Borderlands rail electrification

[HollyBlack]

Wales is paying for most of the Borderlands line electrification simply because most of the Borderlands Line lies within Wales. However, there are economies of scale involved and so the cocktail of England-based funding benefits from that economy of scale.

Once one starts rolling with electrification, it pays to keep going. That's how the bureaucracy is such a huge overhead in that the delays not only add time and cost but waste momentum. That's one reason why Bidston-Wrexham is more financially/politically realistic than Bidston-Shotton.

I see crude oil hit a new record price this morning, it only goes up up and away over the next 50 years. Britain may not be able to afford to electrify, but it certainly can't afford not to.

[EJP]

Neil Scales, chief executive and director general of Merseytravel, said: This is a key route, which has fantastic potential. Our plans mean we could see new stations at Deeside and Woodchurch. The Borderlands scheme would open up direct commuter links between Liverpool and areas of north Wales including Wrexham, Deeside and Flintshire, providing a huge boost to the regional economy.

Though outside of Merseyside, there could also potential for unstaffed stations at Gayton & Little Neston. If it has to be done in stages, then the line should be electrified at least as far as Heswall & kept out of needing any agreement with the Welsh Assembly, or Cheshire CC etc., for the time being. It's the only bit of non-electrified passenger track remaining in the Merseyside bit of Wirral. Then electrify as far as Deeside Business Park or Hawarden Bridge. If the WA wants to take it any further, then it's their decision alone. The numbers on the balance sheet won't feel so bad, if it's done in stages.

Potential location for Gayton station - Google Maps
Potential location for Little Neston station - Google Maps

[Waterways]

Though outside of Merseyside, there could also potential for unstaffed stations at Gayton & Little Neston. If it has to be done in stages, then the line should be electrified at least as far as Heswall & kept out of needing any agreement with the Welsh Assembly, or Cheshire CC etc., for the time being. It's the only bit of non-electrified passenger track remaining in the Merseyside bit of Wirral. Then electrify as far as Deeside Business Park or Hawarden Bridge. If the WA wants to take it any further, then it's their decision alone. The numbers on the balance sheet won't feel so bad, if it's done in stages.

Potential location for Gayton station - Google Maps
Potential location for Little Neston station - Google Maps

As I see it, The Welsh only pay for the electrification from Wrexham to the border. Is that so? The Welsh are only interested in two thing out of this line.

1. Swift direct access to Liverpool city centre
2. Swift direct access to John Lennon airport when a station and line is run in.

Liverpool need to make Mesreyrail more of metro in the centre and inner-city areas. That mean from Wrexham to the airport the train stops at many stations on the Northern line, unless a direct Wrexham-airport express is run, only stopping at Birkenhead and Liverpool centre.

Wrexham and Chester could run the shorter route to the airport via Runcorn using the Halton Curve if fully re-instated. This would not be on Merseyrail. See this. A branch from the WCML can be run into the airport:

A branch from near the Finch Farm EFC training ground and them run into the airport over mainly fields. Merseyrail can get in that way as well - running around the back of the Jag factory and EFC. That means the airport station is a branch line.

Below:
Merseyrail in red, it can use the London line behind the Jag factor or the Manchester line - the top line.
The WCML line in blue. The London, Chester & Wrexham trains.
The Manchester line in green.

A new Merseyrail station can be built at Hale and Halewood station brought onto Merseyrail. Merseyrail using the London line would mean duel voltage trains using the overhead wires. Using the more preferable Manchester line would mean electrification for the short section from Hunts Cross to the branch and into the airport.

If the Outer Loop is recommissioned, in light blue, it could have a direct line into the airport. This gives huge parts of north, east and south Liverpool direct access to the airport.



Merseyrail only electrifying the Borderlands track within its own boundaries is inappropriate use of money. The line from Wrexham to Bidston does actually work, although slowish using diesel trains. The priority for money should be:

1. Extending Merseyrail to districts that do not have Merseyrail stations, by using the tunnels in Liverpool's centre.
2. Opening the Outer Loop Line.
3. A line run into the airport - this benefits all of Merseyside.

The above three points mean all in Merseyside benefit as these districts are easily accessible from anywhere on the network.

Of course replacing the existing heavy-rail rolling stock with light-rail goes without saying.