's ever been on the Northern Line platform in rush hour knows how packed it gets. Moorfields will now inherit those passengers plus its own existing passengers. I'm not sure how well it's going to cope, to be honest.

 

[AntoniC]

Its going to be a tight squeeze and just as where I work (Queens Dock on the banks of the Mersey) is closing and staff being moved to Regian House opposite James St station.

This means I may end up getting the bus to Waterloo and getting the train from Waterloo to Southport, to avoid the queues.

(I never really liked Queens Dock but at least I could get a bus to Brunswick and catch the train there).

 

[trainophile]

I usually travel Hereford to Southport via Chester and Moorfields. Thinking about it, I'll be trying to book via Crewe and Liverpool South Parkway while all this is going on. I've already got a few AP tickets for journeys after the work commences, but luckily changing at Moorfields around 1330 so should be clear before the worst of the crush period.

Pity Northern Line is going to be re-opened so much later in the year than Wirral Line. Suppose they have a good reason for that .

 

[John55]

Its going to be a tight squeeze and just as where I work (Queens Dock on the banks of the Mersey) is closing and staff being moved to Regian House opposite James St station.

This means I may end up getting the bus to Waterloo and getting the train from Waterloo to Southport, to avoid the queues.

(I never really liked Queens Dock but at least I could get a bus to Brunswick and catch the train there).

Here's a radical idea why don't you catch the bus to Brunswick and change there and vice-versa?

 

[AntoniC]

Here's a radical idea why don't you catch the bus to Brunswick and change there and vice-versa?

I never thought of that John !

I may try it and thanks for the suggestion its most appreciated !

 

[daniel3982]

Is there going to be any easy way to Transfer from Lime Street to points North towards Southport now?

 

[AntoniC]

You could walk from Lime Street to Moorfields - see here

http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/pdf/Lo Res Moor.pdf

Or you can get the Wirral Line FROM Lime Street to Moorfields

http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/pdf/MerseyrailNetworkMap.pdf

Personally, if you havent got a lot of luggage I would walk as its only a 15 minute walk, it will take you that long to get to Lime Street Merseyrail Station , catch a train, got two stops and get off at Moorfields and change to the Northern Line.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

AFAIK the Wirral line runs MRF-LIV only, so wouldn't a change at James St be needed too?

 

[AntoniC]

AFAIK the Wirral line runs MRF-LIV only, so wouldn't a change at James St be needed too?

Your right Matt !

In that case I would walk (if you can).

 

[PhilipW]

One of the objectives is "more platform space".

How are they going to achieve this ? Are the tunnels going to be made larger (seems unlikely in the short time frame given) ?

 

[AntoniC]

Here is a link to the website

http://www.loveliverpoolcentral.com/

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Your right Matt !

In that case I would walk (if you can).

I believe buses are running in lieu.

 

[AntoniC]

I believe buses are running in lieu.

But with the traffic in Liverpool it may be quicker to walk !

 

[ukrob]

One of the objectives is "more platform space".

How are they going to achieve this ? Are the tunnels going to be made larger (seems unlikely in the short time frame given) ?

Removing lots of clutter and plant rooms. New escalators will have smaller machinery too.

 

[trainophile]

Is there going to be any easy way to Transfer from Lime Street to points North towards Southport now?

AFAIK the Wirral line runs MRF-LIV only, so wouldn't a change at James St be needed too?

Now I'm confused. I'd assumed trains were still going to pass through Central but not stop? Thus not affecting usual routings where I'd normally change at Moorfields onto the Wirral Line (coming from Southport).

I have a couple of Advance tickets Southport to Hereford via Lime Street/Stafford/BHM, and had assumed I'd just change at Moorfields onto the Wirral Line to Lime Street as normal. Where does changing at James Street come into things?

 

[OxtedL]

If you're coming back from Lime Street to Southport (or somewhere on the Northern line) you'd now have to go Lime Steet>James Street and then round the loop to Moorfields in order to change due to trains not stopping at Central, is what is being said.

You're fine to do [Northern line]>Moorfields>Lime Street as normal if it's just Central that's closed.

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

My Geography teacher uses Central as his main hub, and during my ban I was told this by him:
"Everyone will be using Moorfields as their new station, and it is insufficiently designed to cope with the traffic that will pass through the station."
I did not bring up Lime Street and James Street, but I'm sure they will recieve extra use as well but they will cope IMO.

 

[John55]

My Geography teacher uses Central as his main hub, and during my ban I was told this by him:
"Everyone will be using Moorfields as their new station, and it is insufficiently designed to cope with the traffic that will pass through the station."
I did not bring up Lime Street and James Street, but I'm sure they will recieve extra use as well but they will cope IMO.

While there may be some problems at the height of the peak if trains arrive/depart very close together I am surprised everyone thinks it will be such a problem. Moorfields is very much more spacious than Central LL and actually has space for marshalling/queueing at the upper intermediate level. I am sure there are many less spacious LT stations which routinely handle more traffic than Central and Moorfields combined.

Next Friday and Saturday Merseyrail will be managing similar (in fact probably larger) numbers of passengers for longer peak periods than they will be between April and September. The single thing which will help most would be to reorganise northbound departures at even intervals during the Central LL closure. Currently there are three northbound departures in about 5 minutes followed by a 10 minute gap every 15 minutes.

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

While there may be some problems at the height of the peak if trains arrive/depart very close together I am surprised everyone thinks it will be such a problem. Moorfields is very much more spacious than Central LL and actually has space for marshalling/queueing at the upper intermediate level. I am sure there are many less spacious LT stations which routinely handle more traffic than Central and Moorfields combined.

Next Friday and Saturday Merseyrail will be managing similar (in fact probably larger) numbers of passengers for longer peak periods than they will be between April and September. The single thing which will help most would be to reorganise northbound departures at even intervals during the Central LL closure. Currently there are three northbound departures in about 5 minutes followed by a 10 minute gap every 15 minutes.

Central's the busiest station in Liverpool, add Moorfields and you have an unbeatable combo. Moorfields + James Street + Lime Street Underground each sharing the passenger count along with their own will still pose a bit of a problem, it is worth noting this.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I'm sure systems will be in place to cope though, such as queueing. I doubt that it would be going ahead if they weren't organised.

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

I'm sure systems will be in place to cope though, such as queueing. I doubt that it would be going ahead if they weren't organised.

Where would the extra staff come from to do that? I have a few ideas and as this will only take place at Moorfields, maybe some staff will just transfer?
Anyone have any leads?

 

[AntoniC]

I was speaking to a guard on Tuesday morning on my way to work and asked him that exact question.

Apparently there will be crowd control @ Moorfields, which will mean that pople will ONLY be allowed to enter the station JUST BEFORE their train arrives to to stop congestion on the platforms.

Not sure how this will work though !.

 

[ls1911]

Where would the extra staff come from to do that? I have a few ideas and as this will only take place at Moorfields, maybe some staff will just transfer?
Anyone have any leads?

All the staff that are normally based at Central are either being temporarily transferred to other underground stations inc Moorfileds or doing the buses at St Georges Hall.