LIVERPOOL LIME STREET RAILWAY STATION

'Liverpool Lime Street railway station' on Lime Street is the mainline railway station serving Liverpool, England. The station lies on the Liverpool branch of the West Coast Main Line to London Euston and Glasgow Central.

Contents

History

Layout and future expansion

Mainline

Low level

Current operations

Low Level

External links

History

In the early days of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, the Liverpool terminus was located at Crown Street, in Edge Hill, officially opened in 1830. Construction of a purpose-built station began in October 1833, the land being purchased from Liverpool Corporation for £9000. A tunnel was constructed between Edge Hill and the new station (starting in 1832, prior to station construction), and the station was opened to the public in August of 1836, although construction was not completed until the following year. Because of the steep incline between Lime Street and Edge Hill, trains were stopped at Edge Hill, their locomotives removed, and the passenger carriages taken down by gravity, descent controlled by brakemen. The return journey was achieved by using a stationary engine to haul the carriages up with rope.
Within six years, the rapid growth of the railways meant that the original station needed to be extended, and a plan was made to erect an iron roof similar to that found at Euston station in London, ridge roofs supported by iron columns; however, Richard Turner and William Fairburn submitted a design for a single curved roof, which won the approval of the station committee. The work cost £15,000, and was completed in 1849. The station was one of the first to send mail by train. A second roof was added in the 1880s. The North Western Hotel designed by Alfred Waterhouse, was built in front of the station - this still stands, having been converted to accommodation for students of Liverpool John Moores University.
Lime Street was part of the first stage of electrification of the West Coast Main Line in 1959. In 1966, the station saw the launch of the first InterCity service.
Lime Street was voted the equal worst of the 20 busiest UK train stations in a 2007 poll.^[1]

Layout and future expansion

Liverpool Lime Street is divided into two sections: the mainline station, which serves national and local overground services, and the Merseyrail Wirral Line station, located underground at the foot of St George’s Hall.

Mainline

The mainline station is still covered by the vast iron and glass roofs dating from the 1880s.Platform 1 is used for express services to Blackpool North. Platform 2 for services to Wigan North Western. Platform 3 & 4 for services on the Rainhill line. Platform 5 is for Transpennine Express services to Yorkshire. Platform 6 is usually used but not all the time for services to Birmingham New Street via Runcorn or Manchester Oxford Road via Warrington Central. Platform 7 is solely used for London Euston trains. Platform 8 is used for the Central Trains services to Birmingham New Street and Platform 9 is used by Central Trains services to Norwich and frequent Transpennine Express trains depart here.
In line with Liverpool's role as European Capital of Culture in 2008, and the city's 800th anniversary in 2007, the station and its immediate surroundings will receive a £35 million redevelopment. The Lime Street Gateway Project will see the current retail parade and office block in front of the station demolished, and an improved frontage and public plaza built. The development will be overseen by English Partnerships.

Low level

The low level station is entirely underground, and consists of a single platform, alongside the ''Liverpool Loop'', a single track tunnel excavated in the 1970s, and a ticket hall above. The station is connected to the Main Line station by means of a pedestrian subway and escalators, and by a lift, accessed via a long passageway which crosses beneath Lime Street itself.
As part of a programme of improvements by Merseytravel, the station has recently been fitted with automatic ticket barriers and machines.

Current operations

Northern Rail operate services to:-
Manchester Victoria via Huyton (And occasionally extended to Rochdale/Stalybridge/Todmorden,
Warrington Bank Quay,
Manchester Oxford Road via Warrington Central,
Manchester Aiport via St. Helens Junction,
Wigan North Western,
Blackpool North/Morecambe,
Northern use Class 142, Class 150 & Class 156 on all of these routes.
Central Trains operate services to:-
Norwich/Nottingham
Birmingham New Street
Central Trains use Class 158 Sprinters and Class 170 Turbostars on the Norwich route and use Class 350 Desiros on Birmingham routes.
Transpennine Express run services to:-
Newcastle
Middlesbrough
Scarborough
York
There is two daily services to Middlesbrough from Lime Street, two nightly services to York, one morning service to Newcastle, and hourly services to Scarborough.
Virgin Trains operate to London Euston calling at different stations each time, but always calling at Runcorn & Crewe...

Low Level

Merseyrail is the only operator using the low level station.

★ Wirral Line (Liverpool Loop) services to New Brighton, West Kirby, Chester and Ellesmere Port.

★ Access to the Northern Line (serving Southport, Ormskirk, Kirkby and Hunts Cross) is via foot or the Wirral Line to Liverpool Central station.

External links

★ Station information for Liverpool Lime Street from Network Rail

★ Station information for Liverpool Lime Street (Underground) from Merseyrail