The Anonymous Widower

A Railway Station At Liverpool University

In Liverpool’s Forgotten Tunnel, I showed this map, which shows a proposed reopening of the Wapping Tunnel as a passenger route between Liverpool Central and Edge Hill stations.

Note.

1. The map shows a station at University
2. The Wapping Tunnel is shown as a dotted blue line.
3. Between four and eight trains per hour (tph) would be running through University station.

This Google Map shows the line of the tunnel.

Note.

1. Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral is in the North-West corner of the map.
2. Much of area of the map is taken up by buildings of Liverpool University.
3. Crown Street Park is in the South-East corner of the map and contains one of the ventilating shafts for the tunnel.
4. Blackburne Place in the South-West corner of the map contains another ventilating shaft.

The location of the shafts, probably means that the tunnel runs vaguely along Myrtle Street.

Not knowing that area of the campus well, it could be where Grove and Myrtle Streets intersect.

This Google Map shows the area.

It should be noted that this area of Liverpool is built on sandstone and tunnelling isn’t the most challenging operation, so it might be possible to create a very passenger-friendly station.

Passenger Services Through The Station

I think that my best estimate of passenger service through the station would be as follows.

Frequency

The frequency would be between four and eight tph. These are quite low frequencies for a modern railway and Merseyrail exceeds this frequency in several places.

Westbound

Currently, trains on the Northern Line branches to Ormskirk and Kirkby appear to turnback at Liverpool Central station. So it would appear, that it would be more likely, that Westbound services at Liverpool University station would terminate at Kirkby or Ormskirk.

Passengers wanting to travel to and from stations on the Wirral Line, would need to change at Liverpool Central station.

Eastbound

Currently, local services out of Liverpool Lime Street, that are run by Northern, are as follows.

• Half hourly service to Manchester Oxford Road (via Warrington Central, most local stations)
• Hourly service to Manchester Airport (via Warrington Central and Manchester Piccadilly, limited stop)
• Hourly service to Blackpool North (limited stop)
• Half hourly service to Wigan North Western (via St Helens Central, all stations)
• Hourly service to Crewe (via Newton-le-Willows, Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport, all stations)
• Hourly service to Warrington Bank Quay (via Earlestown, all stations)

Note.

1. The services actually add up to eight tph.
2. As Merseyrail’s new Class 777 trains will have a pantograph for 25 KVAC overhead electrification and a battery capability, they could be used on all routes.
3. But I do think that the trains may not be suitable for all routes because of their 75 mph operating speed.
4. It might be better to serve Blackpool North station by extending an hourly Ormskirk service to Preston and Blackpool North, with stops at all stations.

So could the services Eastbound from Liverpool University station be as follows.

• Half hourly service to Manchester Oxford Road (via Warrington Central, most local stations)
• Half hourly service to Wigan North Western (via St Helens Central, all stations)
• Hourly service to Warrington Bank Quay (via Earlestown, all stations)

The services add up to five tph and I would expect selective increases would balance the services, so that eight tph ran through Liverpool University and Edge Hill stations.

August 21, 2020 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Liverpool Central Station, Liverpool University, Liverpool University Station, Merseyrail Northern Line, New Stations, Wapping Tunnel