The Anonymous Widower

Could Train Services At Liverpool Lime Street Station Be Made Carbon-Free?

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows Liverpool Lime Street station.

Note.

1. There are ten platforms, which are arranged in two sets of five.
2. Electrified tracks are shown in red.
3. The lilac track is the loop of the underground Wirral Line.

It would appear that the station is fully electrified.

Services To And From Liverpool Lime Street 

These services currently run to and from Liverpool Lime Street station.

• Avanti West Coast – London Euston – 1 tph – Electric
• East Midlands Railway – Norwich – 1 tph – Diesel – Electrified to Liverpool South Parkway – 25.2 miles to electrification at Trafford Park.
• London Northwestern Railway – Birmingham New Street – 1 tph – Electric
• Northern – Blackpool North – 1 tph – Electric
• Northern – Manchester Airport – 1 tph – Electric
• Northern – Manchester Oxford Road – 1 tph – Diesel – Electrified to Liverpool South Parkway – 25.2 miles to electrification at Trafford Park.
• Northern – Warrington Central – 1 tph – Diesel – Electrified to Liverpool South Parkway – 12.7 miles to Warrington Central.
• Northern – Wigan North Western – 2 tph – Electric
• TransPennine Express – Cleethorpes – 1 tph – Electric – Electrified to Liverpool South Parkway – 25.2 miles to electrification at Trafford Park.
• TransPennine Express – Glasgow – 2 tpd – Electric
• TransPennine Express – Hull – 1 tph – Electric
• TransPennine Express – Newcastle – 1 tph – Electric
• Transport for Wales – Chester – 1 tph – Diesel – Electrified to Runcorn – 13.9 miles to Chester.

Note.

1. tpd is trains per day
2. tph is trains per hour
3. There are nine electric services and four diesel services.

It looks to me, that by using battery-electric trains on the four diesel services, Liverpool Lime Street station can be made carbon-free.

Distances on battery power for each service would be as follows.

• East Midlands Railway – Norwich – Both ways – 25.2 miles between Liverpool South Parkway and Trafford Park with charging at both ends.
• Northern – Manchester Oxford Road – Both ways – 25.2 miles between Liverpool South Parkway and Trafford Park with charging at both ends.
• Northern – Warrington Central – Both ways – 12,7 miles between Liverpool South Parkway and Warrington Central with charging between Liverpool Lime Street and Liverpool South Parkway.
• Transport for Wales – Chester – Both ways – 13.9 miles between Runcorn and Chester with charging between Liverpool Lime Street and Runcorn.

Note the flexibility of battery-electric trains allows a variety of charging regimes.

Conclusion

Liverpool Lime Street Station can be made carbon-free

October 20, 2023 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Avanti West Coast, Decarbonisation, East Midlands Railway, Liverpool Lime Street Station, Northern Trains, TransPennine Express, Transport for Wales