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Liverpool Lime Street railway station
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Liverpool Lime Street | |||
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|---|---|---|---|
| Location | |||
| Place | Liverpool | ||
| Local authority | Liverpool | ||
| Coordinates | Coordinates: | ||
| Operations | |||
| Station code | LIV | ||
| Managed by | Network Rail Merseyrail (Underground station) |
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| Platforms in use | 9 + 1 underground | ||
| Live departures and station information from National Rail | |||
| Annual Passenger Usage | |||
| 2004/05 * | 13.535 million | ||
| 2005/06 * | 14.472 million | ||
| Passenger Transport Executive | |||
| PTE | Merseytravel | ||
| Zone | C/E | ||
| History | |||
| 1836 | Opened | ||
| 1977 | Underground station opened | ||
| National Rail - UK railway stations | |||
| * Annual passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Liverpool Lime Street from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. | |||
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Liverpool Lime Street railway station on Lime Street is the mainline railway station serving Liverpool, England. The station lies on a branch of the West Coast Main Line from London Euston.
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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]
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.
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, Birmingham, Sheffield and Norwich. 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, a 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.
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.
The main station is currently served by Northern Rail, Virgin Trains, First TransPennine Express, London Midland and East Midlands Trains.
Local services are provided by Northern Rail. Destinations served by their trains include: Manchester Victoria, Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport; Manchester Oxford Road Warrington Central and Warrington Bank Quay; Wigan North Western, Preston, Blackpool North and Morecambe. Northern Rail use Class 142 (Pacer), Class 150 (Sprinter) and Class 156 (Super Sprinter) diesel multiple units (DMUs) on these routes.
The other four operators provide longer-distance services. Virgin Trains operate an hourly service via Crewe to London Euston, using Class 390 (Pendolino) electric trains. First TransPennine Express operate to destinations across the north of England, including Manchester Piccadilly, Leeds, York, Middlesbrough and Newcastle, using Class 185 (Pennine) DMUs. London Midland operate via Crewe to Birmingham New Street using Class 350 (Desiro) electric multiple units. East Midlands Trains operate the longest route of all: from Liverpool to Norwich, via Manchester Piccadilly, Sheffield, Nottingham and Peterborough, using Class 158 (Express Sprinter) DMUs.
The underground station is situated on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network, which has services to New Brighton, West Kirby, Ellesmere Port and Chester. To reach destinations on the Northern Line of the network, passengers must either use the Wirral Line or walk the short distance to Liverpool Central station.
| Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminus | East Midlands Trains Liverpool - Norwich |
Widnes or Hunts Cross (morning peak) |
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| Terminus | First TransPennine Express North TransPennine |
Warrington Central or Widnes (morning peak) |
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| Terminus | London Midland Liverpool - Birmingham |
Liverpool South Parkway or Mossley Hill (lates) |
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| Terminus | Northern Rail Liverpool - Wigan |
Edge Hill | ||
| Northern Rail Liverpool to Manchester Line |
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| Terminus | Northern Rail Liverpool-Manchester Airport |
Wavertree Technology Park |
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| Terminus | Northern Rail Liverpool - Preston/Blackpool |
Huyton | ||
| Terminus | Virgin Trains Liverpool - London |
Runcorn | ||
| Low-level station | ||||
| Moorfields | Merseyrail Wirral Line |
Liverpool Central | ||
- Station information for Liverpool Lime Street from Network Rail
- Station information for Liverpool Lime Street (Underground) from Merseyrail
- Train times and station information for Liverpool Lime Street railway station from National Rail
| 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 |
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|---|---|
| Managed by Network Rail: | Birmingham New Street • Edinburgh Waverley • Gatwick Airport • Glasgow Central • Leeds • Liverpool Lime Street • Manchester Piccadilly |
| Managed by train operator: | Belfast Central • Belfast Great Victoria Street • Birmingham Snow Hill • Brighton • Bristol Temple Meads • Cardiff Central • Crewe • Derby • Doncaster • Glasgow Queen Street • Manchester Victoria • Newcastle • Nottingham • Reading • Sheffield • York |
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Railway stations of London: Central area | Greater London
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| Managed by Network Rail: | Cannon Street • Charing Cross • Euston • Fenchurch Street • King's Cross • Liverpool Street • London Bridge • Paddington • St Pancras • Victoria • Waterloo |
| Managed by train operator: | Blackfriars • Clapham Junction • Marylebone • Moorgate • Waterloo East |