Headbolt Lane Station Tipped For Go-Ahead
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Place North West.
This is the first paragraph.
Knowsley Council’s December planning committee is expected to approve Network Rail’s plans for a new station in Kirkby.
The article also says that the station could open by Spring 2023.
I wonder, if Liverpudlians will create Headbolt Lane station in record time, as they did a few miles down the line at Maghull North station, which I wrote about in How To Build A Station In Nine Months.
If they do open in early 2023, it is likely to be the first new rail line in the UK, that has been designed to be run by battery-electric trains.
As Liverpudlians like to be first, I would expect that this station will open by Spring 2023. Judging by Network Rail’s performance on bringing the Dartmoor Line to Okehampton station back into service, I don’t suspect it is an impossible dream.
Liverpool’s Vision For Rail
This document on the Liverpool City Region web site is entitled Metro Mayor’s Vision Of A Merseyrail for All Takes Vital Step Forward With Successful Trial Of New Battery-Powered Trains.
It makes these points in the first part of the document.
- Game-changing technology paves way for Merseyrail network expansion across the Liverpool City Region and beyond
- Merseyrail services could reach as far as Wrexham and Preston
- City Region is at the forefront of the introduction of pioneering energy efficient technology.
The new battery-powered trains would certainly go a long way to enable, these objectives.
- Battery-powered trains would need a range of 26.9 miles to go between Bidston and Wrexham stations.
- Battery-powered trains would need a range of 15.3 miles to go between Ormskirk and Preston stations.
This link is to the North Cheshire Rail User Group’s Newsletter for Spring 2021.
This is said about battery range of the new Class 777 trains.
Later model Class 777’s have the ability to leave the 3rd rail and operate under battery power for 20 miles or more with a full load thus
permitting expansion of the Merseyrail network beyond its current limits.
I suspect they will also have regenerative braking to batteries, which will increase the range and allow Preston and Wrexham stations to be achieved without charge.
It certainly sounds like Preston and Wrexham and all the intermediate stations, will be added to the Merseyrail network.
As to the third point above about the introduction of pioneering energy efficient technology, I suspect this is mainly regenerative braking to batteries and replacement of elderly worn-out power supply equipment.
There is more in the Liverpool City Region document.
Expanding Merseyrail
This is said.
The game-changing technology could allow the Merseyrail network to extend across all six city region boroughs to places like Rainhill in St Helens, Woodchurch on the Wirral and Widnes in Halton.
It could also allow the new fleet to operate as far afield as Skelmersdale, Wrexham, Warrington and Runcorn.
Note.
- A 25 KVAC capability could well be needed. But that is built into the Class 777 trains.
- Chargers could be needed at some of these stations. I suspect Stadler have a Swiss manufacturer in mind.
In the run-up to May’s elections, the Mayor pledged to deliver ‘Merseyrail for All, a commitment to connecting under-served communities to the Merseyrail network.
New Stations
Initially the battery-powered trains, which are considerably greener, using up to 30% less energy than the existing fleet, are set to run on services to a planned new station at Headbolt Lane, Kirkby.
The wider Merseyrail for All programme could ensure every community is well served by an integrated public transport network and new and refurbished train stations are also high on the agenda.
They could include:
- The Baltic Triangle in Liverpool
- Carr Mill in St Helens
- Woodchurch on the Wirral
Note.
- The Baltic Triangle station will be built on the site of the former Liverpool St. James station.
- The Carr Mill station will probably be built on the site of the former Carr Mill station.
- Woodchurch station is likely to be built on the Borderlands Line between Upton and Heswall stations.
Tram-Trains And Trackless Trams
The document says this.
Tram-Train technology and trackless trams will also be looked at as potential means of extending the Merseyrail network into hard-to-reach places. The technology could benefit areas such as Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Speke, Kirkby Town Centre, Southport Town Centre, Wirral Waters and the Knowledge Quarter.
Tram-trains built by Stadler in Valencia are already running in Sheffield and in the next few years they should be deployed on the South Wales Metro.
TStadler are also building Merseyrail’s new Class 777 trains, so I suspect they’ll go together like peaches and cream.
The Belgian firm; Van Hool have a product called Exquicity. This video shows them working in Pau in France.
These tram buses run on rubber types and are powered by hydrogen.
Similar buses running in Belfast are diesel-electric.
Could these be what the document refers to as trackless trams?
Battery Train Trials
The article finishes with this summary of the battery train trials. This is said.
Under the battery trials, financed by the Transforming Cities Fund, one of the new class 777 trains fitted with the battery technology was tested on the Northern line.
The batteries exceeded expectations with the trains travelling up to 20 miles per run without the need for re-charging.
The battery trains would remove the need for the third ‘electric’ rail, enabling the trains to travel beyond the existing network without major track investment.
The units passed all tests during four weeks of trials on the City Region’s rail network in May and June.
The Combined Authority and partners are still assessing the full impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on the programme and will provide more information regarding the roll out as soon as it has been agreed.
It looks to me, if all these plans get implemented successfully, Liverpool City Region will have one of the best public transport systems of any similar-sized cities in the world.
The Full Plan As A Map
This article on the BBC is entitled Battery-Powered Trains Part Of Merseyrail Expansion Plan.
The article contains this map.
There is no key or explanation, but it appears that the pink lines are new routes, where Merseyrail will run trains.
Before I discuss each of the possible routes, I will discuss two big factors, that will affect a lot of my thinking.
The West Coast Main Line
Avanti West Coast have the following stops in trains per hour (tph) at these stations on the West Coast Main Line as its trains pass the East of Merseyside to and from London Euston.
- Crewe – At least 5 tph
- Warrington Bank Quay – At least 2 tph
- Preston – At least 1 tph
These frequencies are in addition to these direct trains from London Euston.
- 1 tph to Liverpool Lime Street, which will rise to 2 tph in the December 2022, with a call at Liverpool South Parkway station.
- Occasional services to Chester throughout the day.
Passengers do not have to go via Liverpool Lime Street to travel to London.
In addition. there are useful services run by TransPennine Express between Liverpool Lime Street and Scotland, that call at Preston.
In Future; High Speed Two
This will call at Crewe, Liverpool Lime Street, Liverpool South Parkway, Preston and Warrington.
Northern Trains
Northern Trains were in all sorts of troubles and the service is now run directly by the Government’s Operator of Last Resort. I suspect that any reasonable offer to takeover over a service will be looked at favourably.
I will now look at Merseyrail’s new routes.
Ormskirk And Southport Via The Burscough Curve
Consider.
- This route has been a long term aspiration of Merseyrail.
- A curve between Burscough Bridge and Burscough Junction will have to be rebuilt on a former alignment.
- Southport and Ormskirk are about 13 miles apart.
- Southport and Ormskirk have third-rail electrified lines to Liverpool and the South.
It would be an ideal route for battery-electric trains with a range of 20 miles.
What would it do for passengers?
- It gives those living near five stations a direct link to Liverpool.
- It gives Southport a town of over 91,000 people more capacity to the city of Liverpool for jobs, leisure and shopping.
- Will it open up more opportunities for new housing in villages like Burscough?
It will certainly give Merseyrail operational advantages to Southport.
Ormskirk And Preston
Consider.
- Takeover of this Northern Trains route has been a long term aspiration of Merseyrail.
- Preston and Ormskirk are about 15.3 miles and 32 minutes apart.
- Omskirk has 750 VDC third-rail electrification and Preston has 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- The Class 777 trains have been built so they can be updated to dual voltage.
It certainly looks to be a route that could be handled by a battery-electric Class 777 train.
What would it do for passengers?
- It gives those living near the Ormskirk and Preston Line a direct link to Liverpool.
- It creates a direct link in modern electric trains between North Liverpool and Preston, for onward travel on West Coast Main Line services and High Speed Two in the future.
- The journey time could be reduced to under thirty minutes.
As football is so important to the Liverpool economy, would a time around forty-five minutes between Preston and Sandhills station tempt football supporters going to Anfield and Goodison Park to use the train and then perhaps a trackless tram to the stadium?
This Google map shows the location of Anfield, Goodison Park and Sandhills station.
Note.
- Anfield is in the bottom-right corner of the map and is marked by a red arrow.
- Goodison is in the top-right corner of the map, slightly to the West of Anfield.
- Sandhills station is in the bottom-left corner of the map.
Both stadia are around a mile and a half from the station.
Southport And Preston
Once the Ormskirk and Southport and Ormskirk and Preston services are up and running, it would surely be possible to run a Southport and Preston service.
- There would be a reverse at Ormskirk.
- The two sections of Ormskirk and Southport and Ormskirk and Preston would both need battery power.
- Whilst the driver changed ends at Ormskirk, the train would be recharged using a fast and efficient charger.
- Times between Southport and Preston would be under an hour.
It certainly looks to be a route that could be handled by a battery-electric Class 777 train.
What would it do for passengers?
- It gives those living in Southport, a direct link to Preston.
- It creates a direct link in modern electric trains between Southport and Preston, for onward travel on West Coast Main Line services and High Speed Two in the future.
This service could be very valuable for passengers, but I suspect the route could be implemented with minimal infrastructure changes at Ormskirk station.
Ormskirk Station
This picture shows Ormskirk’s single platform from the Merseyrail end.
Note.
- The Liverpool train in the foreground.
- The Preston train in the background.
- The solid barrier between the trains.
I wonder if the following would be possible with the barrier removed.
- The long platform would be treated as one platform divided into two.
- Perhaps they will be the Liverpool and Preston/Southport platform,
- Trains that will leave the station for Liverpool will stop in the Liverpool platform.
- Trains that will leave the station for Preston or Southport will stop in the Preston/Southport platform.
- Through trains between Liverpool and Preston or Southport would be possible.
- A train between Preston and Southport could reverse in the Preston/Southport platform, whilst trains for Liverpool used the Liverpool platform.
It looks like it’s an efficient layout borrowed from somewhere else. and Stadler have probably seen it before.
Headbolt Lane Station
In Headbolt Lane Station Fly-Through, I described the new Headbolt Lane station.
This screen capture is from the video in that post,
Note.
- Two platforms going away from the camera and one platform and what looks to be a siding going towards the camera.
- There appears to be no direct connection between the two different sets of tracks.
Until proven wrong, I believe that the camera is looking towards Liverpool, as it would mean that Liverpool services had two platforms. But they currently make do with one at Kirkby.
There is a walk through between the tracks, which
- Enables passengers to access the second platform.
- Allows passengers to enter the station from the other side.
- Allows non-passengers to cross the tracks on the level.
- Avoids the need to build a bridge.
It is certainly an innovative design.
If occasional trains need to go through, could there be a lift-out section of the walk-through?
But as there are buffer stops on the tracks in the three platforms, that are either side of the walk-through, I suspect it will never happen, as it’s too much hassle.
In the Wikipedia entry for Headbolt Lane station this is said.
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority announced in July 2021 that a trial of a battery electric multiple unit (BEMU) version of the new Class 777 will serve the new station, when it opens. This will not require all of the line extension to Headbolt Lane to be electrified.
Merseyrail would appear to have neatly side-stepped, the Office of Road and Rail’s policy of no more third-rail electrification.
But I’m sure Merseyrail could put an approved train-charging system in the station.
- They would need one if a Class 777 train arrived with a flat battery.
- They would need one to charge trains on the Headbolt Lane and Skelmersdale service, if the service were to be run by battery-electric trains.
- They would need one to charge trains on the Headbolt Lane and Wigan Wallgate service, if the service were to be run by battery-electric trains.
The system could be based on a short length of overhead wire and a slim pantograph or a system like Railbaar from Furrer + Frey.
But does it give any clues as to the orientation of the station in the video?
- As there are three platforms and a siding, that meet at Headbolt Lane station, all could be fitted with chargers. to make sure the services are reliable.
- Liverpool services could be handled at either end, as it only needs one platform.
- Skelmersdale and Wigan services could probably share a platform, but they would be better surely using two platforms.
- The siding could be created into a platform for extra services to be added to the Merseyrail network
So there is no pressing reason, why the station cannot be North or South of the railway.
I suspect road layout and land use issues will eventually decide, the orientation of the station.
Headbolt Lane And Skelmersdale
Consider.
- This has been a long term aspiration of Merseyrail and Lancashire County Council.
- Headbolt Lane and Skelmersdale are just a few miles apart.
- Direct running between Liverpool and Skelmersdale will not be possible, but it will be a step-free change between trains.
The Wikipedia entry for Headbolt Lane station seems to indicate a proposed extension of the Northern Line with the next stop being the existing Rainford station. This would surely not add greatly to costs and bring Merseyrail to more fare-paying customers.
It certainly looks to be a route that could be handled by a battery-electric Class 777 train.
What would it do for passengers?
- Skelmersdale is a town of nearly 39,000 and is said to be one of the largest towns in England without a rail connection.
- At Headbolt Lane passengers will be able to change for Liverpool or Manchester.
A lot of passengers will have received a modern train service.
Headbolt Lane And Wigan
Consider.
- This service is currently run by Northern trains.
- Kirkby and Wigan Wallgate stations are just over twelve miles apart.
- Someone, who should know told me that by the time High Speed Two starts running through Wigan at a frequency of two tph, the two Wigan stations will have been combined.
- Headbolt Lane station could be the drop-off point for those needing to go to Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow and London on both the current West Coast Main Line and the future High Speed Two.
What better way to start that journey than on one of Merseyrail’s battery-electric Class 777 trains.
What would it do for passengers?
With modern battery-electric trains linking Headbolt Lane station to the combined Wigan station complex, this route could be the zero-carbon route between large parts of Liverpool and cantres of tourism and employment along and to the East of the M6 and the West Coast Main Line.
Liverpool South Parkway And Warrington Central
Consider.
- This would be takeover of part of the current Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Oxford Road service.
- The map shows the service going at least as far as Warrington Central station.
- Stations between Hunts Cross and Warrington Central include Halewood, Hough Green, Widnes, Sankey and the new Warrington West stations.
Distances are as follows.
- Liverpool South Parkway and Liverpool Lime Street – 5.5 miles
- Liverpool South Parkway and Warrington Central – 12.7 miles
- Liverpool South Parkway and Trafford Park – 25.4 miles
- Liverpool South Parkway and Manchester Oxford Road – 28.7 miles
The following sections of the route have 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- Liverpool South Parkway and Liverpool Lime Street
- East of Trafford Park.
With a bit more electrification at either end, the whole route should be in range of a battery-electric Class 777 train.
Or the Class 777 trains could be fitted with bigger batteries!
It certainly looks to be a route that could be handled by a battery-electric Class 777 train.
What would it do for passengers?
- This is a route that has needed decent trains for years and has finally got new Class 195 trains.
- But, in addition, the battery-electric Class 777 trains would decarbonise the route.
The major problem, though is not infrastructure or trains, but surely Andy Burnham, who is the outspoken Mayor of Greater Manchester and could object to Merseyrail invading his patch.
Merseyrail’s Cheshire Ambitions
This is a section of the map shown on the BBC article, showing Cheshire.
It looks like there could be as many as three routes.
- Chester and Crewe
- Chester and Runcorn East
- Ellesmere Port and Runcorn East
I’ll now cover the routes in detail.
Chester And Crewe
Consider.
- This would be a takeover by Merseyrail of the existing Trains for Wales service.
- Chester And Crewe are about 21,2 miles and 25 minutes apart.
- Chester has 750 VDC third-rail electrification and Crewe has 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- The Class 777 trains have been built so they can be updated to dual voltage.
- There is a proposal, that Beeston Castle and Tarporley station be re-opened.
It certainly looks to be a route that could be handled by a battery-electric Class 777 train.
What would it do for passengers?
- If trains will run between Crewe and Liverpool, this creates a second route between the two major stations.
- It creates a direct link in modern electric trains between The Wirral and Crewe, for onward travel on West Coast Main Line services and High Speed Two in the future.
- The journey time could be reduced by enough to increase service frequency on the route.
I This would be a very useful extension of the Merseyrail network.
Chester And Runcorn East
Consider.
- This would be a takeover by Merseyrail of the existing Trains for Wales service.
- Chester And Runcorn East are about 13.1 miles apart.
- Two stations and five miles further on is Warrington Bank Quay station.
- Chester has 750 VDC third-rail electrification and Warrington Bank Quay has 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- The Class 777 trains have been built so they can be updated to dual voltage.
It certainly looks to be a route that could be handled by a battery-electric Class 777 train.
What would it do for passengers?
- It would enable a Merseyrail circular route from Liverpool Lime Street to Chester via Edge Hill, Wavertree Technology Park, Broad Green, Roby, Huyton, Whiston, Rainhill, Lea Green, St Helens Junction, Warrington Bank Quay, Frodsham, Runcorn East and Helsby.
- After Chester, it could take the Wirral Line back to Liverpool to make it a true Mersey Circular service.
Would a Mersey Circular service be a good idea?
Ellesmere Port And Runcorn East
Consider.
- This been a long term aspiration of Merseyrail.
- This would be a takeover by Merseyrail of the infrequent Northern Rail service.
- Ellesmere Port And Runcorn East are about 10.8 miles apart.
- Two stations and five miles further on is Warrington Bank Quay station.
- Ellesmere Port has 750 VDC third-rail electrification and Warrington Bank Quay has 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- The Class 777 trains have been built so they can be updated to dual voltage.
It certainly looks to be a route that could be handled by a battery-electric Class 777 train.
What would it do for passengers?
- It would certainly improve rail transport along the South Bank of the Mersey from Ellesmere Port to Warrington Bank Quay or Runcorn East depending on the Eastern terminus.
- If the terminal were to be Warrington Bank Quay that would sort out the charging.
- It could create a direct link in modern electric trains between Ellesmere Port and Warrington Bank Quay, for onward travel on West Coast Main Line services and High Speed Two in the future.
I feel that an Ellesmere Port and Warrington Bank Quay service would be good for the area.
The Borderlands Line
I’ve left the Borderlands Line to last, as I feel it will be a lot more than commuter and leisure line between Liverpool and Wrexham.
- It crosses the border between England and Wales
- The line is 26.9 miles of double track, with a single-track extension of under two miles between the two Wrexham stations.
- It has over twenty stations with more planned in both countries
- It crosses a couple of rivers on long steel bridges.
- It brings commuters to Liverpool and takes workers to the high-tech factories of companies like Airbus and Toyota on Deeside.
- It connects to a lot of golf courses, one of which is the Open Championship course at Royal Liverpool.
- Once in Wales it has two connections to the North Wales Coast Line, which runs between Chester and holyhead.
It is no ordinary railway and is ripe for improvement to bridge passengers to employment sites and leisure areas along its route.
The line has one big problem in that passengers need to change trains at Bidston between Liverpool and Wrexham stations.
- Between Bidston and Liverpool the Merseyrail electric trains to and from Hoylake are used and they turn in the Liverpool Loop under Liverpool City Centre calling at four stations before returning.
- Between Bidston and Wrexham, diesel multiple units are used.
It is a route design straight out of the 1970s of men with minds without imagination. Even British Rail were designing battery-electric trains in the 1950s, which I wrote about in Did The Queen Ever Ride In This Train?.
Merseyrail intend to right the wrongs of the past using battery-electric Class 777 trains.
- As electric versions of these trains will be used on the Liverpool and Hoylake service, there would be no need to change trains at Bidston if the Liverpool and Wrexham trains were just a battery-electric version of the same train.
- The Wrexham trains would drive round the Liverpool Loop tunnel as hundreds of trains do every day.
- The trains would be charged on the existing third-rail electrification at the Liverpool end.
- I’m fairly certain that a frequency of two tph would be possible on the route, if the Liverpool Loop tunnel signalling could cope,
- Trains would need to be charged at the Wexham end of the route and I’m sure Stadler have a solution.
It would be an efficient and cost effective way to decarbonise a tricky but useful branch line.
Conclusion
Stadler are playing their full orchestra of ideas on Merseyrail.
When completed, it will be one of the best metros of any urban areas up to a million people in the world.
This metro could do for Liverpool, what the Beatles did for the city in the 1960s.
Boost for Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle Area As A Further £1.5m Invested By Combined Authority In New Railway Station Scheme
The title of this post, is the same as that of this story on the Liverpool City Region web site.
These three opening paragraphs give most of the details of the story.
Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle area has been given a big boost as plans to build a new station have moved to the next stage thanks to a £1.5m investment by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram has pledged to build a new station on the site of the former St James station, which closed in 1917, which would be located in one of the fastest growing areas of the city, near to the former Cains Brewery.
Those proposals for the station on the Merseyrail network are a step closer thanks to two new developments – an agreement with Network Rail, worth £1.2m, to start the next stage of the design process, and the purchase of a plot of land adjacent to the railway cutting off Stanhope Street for £300k, protecting a potential future site for the new station ticket office building.
As Liverpool St. James station, closed over a hundred years ago, this must be one of the longest times to reopen a station, anywhere in the world.
This Google Map shows the location of the proposed station.
Note.
- The deep dark cutting going under the major road junction, where Upper Parliament Street and the A571 cross.
- The square of roads formed mainly by Ashwell Street, with Stanhope Street in the South, above the cutting.
- Contained in the cutting is Merseyrail’s Northern Line on which the station will be built.
- I also suspect, that the triangular plot of land on the East side of the tracks, is the one mentioned in the extract. It could easily be the place for a ticket office with lifts to the platforms.
Only Liverpudlians would choose to build a station at the bottom of a deep hole.
But then they don’t think like others!
I have a few thoughts and questions.
Will It Be Dark On The Platforms?
This was one of my first thoughts, as there’s nothing worse than a dark station. I also wonder, if one of the reasons the station closed was lack of passengers caused by the darkness.
This picture taken from the story, shows the cutting from the bottom.
Note.
- Aligning this picture with the map, Liverpool Central is behind us and Hunts Cross is through the tunnel.
- Perhaps on a good day more light gets into the cutting.
I suspect that modern lighting on the platforms could solve the problem.
It appears that the station opened in 1874 and closed in 1917, but the lines through the station were not electrified until 1983.
So as the station must have been served by steam-hauled trains, during its brief opening at the turn of the Nineteenth Century, it must have had a terrible atmosphere on the platforms.
Hopefully, the only smell, that will emanate from the new Class 777 trains, will be one of newness.
What Is On The Triangular Plot?
This Google Map shows the triangular plot of land, that could be used for the ticket office.
Note.
- It looks very much to be a builder’s yard or a store for building materials, as I can definitely make out packs of bricks and bags of aggregate.
- As there appears to be a steel staircase down to the tracks at the top of the image, it might even be something to do with Network Rail.
- The steel staircase is visible in the picture of the tracks.
- The plot certainly doesn’t contain any buildings of architectural merit.
- I also can’t see a pond, which might contain newts or other protected wildlife.
It would appear to be an ideal site for a station building, with all the necessary facilities.
More Information And Pictures Of The Former Station
This page on the Disused Stations web site, gives extra information to Wikipedia about the station and has some interesting pictures.
How Will The Platforms Be Accessed?
It is a long way for steps, as especially as new stations are generally built step-free.
Merseyrail already have a pair of almost identical stations; Kirkdale and Wavertree Technology Park, which both opened in 2000.
These pictures show Kirkdale station.
I suspect, platform access at Liverpool St. James station of a similar design could be devised.
- The simplest design would surely be to put a bridge across the tracks from the ticket office, which had a large lift on both sides of the tracks direct to the platforms.
- Stairs from such a bridge could probably be added, but they would be long and complicated.
- It might need a two-stage process with lifts taking passengers down to a bridge over the trains and then stairs and more lifts or ramps to the platforms.
At least, as the line is electrified for third-rail, I doubt clearance will be needed for overhead wires.
Could The Station Have An Island Platform?
One of the comments suggested this. In addition, one picture on the Disused Stations web site appears to show three tracks through the station site.
So this could be an interesting possibility.
Conclusion
I think that we might see a very innovative design here, given Merseyrail’s past record.
New MerseyRail ‘Connected’ Trains
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Engineer.
It is an article that should be read, by anybody with an interest in either Merseyrail’s trains or modern urban rail networks in general. As Stadler, will be providing a fleet of trains for the Tyne and Wear Metro, I suspect a lot of the points made in the article can be expected to have parallels on that network as well.
What About The Signalling?
The article talks about the management of the signalling, but it says little about signalling in the future, although it does say that Merseyrail will be covered by a very high capacity digital network.
London’s Digital Signalling Revolution
In London, there are four tunnelled routes, that in a few years time will be running under full digital signalling.
- Crossrail
- East London Line
- Northern and City Line
- Thameslink
Note.
- Thameslink is already running upwards of twenty trains per hour (tph) using digital ERTMS signalling.
- Crossrail will be running 24 tph using digital ERTMS signalling.
- The East London Line currently handles 16 tph and will soon be handling 20 tph.
- The Northern and City Line will be going to digital ERTMS signalling, when it is applied to the Southern end of the East Coast Main Line.
- , In addition to the Circle, District, Jubilee, Metropolitan, Northern and Victoria Lines of the London Underground have digital signalling.
- Dear old Vicky is actually running 36 tph between two-platform stations at Brixton and Walthamstow Central.
- I wouldn’t bet against Vicky running the magic 40 tph, to become the most frequency line in the world.
All of these London systems, have one great advantage. In the tunnelled sections of the routes, there is generally only one class of fully digitally-equipped train, which must make system design and implementation easier.
Liverpool’s Digital Signalling Revolution
Consider.
- As the article says, Merseyrail now has a world-class high-capacity digital network, that is accessible by all of its trains.
- It has ordered 52 new Class 777 trains and has options for another sixty.
- There are proposals to extend the Merseyrail network to Manchester, Preston, Skelmersdale, Warrington, Wigan and Wrexham.
- The Northern Line runs at a frequency of 12 tph.
- The Wirral Line runs at a frequency of 14 tph.
- The loop Line has recently been relaid, so is probably high-quality track.
Compared to London’s tunnelled routes, the Northern and Wirral Lines are not handling a large number of trains.
But Liverpool now has a digital network to support the signalling and trains that could be upgraded to use it are arriving.
I wouldn’t be surprised to find that the maximum train frequency on Merseyrail is at least twenty tph or one train every three minutes.
What Would Twenty tph Do For The Wirral Line?
Currently, the following destinations are served by the Wirral Line and the services use the Loop under Liverpool City Centre.
- Chester – Four tph
- Ellesmere Port – Two tph
- New Brighton – Four tph
- West Kirby – Four tph
Note.
- The current frequency around the Loop is 14 tph.
- Merseyrail is proposing to extend the Ellesmere Port service to Helsby, using battery-equipped Class 777 trains
- There is also an hourly service from Bidston to Wrexham Central in the Borderlands Line.
- I can see no technical reason why, the Bidston and Wrexham service could not be run using battery-equipped Class 777 trains and terminating in the Loop.
Surely, the ultimate twenty tph service on the Wirral Line would be as follows.
- Chester – Four tph
- Helsby via Ellesmere Port – Four tph
- New Brighton – Four tph
- West Kirby – Four tph
- Wrexham Central – Four tph
All twenty tph would terminate in the Loop under Liverpool City Centre.
What Would Twenty tph Do For The Northern Line?
Currently, the following Northern destinations are served by the Northern Line.
And these Southern destinations are served.
- Liverpool Central – Eight tph
- Hunts Cross – Four tph
Note.
- The current frequency, through the central section is 12 tph.
- There is a proposal, that I wrote about in Liverpool’s Forgotten Tunnel for the trains terminating at Liverpool Central station to use the Wapping Tunnel to connect to the City Line.
- There is a proposal to extend the Ormskirk service to Preston, using battery-equipped Class 777 trains.
- There is a proposal to extend the Kirkby service to Headbolt Lane and Skelmersdale, using battery-equipped Class 777 trains.
- There must also be a possibility of a service that extends the Kirkby service to Wigan Wallgate, using battery-equipped Class 777 trains.
The service des appear to be biased towards the Northern end, with more possibilities there for extra trains than in the South.
This is why the plan to expand to the East through the Wapping Tunnel has evolved, as it gives the following possible destinations.
- Manchester Oxford Road
- Warrington Bank Quay
- Warrington Central
- Wigan North Western
Note.
- All destinations are currently served from Liverpool Lime Street by Northern.
- There must also be the possibility of a direct service to Liverpool Airport.
- There must also be the possibility of a service on the Canada Dock Branch to Bootle.
I can envisage between 12 and 16 tph through the Wapping Tunnel, which with the four tph to Hunts Cross could mean 16 to 20 tph on the Northern Line.
Conclusion
It would appear that a very frequent system can be developed on Merseyside, if frequencies common in London can be achieved.
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.
- The map shows a station at University
- The Wapping Tunnel is shown as a dotted blue line.
- Between four and eight trains per hour (tph) would be running through University station.
This Google Map shows the line of the tunnel.
Note.
- Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral is in the North-West corner of the map.
- Much of area of the map is taken up by buildings of Liverpool University.
- Crown Street Park is in the South-East corner of the map and contains one of the ventilating shafts for the tunnel.
- 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.
- The services actually add up to eight tph.
- 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.
- But I do think that the trains may not be suitable for all routes because of their 75 mph operating speed.
- 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.
Possibly One Of The Best Underground Railways In A Smaller City In The World!
I took these pictures, as I took the Wirral Line between James Street and Lime Street stations.
I do compare them with the dingy inside of Essex Road station, which was refurbished by British Rail about the same time.
Merseyrail’s stations and trains are generally immaculate and that can’t be said for the dirty and tired infrastructure on the Northern City Line. As I indicated in the title of this post, t is one of the best underground railways under the centre of a smaller city. Liverpool would probably be regarded as a second size of city as it lacks the several millions of London, Paris or Berlin.
The tunnels of Merseyrail’s Northern and Wirral Lines, would have been probably been used as a model for British Rail’s proposed Picc-Vic Tunnel, that sadly never got to be built!
Manchester would be very different today, if it had an underground railway across the City to the standard of that in Liverpool or Newcastle.
This map clipped from Wikipedia show the proposed route of the Picc-Vic Tunnel.
Some of the other proposals included.
- The tunnel would be twin bores and jus under three miles long.
- The tunnel would be electrified with 25 KVAC overhead wires.
- The rolling stock would have been Class 316 trains, which would have been similar to those on Merseyrail.
- Train frequency could have been forty trains per hour (tph)
In some ways the specification was more ambitious than Crossrail, which might be able to handle 30 tph, at some time in the future. But Dear Old Vicky, which was designed at the same time, is now handling forty tph.
Wikipedia says the following routes could have run through the tunnel.
Note.
- The Styal Line now provides the link to Manchester Airport.
- The route map on the Wikipedia entry, shows only Bury and Bolton as Northern destinations. But surely fanning out the trains could have run to Barrow-in-Furness, Blackburn, Blackpool, Burnley, Clitheroe, Colne, Hebden Bridge, Kirkby, Preston, Rawtenstall, Tochdale, Southport, Stalybridge, Todmorden, Wigan and Windermere
The only problem, I could see would be that there would need to be a lot of electrification North of Manchester, some of which has now been done.
There have also been developments in recent years that would fit nicely with a system of lines running through the Picc-Vic Tunnel.
More Services In Manchester Piccadilly And Manchester Victoria Stations
If you look at Liverpool Lime Street station after the remodelling of the last few years, the station is now ready for High Speed Two.
You could argue, that it would be more ready, if the Wapping Tunnel connected services to and from the East to the Northern Line, as I wrote about in Liverpool’s Forgotten Tunnel, as this would remove a lot of local trains from the station.
The Picc-Vic Tunnel would have done the same thing for Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria stations and removed the local services.
This would have left more space for High Speed Two and other long distance services.
Northern Powerhouse Rail
The original plan also envisaged an East-West Tunnel at a later date. – Northern Powerhouse Rail?
But the creation of capacity by the diversion of local services from Manchester Victoria into the Picc-Vic Tunnel, would surely have enabled the station to be developed thirty years ago as a station on an improved TransPennine route.
Tram-Trains
The system would have accepted tram-trains, which hadn’t been invented in the 1970s.
Manchester Airport
Manchester Airport had only one runway in the 1970s and I think only a few would have believed, it would have expanded like it has.
The Picc-Vic Tunnel would create a superb service to the Airport, at a frequency upwards of six tph.
High Speed Two
The Picc-Vic Tunnel would have created the capacity in for Manchester Piccadilly station and allowed High Speed Two services to use the station.
In The Rival Plans For Piccadilly Station, That Architects Say Will ‘Save Millions’, I talked about a radical plan for extending Manchester Piccadilly station for High Speed Two, that has been put forward by Weston Williamson; the architects.
This sort of scheme would also fit well with the Picc-Vic Tunnel.
Conclusion
Manchester was short-changed and not building the Picc-Vic Tunnel was a major mistake.
It would have created an underground railway in a similar mould to that of Liverpool’s, but it would probably have served a larger network.
They would probably be the best pair of underground railways for smaller cities in the world.
St. James Station To Reopen
This article on the Liverpool Echo is entitled Merseyside Set To Get Two New Train Stations As Part Of Massive Transport Investment.
One of the new stations will be a reopened Liverpool St. James station, which closed in 1917.
This Google Map shows the location of the station.
In the North-East corner is Liverpool’s Anglican cathedral.
In the South-West, there is a large road junction, where Parliament Street meets St. James Place. To the South-West of this junction, there is a black hole.
This Google Map shows a close-up of the hole.
Note the railway tracks in the dark of the hole.
This was where St. James station was located between Liverpool Central and Brunswick stations.
It would be a challenge to design a station, but one that a decent architect should enjoy.
This page on Disused Stations gives more details and several pictures of the station in all its glory.
Irlam Station To Go Step-Free
This document on the Government web site is entitled Access for All: 73 Stations Set To Benefit From Additional Funding.
Irlam station is on the list.
These pictures show the station and the current subway.
The station was a total surprise, with a large pub-cafe and a lot of visitors and/or travellers sitting in the sun.
I had an excellent coffee and a very welcoming gluten-free blueberry muffin!
This Google Map shows the station.
It is one of those stations where commuters have to cross the railway either on the way to work or coming home.
So a step-free method of crossing the railway is absolutely necessary.
The Current And Future Rail Service
As the station lies conveniently between Liverpool and Warrington to the West and Manchester and Manchester Airport to the East, it must be a station with tremendous potential for increasing the number of passengers.
At the moment the service is two trains per hour (tph) between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Oxford Road stations.
- Oxford Road is probably not the best terminus, as it is not on the Metrolink network.
- When I returned to Manchester, many passengers alighted at Deansgate for the Metrolink.
- On the other hand, Liverpool Lime Street is a much better-connected station and it is backed up by Liverpool South Parkway station, which has a connection to Merseyrail’s Northern Line.
- The current service doesn’t serve Manchester Piccadilly or Airport stations.
A guy in the cafe also told me that two tph are not enough and the trains are often too short.
Merseyrail work to the same principle as the London Overground and other cities of four tph at all times and the frequency certainly draws in passengers.
Whilst I was drinking my coffee, other trains past the station.
- One tph – Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Airport
- One tph – Liverpool Lime Street and Norwich
Modern trains like Northern’s new Class 195 trains, should be able to execute stops at stations faster than the elderly diesel trains currently working the route.
So perhaps, after Irlam station becomes step-free, the Manchester Airport service should call as well.
As Liverpool Lime Street station has been remodelled, I can see a time in the not too distant future, when that station can support four tph, that all stop at Irlam station.
The Manchester end of the route could be a problem, as services terminating at Oxford Road have to cross the busy lines of the Castlefield Corridor.
So perhaps all services through Irlam, should go through Deansgate, Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Piccadilly stations to terminate either at the Airport or perhaps Stockport or Hazel Grove stations.
But would this overload the Castlefield Corridor?
Battery/Electric Trains
If you look at the route between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Oxford Road stations, the following can be seen.
- Only about thirty miles between Deansgate and Liverpool South Parkway stations is not electrified.
- The section without electrification doesn’t appear to be particularly challenging, as it is along the River Mersey.
It is my view, that the route between Liverpool and Manchester via Irlam, would be an ideal route for a battery/electric train.
A train between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Airport stations would do the following.
- Run from Liverpool Lime Street station to Liverpool South Parkway station using the installed 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- Drop the pantograph during the stop at Liverpool South Parkway station.
- Run from Liverpool South Parkway station to Deansgate station using battery power.
- Raise the pantograph during the stop at Deansgate station.
- Run from Deansgate station to Manchester Airport station, using the installed 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
The exact distance between Deansgate and Liverpool South Parkway stations is 28.2 miles or 45.3 kilometres.
In 2015, I was told by the engineer riding shotgun on the battery/electric Class 379 train, that that experimental train was capable of doing fifty kilometres on battery power.
There are at least four possible trains, that could handle this route efficiently.
- Porterbrook’s proposed batteryFLEX train based on a Class 350 train.
- A battery/electric train based on the seemingly unwanted Class 379 train.
- A battery/electric version of Stadler’s Class 755 train.
- I believe that Bombardier’s Aventra has been designed so that a battery/electric version can be created.
There are probably others and I haven’t talked about hydrogen-powered trains.
Battery power between Liverpool and Manchester via Irlam, appears to be very feasible.
Tram-Trains
As my train ran between Manchster and Irlam it ran alongside the Metrolink between Cornbrook and Pomona tram stops.
Manchester is very serious about tram-trains, which I wrote about in Could A Class 399 Tram-Train With Batteries Go Between Manchester Victoria And Rochdale/Bury Bolton Street/Rawtenstall Stations?.
Tram-trains are often best employed to go right across a city, so could the Bury tram-trains go to Irlam after joining the route in the Cornbrook area?
- Only about thirty miles between Deansgate and Liverpool South Parkway stations is not electrified.
- The route between Liverpool and Manchester via Irlam doesn’t look to be a very challenging line to electrify.
- The total distance bettween Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Victoria station is only about forty miles, which is a short distance for a tram-train compared to some in Karlsruhe.
- Merseyrail’s Northern Line terminates at Hunts Cross station, which is going to be made step-free.
- There is an existing step-free interchange between the Liverpool and Manchester route via Irlam and Merseyrail’s Northern Line at Liverpool South Parkway station.
- Class 399 tram-trains will have a battery capability in South Wales.
- Class 399 tram-trains have an operating speed of 62 mph, which might be possible to increase.
- Stadler make Class 399 tram-trains and are building the new Class 777 trains for Merseyrail.
I think that Stadler’s engineers will find a totally feasible and affordable way to link Manchester’s Metrolink with Liverpool Lime Street station and Merseyrail’s Northern and Wirral Lines.
I can envisage the following train service running between Liverpool and Manchester via Irlam.
- An hourly service between Liverpool Lime Street and Nottingham, as has been proposed for the new East Midlands Franchise.
- A four tph service between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Airport via Manchester Piccadilly.
- A tram-train every ten minutes, linking Liverpool Central and Manchester’s St Peter’s Square.
- Tram-trains would extend to the North and East of Manchester as required.
- All services would stop much more comprehensively, than the current services.
- Several new stations would be built.
- In the future, the tram-trains could have an interchange with High Speed Two at Warrington.
Obviously, this is just my speculation, based on what I’ve seen of tram-train networks in Germany.
The possibilities for the use of tram trains are wide-ranging.
Installing Step-Free Access At Irlam Station
There would appear to be two ways of installing step-free access at Irlam station.
- Add lifts to the existing subway.
- Add a separate bridge with lifts.
These are my thoughts on each method.
Adding Lifts To The Existing Subway
Consider.
- The engineering would not be difficult.
- Installaton would probably take a number of weeks.
- There is good contractor access on both sides of the railway.
There are similar successful step-free installations around the UK
The problem is all about, how you deal with passengers, whilst the subway is closed for the installation of the lifts.
Adding A Separate Bridge With Lifts
Consider.
- There is a lot of space at both the Eastern and Western ends of the platform to install a new bridge.
- Adding a separate bridge has the big advantage, that during the installation of the bridge, passengers can use the existing subway.
- Once the bridge is installed, the subway can be refurbished to an appropriate standard.
Passengers will probably prefer the construction of a new bridge.
In Winner Announced In The Network Rail Footbridge Design Ideas Competition, I wrote how the competition was won by this bridge.
So could a factory-built bridge like this be installed at Irlam station?
There is certainly space at both ends of the platform to install such a bridge and the daily business of the station and its passengers would be able to continue unhindered, during the installation.
I’m also sure, that the cafe would be happy to provide the daily needs of the workforce.
Conclusion
From a station and project management point-of-view, adding a new factory-built bridge to Irlam station is the easiest and quickest way to make the station step-free.
It also appears, that Network Rail have made a wise choice in deciding to put Irlam station on their list of stations to be made step-free, as the station could be a major part in creating a new high-capacity route between Liverpool and Manchester.
This could also be one of the first stations to use an example of the new bridge.
- Installation would be quick and easy.
- There is no site access problems.
- There station can remain fully open during the installation.
- All stakeholders would probably be in favour.
But above all, it would be a superb demonstration site to bring those from stations, where Network Rail are proposing to erect similar bridges.
Hunts Cross Station To Go Step-Free
This document on the Government web site is entitled Access for All: 73 Stations Set To Benefit From Additional Funding.
Hunts Cross station is on the list.
These pictures show the station and the current bridge.
Hunts Cross station, like St. Michaels station, has rather unusual long shallow angle ramps, with steps.
This 3D Google Map shows the station.
It may be unusual, but I suspect a conventional lift tower on each platform would make the station fully step-free.
Note.
- The station is Grade II Listed and is described as”A good example of the stations built for the Cheshire Lines Committee.”
- The ramps and bridge look to be in excellent condition and could be reasonably recent. Some repainting was actually in progress.
- For those that are in need of a drink, after climbing the ramps, there is a handy pub called the Waiting Room. It was busy, when I went to the station.
- As well as providing step-free entrance and exit to the station, the lifts would provide step-free interchange for passengers from Manchester needing to transfer to Merseyrail.
- Passengers arriving at the station, who need to go to Manchester, would do as they do now and walk across the platform.
- Do the last two pictures in the gallery show that the bridge was built or has been modified for lifts to be added? The bridge seems to have a lower wall, which could be removed.
- There may be some adjustments needed to the path that Links the station entrance to the bridge.
I’m also pretty certain, that the layout of the station, would allow works to be done, whilst the station is in full operation.
Preparation For Class 777 Trains
Unlike most other stations, that I saw on on the Merseyrail network, work appears to be outstanding to create level access between the new Class 777 trains and platform.
Future Electrification
The bridge would appear to be high enough to clear any future 25 KVAC electrification.
Conclusion
This shouldn’t be the most difficult of projects, unless the Heritage Lobby get upset.
The only problem, I can see would be, it might attract more passengers and create a need for a larger car park.
NR States Ambition To Keep Liverpool Moving During Major Lime Street Work
The title of this post is the same as the title of this article on the Rail Technology Magazine web site.
This is the first two paragraphs.
Liverpool Lime Street will remain “open for business” whilst it undergoes major work this autumn, Network Rail has today reassured passengers in the region.
The latest stage of work will take place between 30 September and 22 October in what is one of the biggest upgrades the station has seen since the 19th century.
The station upgrade is part of a £340 million railway investment in the Liverpool City Region.
This document from Network Rail describes the scope of the project in detail.
These are some extracts from the document.
What Are The Benefits For Passengers?
The Liverpool City Region Railway Upgrade Plan will deliver for passengers:
- A bigger and better railway network with longer and faster trains
- More reliable railway infrastructure
- Better facilities for passengers, especially at stations
- Increased capacity/additional services
What Will This Mean In Practice?
- Three extra services per hour, in and out of Lime Street station, such as the planned new First Transpennine Express
services from Liverpool to Glasgow in 2019. - Better east-west connectivity to and from Liverpool.
- New services to Chester via Liverpool South Parkway and the opportunity to develop more routes into North Wales in the future.
- New station facilities and interchange at Newton-Le-Willows.
- A new station at ‘Maghull North’ to support growth in passenger demand.
- New signalling which will improve the reliability of the network and speed up decision making to minimise disruption.
- Works to facilitate the running of new trains on the Wirral and Northern lines.
Liverpool Lime Street Station
Liverpool Lime Street station will be getting a major upgrade consisting of the following.
- Two new platforms between the current platforms 7 and 8.
- Platform lengthening.
- Improved signalling and electrification.
- More shops.
This should enable another three trains per hour to be handled.
It’s over fifty years since I first arrived in Lime Street to go to Liverpool University and the station has changed a lot in those years. Network Rail are saying, that this upgrade will cope with the doubling of passenger number expected before 2043.
Using Liverpool South Parkway Station As A Relief Terminus
The upgrade will mean that at times during the works, trains into Liverpool will not be able to access Lime Street. So some trains will terminate at Liverpool South Parkway station from where passengers can take Merseyrail’s Northern Line to the City Centre.
How many of our large cities can cope, when the main station is closed?
- Glasgow proved they can, when Queen Street station was closed.
- London is managing biow, with mahor works going on at Waterloo.
- Manchester’s ability to cope will surely be greatly improved when the Ordsall Chord opens.
- Birmingham seemed to manage during the rebuilding of New Street station.
- Newcastle has the Metro to help.
- Sheffield has a second station at Meadowhall.
Would Leeds be the city to struggle?
Liverpool will probably cope well, as there are various rail routes into the City, that avoid Lime Street, most of which have four trains per hour.
I always remember the Liverpool Bus Strike of around 1967. Liverpudlians just walked, as did most of the students like me, who needed to get into the University.
I don’t think, it will come to walking this time, as Network Rail have promised quality buses.
Conclusion
There is a lot of work to do, but after the example of Waterloo, it is likely to go fairly well to plan.
But there will be a few hiccups.
The Anonymous Widower 