Merseyrail: funding for Headbolt Lane and St James stations

[M28361M]

Interesting report from the Liverpool Echo (link to article):-

Two new train stations and replacement Mersey ferries are among the projects that could move ahead as part of a five year investment package in Merseyside's transport network.

A £172m cash injection for the region is set to be approved at a meeting of the city region combined authority next week.

Among the plans are new Merseyrail stations at Headbolt Lane in Kirkby and St James' in Liverpool's Baltic Triangle, as well as investment in buses, trains, ferries and the region's cycle network.

As well as the two new Merseyrail stations, the fund would be used to develop the case for improvements in and around existing stations such as Liverpool Central, Birkenhead Central. Runcorn, Lea Green and Lime Street.

Reopening St James is something that a lot of people in the area have been campaigning for. It would serve the rapidly gentrifying Baltic Triangle area, and both the Anglican Cathedral and the M&S Bank Arena are within walking distance. It would take some pressure off the cramped Northern Line platforms at Liverpool Central. I hope they come up with a better name than St James, though - too much potential for confusion with James Street.

Headbolt Lane is an interesting one. It has been on the proposals list for ages, and a few years ago Merseytravel made an announcement which suggested it was more or less ready to go ahead, then it all went quiet, so it is good to see it back on the agenda. Presumably provision would be made when building the station for the future extension to Skelmersdale?

 

[Camden]

It would do well to come up with a different name to St James given James St. Baltic Triangle sounds incredibly council-naff, so hopefully not that.

 

[Camden]

Ps £172m over 5 years doesn't sound like an awful lot

 

[jamesst]

I'll believe it when I see it

 

[notlob.divad]

It would do well to come up with a different name to St James given James St. Baltic Triangle sounds incredibly council-naff, so hopefully not that.

Calling it Parliment Street would be incredibly sensible as it is the major road in the area. Then again, I think renaming James Street to Liverpool Waterfront, or Liverpool Mann Island would also make more sense.

Good news if any of this goes ahead, but it sounds like exactly the same that they have talked about for years just rechurned out by the echo for a slow News day. Headbolt Lane in particular, they have had the equipment to do the 3rd rail extension rusting away in some compound for years before someone decided it was worthless and got rid.

 

[Camden]

Cripes. Well, no doubt the amount sounds "massive" to a local journo counting his pocket money, but they certainly aren't doing even this off a mere £172m spread over 5 years!! I assume much of it is yet more business case building. Just in case they ever get round to it...

Of course things would have been much cheaper and simpler to get on with if they had gone ahead with vertical integration, when rarely the hand was offered...

I quite like that Steve Rotheram, and he seems intent of getting things going, but dear god please can he appoint a fellow scouser (or a londoner!!) to be in charge of taking forward Liverpool's transport.

 

[frodshamfella]

Interesting report from the Liverpool Echo (link to article):-


Reopening St James is something that a lot of people in the area have been campaigning for. It would serve the rapidly gentrifying Baltic Triangle area, and both the Anglican Cathedral and the M&S Bank Arena are within walking distance. It would take some pressure off the cramped Northern Line platforms at Liverpool Central. I hope they come up with a better name than St James, though - too much potential for confusion with James Street.

Headbolt Lane is an interesting one. It has been on the proposals list for ages, and a few years ago Merseytravel made an announcement which suggested it was more or less ready to go ahead, then it all went quiet, so it is good to see it back on the agenda. Presumably provision would be made when building the station for the future extension to Skelmersdale?

Both are good boosts to the network, like you said I imagine the service will edge towards Skelmersdale in the end

 

[8H]

Typical “City Region” funding, two Liverpool stations and as since the ferries passed from the formerly independent Birkenhead and Wallasey corporations to the ownership of the MPTE they have over time become little more than tourism for Liverpool floating adverts. Whilst I admit the decline in river commuting is not solely attributable to Liverpoolism the neglect of all of the the towns in the City region funding is pretty obvious. City Region has to mean something more than connect within the city or connect to the city and sod the rest of the region !!

 

[Llandudno]

Headbolt Lane is east of Kirkby in Knowsley District, not in Liverpool.

Merseytravel/Liverpool City Region part funded the Halton Curve mainly for the benefit of residents outside the city of Liverpool.

Maghull North new Station benefitting Sefton residents, again outside the city boundary.

 

[Camden]

Looking at the details, the majority of the spend is outside the city centre. But it's a pretty narrow vision fuelling that complaint. Imagine London's transport system if central London wasn't there driving the need for it. It wouldn't exist.

The more people that use the core of a system the more resilient the network is as a whole, financially. That in turn means that those living on the periphery get direct and indirect access to things they wouldn't otherwise.

 

[frodshamfella]

Typical “City Region” funding, two Liverpool stations and as since the ferries passed from the formerly independent Birkenhead and Wallasey corporations to the ownership of the MPTE they have over time become little more than tourism for Liverpool floating adverts. Whilst I admit the decline in river commuting is not solely attributable to Liverpoolism the neglect of all of the the towns in the City region funding is pretty obvious. City Region has to mean something more than connect within the city or connect to the city and sod the rest of the region !!

Newton le Willows has also been significant investment to make it an improved interchange station, I believe this so in St Helens.

 

[8H]

Headbolt Lane is east of Kirkby in Knowsley District, not in Liverpool.

Merseytravel/Liverpool City Region part funded the Halton Curve mainly for the benefit of residents outside the city of Liverpool.

Maghull North new Station benefitting Sefton residents, again outside the city boundary.

Maghull North is only enabling people to get into Liverpool though, and the Halton Curve whilst a real addition and genuine improvement was relatively easily achievable.

Putting four tracks back from Rock Ferry to Hooton would give you a genuine fast service for the several hundred thousand people on the Wirral to Chester and beyond instead of another 40 minute trundle by all the other routes. Many passengers from over the water would also benefit from a fast service via Birkenhead.

 

[PR1Berske]

We all know that calling it "St James" is a bad idea. However we are mostly rail enthusiasts, general nerds, map readers and connected hobbyists. We notice these things. We care about these things. We consider the consequences.

They don't. Suits just care about contracts. About buildings being constructed under their watch.

So yes, St James is not the best name. But they'll use it.

 

[Djgr]

Typical “City Region” funding, two Liverpool stations and as since the ferries passed from the formerly independent Birkenhead and Wallasey corporations to the ownership of the MPTE they have over time become little more than tourism for Liverpool floating adverts. Whilst I admit the decline in river commuting is not solely attributable to Liverpoolism the neglect of all of the the towns in the City region funding is pretty obvious. City Region has to mean something more than connect within the city or connect to the city and sod the rest of the region !!

I think by definition a City Region is a region focused on a city.

In the case of Liverpool I consider that this is right approach and that those areas not in the centre of the city should be committed to it and to its improvement and development.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Maghull North is only enabling people to get into Liverpool though

Are the Ormskirk-Preston line and other connections southbound and eastbound a mirage?

Putting four tracks back from Rock Ferry to Hooton would give you a genuine fast service for the several hundred thousand people on the Wirral to Chester and beyond instead of another 40 minute trundle by all the other routes. Many passengers from over the water would also benefit from a fast service via Birkenhead.

There is no need to complicate Merseyrail - it is well-used and popular as it is.

 

[Bletchleyite]

We all know that calling it "St James" is a bad idea. However we are mostly rail enthusiasts, general nerds, map readers and connected hobbyists. We notice these things. We care about these things. We consider the consequences.

They don't. Suits just care about contracts. About buildings being constructed under their watch.

So yes, St James is not the best name. But they'll use it.

I reckon they'll call it Baltic Triangle.

 

[Camden]

Halton Curve whilst a real addition and genuine improvement was relatively easily achievable.

The Halton Curve took many years of relentless lobbying and persistence from Liverpool authorities working in partnership with the NCRUG, including before Halton was officially part of the city region.

Creative solutions and seizing the moment were also orders of the day, in order to get this done at the same time as other work in the area. Or it wouldn't have been done at all.

On top of this, because the benefits were accrued across not just over LA boundaries but over national ones, a great deal of cross working was required and because it was funded by the Liverpool region the government had to be persuaded to allow them to spend the money at all.

It's a small piece of track which primarily benefits Wales and Cheshire, but which the Liverpool authorities took a bigger picture view over and put a lot of work into as a result.

I definitely think they could do better, but credit where credit is due. I think you would do better to focus your ire on the government who consistently starve the region of any real cash to spend and/or put obstacles in the way!!

 

[ElectroSoldier]

I think keeping the naming of St James station makes sense. It would be named after the near by church and the tunnels below

 

[jamesst]

Are the Ormskirk-Preston line and other connections southbound and eastbound a mirage?



There is no need to complicate Merseyrail - it is well-used and popular as it is.

And good luck getting 4 tracks past Bromborough Rake and Eastham which were later stations built on the track bed of the former lines.

 

[frodshamfella]

The Halton Curve took many years of relentless lobbying and persistence from Liverpool authorities working in partnership with the NCRUG, including before Halton was officially part of the city region.

Creative solutions and seizing the moment were also orders of the day, in order to get this done at the same time as other work in the area. Or it wouldn't have been done at all.

On top of this, because the benefits were accrued across not just over LA boundaries but over national ones, a great deal of cross working was required and because it was funded by the Liverpool region the government had to be persuaded to allow them to spend the money at all.

It's a small piece of track which primarily benefits Wales and Cheshire, but which the Liverpool authorities took a bigger picture view over and put a lot of work into as a result.

I definitely think they could do better, but credit where credit is due. I think you would do better to focus your ire on the government who consistently starve the region of any real cash to spend and/or put obstacles in the way!!

Too right !

 

[frodshamfella]

Would it be likely that Headbolt Lane would need some sort of siding for terminating trains so they don't interfere with Manchester to Kirkby ones ?There is another article in the Liverpool Echo where the West Lancs MP Rosie Cooper is welcoming this extension and campaigning for it to reach Slelmersdale.

Readers also suggested other desired stations, including better links to LFC an EFC and to airport.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Would it be likely that Headbolt Lane would need some sort of siding for terminating trains so they don't interfere with Manchester to Kirkby ones

What Manchester-Kirkby ones? This would simply involve shifting the buffer stops one station along. They would be Manchester-Headbolt Lane trains.

 

[scrapy]

Is it actually confirmed that the electrified Merseyrail network will be continued to Headbolt Lane, or will it be a stop on the Northern operated route to Wigan? Merseytravel refer to the whole rail network in Merseyside as Merseyrail and there's been no mention of work at Kirkby or funding for extra electrification in official Merseyrail press releases so I'm just wondering if Headbolt Lane will be just be a stop on the Wigan route? Also is there any mention anywhere as to whether this will be a staffed station?

 

[Camden]

It states extension. The work is a strategic start on the further extension to Skelmersdale.

 

[8H]

The Halton Curve took many years of relentless lobbying and persistence from Liverpool authorities working in partnership with the NCRUG, including before Halton was officially part of the city region.

Creative solutions and seizing the moment were also orders of the day, in order to get this done at the same time as other work in the area. Or it wouldn't have been done at all.

On top of this, because the benefits were accrued across not just over LA boundaries but over national ones, a great deal of cross working was required and because it was funded by the Liverpool region the government had to be persuaded to allow them to spend the money at all.

It's a small piece of track which primarily benefits Wales and Cheshire, but which the Liverpool authorities took a bigger picture view over and put a lot of work into as a result.

I definitely think they could do better, but credit where credit is due. I think you would do better to focus your ire on the government who consistently starve the region of any real cash to spend and/or put obstacles in the way!!

All very fair points, and I have always supported it on here in other threads as a plus, but we need significant modal shift that fast services will achieve.

 

[8H]

And good luck getting 4 tracks past Bromborough Rake and Eastham which were later stations built on the track bed of the former lines.

I had spotted that ! You realign them, the idea that the trackbed is somehow impassible simply isn’t true, funding and organisation are the only things lacking and preventing a substantial service improvement for a large populace at each end of the route and all along it.

 

[8H]

Are the Ormskirk-Preston line and other connections southbound and eastbound a mirage?



There is no need to complicate Merseyrail - it is well-used and popular as it is.

No point in speeding up journeys between big centres of population and getting people out of cars then? Better stop expresses calling at MKC then and put you all on stoppers to Euston

 

[8H]

I think by definition a City Region is a region focused on a city.

In the case of Liverpool I consider that this is right approach and that those areas not in the centre of the city should be committed to it and to its improvement and development.

I think you have partly reinforced my main point, cities got a lot of regeneration in the noughties and investment, but towns haven’t and they are declining, the City region concept is badly flawed and suits the city best, it is a bodge that followed the smashing up of traditional regional planning

 

[frodshamfella]

What Manchester-Kirkby ones? This would simply involve shifting the buffer stops one station along. They would be Manchester-Headbolt Lane trains.

Oh i didnt realise the Manchester train would not serve Kirkby anymore, would the long term plan be Manchester to Skelmersdale and end there. With Merseyrail continuing west from there on ?

 

[frodshamfella]

The Merseyrail network in my opinion is really good and its great to have it, many city regions are less lucky. It should be enhanced and improved wherever possible so more from the region can benefit from it and leave their cars at home.