Totally agree. That's why Liverpool to Manchester needs additional lines. It seems to me that the cheapest and most cost-effective way of doing this will be passing loops of the Chat Moss route, rather than building a whole new line.
In particular:
- I think there is space for a third track from West of Earlstown to East of Newton-le-Willows, to allow the hourly stoppers to lurk on a bi-directional centre line, allowing faster trains to pass. There might even be space for two extra lines, to allow a full quadding of that section.
- Similarly, there seems to be space to the north of Patricroft and Eccles stations for a third fast line to allow overtaking, though some minimal demolition might be required here.
- Quad all the way from Broad Green to Huyton Junction. I don't suppose it would be worth grade separating Huyton Junction, though.
Looking at freight, it may be that the cheapest way to improve passenger capacity on the Chat Moss route would be to tell Drax to import their biomass through the Humber Ports instead of Liverpool.
I don't think you know the line well enough unfortunately.
There is no space between Earlestown Station and Newton le Willows station for any additional lines due to the existing built up area either side of the line. Also there is Newton Railway Bridge / Viaduct as that is only two line structure and is an original L&M structure too. The line leading to that viaduct is on an embankment and Newton le Willows Station is built on that embankment after the viaduct. Going further east, the two bridges over the railway, one being the M6, only allow two tracks underneath.
As for quad all the way to Broadgreen from Huyton, that will not change anything (or increase capacity) as the 'passing' loops are already in place being the up and down slow lines between Roby and Huyton Junctions. All you are doing is moving the bottle neck to Broadgreen. May be you could suggest removing the M62 road bridge at Broadgreen and welcome back the four track section through Olive Mount cutting again but where is the road traffic going to go? Utter chaos!!!
As for freight, biomass is not the only commodity that is moved by rail on that section, you also have scrap, stone and intermodal, with the latter likely to increase again. Please remember, emphasis is taking freight off the road not decrease it especially to and from the docks. Likewise Peel Holdings are also increasing the rail capacity at Seaforth C.T. If you wish to have extra road traffic especially more trucks on the roads, then I'm happy for you to have it instead.
I will not express any thoughts on the Patricroft to Eccles section, as I do not know the area well enough on either side of the line except that M602 runs along side it for some part and there are certainly residential area's on the south side of the line too.
Please also remember that although the L&M line was built to connect the two cities together, it was also to serve the various communities in between too and that need is still there today, even more so but presently there is an hourly rubbish service on it which is NOT serving the needs of those communities. Again the emphasis for that line is to increase the frequency to at least two stopper trains per hour, that lone would benefit both cities.
Likewise any HS line being considered to link the two cities, which city do you think it will benefit more from it? I certainly don't think it is the one that sits on the River Mersey, therefore I don't see no point in considering it!
Finally I've noted there seems to be a number of members adding their views to this thread (which they are entitled too) but don't even come from or reside in the areas in question - I find that odd. Sorry!