Liverpool Lime Street railway station
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Liverpool Lime Street |
|
 |
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|---|---|
| Location | |
| Place | Liverpool |
| Local authority | Liverpool |
| Operations | |
| Managed by | Network Rail |
| Platforms in use | 9 |
| Annual entry/exit | 13.535 million * |
| Passenger Transport Executive | |
| PTE | Merseytravel |
| Zone | C/E |
| History | |
| 1836 | Opened |
| National Rail - UK railway stations | |
| * based on sales of tickets in 2004/05 financial year which end or originate at Liverpool Lime Street. Disclaimer (PDF) | |
| Liverpool Lime Street (Low level) | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Place | Liverpool |
| Local authority | Liverpool |
| Operations | |
| Managed by | Merseyrail |
| Platforms in use | 1 |
| Passenger Transport Executive | |
| PTE | Merseytravel |
| Zone | C/E |
| History | |
| 1977 | Opened |
| National Rail - UK railway stations | |
Lime Street Station (officially referred to as Liverpool Lime Street) 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 |
[edit] 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 Council 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 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Mainline
The mainline station is still covered by the vast iron and glass roofs dating from the 1880s. Platforms 1 to 6 are shorter than 7 to 9, the latter dealing mainly with long-distance services to London, Sheffield and other destinations. Access to platforms 1-6 is through a ticket inspection barrier, while platforms 7-9 are open, with tickets being inspected on the trains. Toilets, booking offices, shops, left luggage office, taxi ranks and coffee bars are amongst the facilities provided.
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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Current operations
[edit] Mainline
Train operators running services from Lime Street include:
- Virgin Trains - London
- Central Trains - Manchester, Sheffield, the East Midlands, Birmingham and East Anglia.
- First TransPennine Express - Manchester, Leeds, and North East England
- Northern Rail - local services to Manchester, Warrington, Preston, Blackpool, Morecambe and Wigan.
In 2003 Virgin CrossCountry withdrew its services from Liverpool at the request of the Strategic Rail Authority. This isolated Liverpool from the South Coast and South West regions of England. The last of Virgin's Voyager trains left the station in July 2003. The following summer Arriva Trains Wales withdrew its services between the station and South Wales. There have been some positive changes recently though, journey times to London have been reduced since the introduction of 125mph capable Pendolino trains, Central Trains have also introduced 4-carriage Class 350 Desiro trains between Lime Street and Birmingham, offering more seating space than previously-used two-carriage stock.
[edit] 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.
[edit] External links
- Train times and station information for Liverpool Lime Street railway station from National Rail
- Street map and aerial photo of Liverpool Lime Street railway station from Multimap.com
- Station information for Liverpool Lime Street from Network Rail
- Station information for Liverpool Lime Street (Underground) from Merseyrail
| West Coast Main Line |
| Principal stations (from south to north) London Euston |
| Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runcorn | Virgin Trains West Coast Main Line |
Terminus | ||
| Warrington Central or Newton-le-Willows |
First TransPennine Express North TransPennine |
Terminus | ||
| Mossley Hill | Central Trains West Coast Main Line |
Terminus | ||
| Widnes | Central Trains Liverpool-Norwich |
Terminus | ||
| Edge Hill | Northern Rail Liverpool-Manchester Line |
Terminus | ||
| Edge Hill | Northern Rail Liverpool-Wigan Line |
Terminus | ||
| Moorfields | Merseyrail Wirral Line |
Liverpool Central | ||
| Merseyrail Wirral Line Stations | |
|---|---|
| New Brighton Branch: | New Brighton Wallasey Grove Road Wallasey Village |
| West Kirby Branch: | West Kirby Hoylake Manor Road Meols Moreton Leasowe Bidston |
| Northern Branch: | Birkenhead North Birkenhead Park Conway Park |
| Liverpool Loop: | Hamilton Square James Street Moorfields Liverpool Lime Street Liverpool Central |
| Southern Branch: | Birkenhead Central Green Lane Rock Ferry Bebington Port Sunlight Spital Bromborough Rake Bromborough Eastham Rake Hooton |
| Chester Branch: | Capenhurst Bache Chester |
| Ellesmere Port Branch: | Little Sutton Overpool Ellesmere Port |
| Major UK railway stations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Managed by Network Rail: Birmingham New Street • Edinburgh Waverley • Gatwick Airport • Glasgow Central • Leeds City • Liverpool Lime Street • Manchester Piccadilly | |||
| Managed by train operator: Aberdeen • Belfast Central • Brighton • Bristol Temple Meads • Cardiff Central • Crewe • Derby • Doncaster • Glasgow Queen Street • Hull • Manchester Victoria • Newcastle Central • Nottingham • Reading • Sheffield • York | |||
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