Merseyrail Future

Merseyrail Future

There have been various suggestions for ways to enlarge the Merseyrail network lately. Some would extend beyond the current area, whilst others would use existing lines or track beds, i am in regular contact with nick scales who is head of merseyrail so i get most of my info from him as well as others i know in merseyrail. below is just about everythink that has been proposed to be done by merseyrail in the future.

Third-rail electrification has been suggested for many lines, of which the Borderlands Line from Bidston to Wrexham, adding another branch to the Wirral Line, is perhaps the most likely. Electrification from Ormskirk to Preston would re-establish the most direct Liverpool-Preston route. This, coupled with the reinstatement of the Burscough curves, would allow direct Preston-Southport and Ormskirk-Southport services and provide an alternative Liverpool-Southport route. Another possible extension of Northern Line services, filling in a gap in the electrified network, would be from Kirkby to Wigan Wallgate. The reconnection of Skelmersdale has also been proposed "requiring two mile rail restoration to re-establish link to town of 35,000". This is presumably the Skelmersdale Branch line to Rainford Junction on the Kirkby to Wigan Wallgate line.

The re-opening of part of the North Mersey Branch line between Aintree and Bootle New Strand stations to passenger services is included in Sefton's transport plan. This would involve using Sefton Junction and would enable the reopening of Ford and Linacre Road stations ending at aintree this could be good for race times as passangers would be able to get to aintree from main city lines as this north mersey branch could be connected to the canada dock branch witch joins onto edge hill station and from there it has been proposed the line would run down the waterloo tunnel to join to the city centre loop line with new stations along the waterloo tunnel such as 'Royal Hospital' 'London Road' 'Metropolitan Catherdral' and 'Scotland Road' which is in the cutting on byron street.

During the construction of the Link line in the 1970s, provision was made for an underground junction south of Liverpool Central station. This was to access a new tunnel, via a new underground station at the University of Liverpool, then joining the Waterloo Tunnel to provide a connection to Edge Hill. Further electrification works would then have meant some City Line services (e.g. from St Helens Central) could have been connected to the Merseyrail network. An Act of Parliament was passed in 1975 to allow the construction of this scheme, but it was never built. Restarting this sceme is in talks lately.

The Canada Dock Branch (currently a busy freight-only line) is in talks to be reopened to passengers, allowing the reopening stations of Spellow, Walton & Anfield, Breck Road, Tue Brook, Old Swan(Stanley) and Edge Lane stations. This would provide a connection from the Northern Line (south of Bootle) to Liverpool Lime Street and the City Line.

There is also talks to Re-Open the North Liverpool Extention Branch From kirkdale to halewood with stations along the branch which has been proposed to be: 'Queens Drive' 'Norris Green' 'Clubmoor' 'West Derby' 'Knotty Ash' ' Broadgreen' 'Childwall' 'Gateacre' and 'Woolton'

Kirkdale Station is to have a huge update again with 4 new platforms for the canada dock line and north liverpool extension line, also liverpool central will have a huge update with 2 more platforms being added.

The wapping tunnel is to be reopened starting with a new station at the new arena at the docks to edge hill with stations along the way of 'Anglican Catherdral' and 'crown street'

Other new stations iav not mentioned yet being proposed are:

'Sefton Park'
'Wavetree' (Same possitions as closed one)
'Liverpool Airport' (from liverpool southparkway)
'Otterspool' (Same possitions as closed one)
'Ditton' (Same possitions as closed one)
'Beachwood'
'Chapelford'
'St James' (Same possitions as closed one)
'Deeside Industrial Park'
'Woodchurch'
'Warren' (Same possitions as closed one)
'Vauxhall'
'Peasley cross'
'Carr mill'
'Skelmersdale'
'Walton Vale'
'Black Bull'
'Warbreck'
'Maghull North'
'kew'

and thats about everythink below is a map of the future merseyrail network to give you a better idea. it the bottom map on the page

http://www.freewebs.com/oritelad/maps.htm

I was at the Travelwise North West meeting today in Preston where upon this subject came up. I heard that Beechwood wont go ahead as there is no great commercial viability (this is probably because those on the Ford can go to Bidston). I also heard that there were proposals for a station at Townfield Lane but this has also been shelved. Woodchurch will be a Park and Ride which may or may not help the A552 as apparently it is one of the 11 conjestion hotspots on Merseyside.

Are there any proposals to do anything with Bidston itself? I think there sohuld be a park and ride facility there as well as a bus interchange. This would make the Borderlands as well as the existing Merseyrail network more accessible to pretty much all of North Wirral!

btw, your link to the map hasn't worked I am afraid.

Interesting, as were I live not far from Broadway there were a few stations
As mentioned your map link don't work

sorry fixed the map link now and bidston station is not to be updated no it is actully in talks to be closed down as its not in a busy area the same as bank hall station that is in talk to be closed down aswell so if bidston did get closed down the interchange to the boardlines branch is sujested to go to birkenhead north and use the platforms that are already there that are not used as there is four platforms at birkenhead north and only 2 are used in its earlyer day bidston station used to have a branch curving round to new brighton aswell as bidston used to have four platforms so did new brighton

Will have a look at the site later, I had a qwik clance at closed stations
and the info on most of them isn't coming up right. Terrible black background

sorry still under construction my site me labtop broke so lost all the photos i have been collecting i was gutted just hope there in the lost drive still when i get it bck dont sopose anyone knows a free program to get back me photos bck?

I have used this to recover pictures from a faulty camera memory card. Worked fine for me.

http://www.z-a-recovery.com/digital-image-recovery.htm

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Originally Posted by oritelad

sorry still under construction my site me labtop broke so lost all the photos i have been collecting i was gutted just hope there in the lost drive still when i get it bck dont sopose anyone knows a free program to get back me photos bck?

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Oh! You saying you don't back up your pictures, sausage? Off to bed with no supper for you me lad!

:)

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Originally Posted by oritelad

sorry fixed the map link now and bidston station is not to be updated no it is actully in talks to be closed down as its not in a busy area the same as bank hall station that is in talk to be closed down aswell so if bidston did get closed down the interchange to the boardlines branch is sujested to go to birkenhead north and use the platforms that are already there that are not used as there is four platforms at birkenhead north and only 2 are used in its earlyer day bidston station used to have a branch curving round to new brighton aswell as bidston used to have four platforms so did new brighton

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That is madness! There is so much excess lad at Bidston! It is more ideal for a good park and ride service (dont forget this is just off J1 M53) that Birkenhead North, which face it, isnt the nicest of stations to wait at. I know the two streets infront of the station have been demolised to make way for a car park but, Bidston is by far more ideal. This sation is only underused because it is so hidden away, and so innaccessable that no body can get there!

This could potentially be a great gateway to Wirral but Birkenhead in particular. Especially as the HMRC is about to play a vital role in the regeneration on "North End".

ha ha i know i am daft god iam so upset though i went round all liverpool talking photos of every station, tunnel ect i av even walked through most closed down tunnels and took photos and i go every old photos of stations from books ect and i was just about to start uloading them to the web and bang they where all lost lol i really hope i can get them bck i know i should of had a back u iam kicking myself now and about bidston i agree with ya lad it would be better and i know what ya mean waiting at birkenhead north is not exactly relaxing lol but as you av already saw from the area around the station it is to have all that space for the station aswell as birkenhead north being updated i tell u what lad they need us to make the desisions for merseyrail they havent got a clue lol they av sent millions updating bootle orriel road station no one bloody goes there! super millions on conway park even though the old closed branch right next to it could of been used! even millions on lime street it looks ok to me that station itself its just them nasty buildings outside that need to be gone they are even just starting a new station for sandhills but sopose that is in need of updating the old station is better than the new one they built in 1970s lol

Dont get me started on Conway Park! that station despiratly needs a multi story car-park with more multi level developments to take place around the station. Of course, Conway Park is another place which isn't as accessable as it once was seeing as the E1 bus service was withdrawn.

Birkenhead North and the demolition of the surrounding streets is a Wirral Council initiative which will also involve the re-routing of bus services in order to serve the station. It is a good idea granted but would be better placed at Bidston.

As my old geography tutor used to say; a park and ride facility at Birkenhead North will enable you to experiance three types of transport...

1. Car to the car-park
2. Train into Liverpool/Birkenhead and back
3. Walk home because your car is no longer there or able to go anywhere!

I know its cheap and possibly out-dated but is highly likely to happen!

Sorry to reply on an old thread but the map is a bit hard to interpret in parts.

I hope, for example, the medium term plan is for the Bootle Branch (Spellow etc) to have Overhead electrification. That would work well with 1. Feasibility study planned for late 2007 into Overhead electrification of the Chat Moss Route. 2. Increasing use of existing Overhead electrification at Lime Street High Level, and 3. Encouraging the electrification of Seaforth Docks for freight (like Garston Docks). Although Merseyrail is not about freight nonetheless there is major room that for cost sharing, synergy and port development. Basically, if you plan your cards right you can get most of the cost of Overhead Electrification paid for you and bring the port more prosperity :-)

The other idea I don't see kicked around is bringing third-rail electrification across Runcorn Gap. This would be a major contribution in bringing Chester and North Wales air passengers to Liverpool in preference to Manchester, especially if Liverpool South Parkway to Chester (via Runcorn) were third-rail electrified before a new line is built from Manchester Airport to the weak Altrincham-Northwich line as proposed. I think Runcorn-Chester-LSP third-rail would attract a lot more traffic than either extending beyond Ellesmere Port or the Borderlands. Electrifying either Halton curve or Hartford Curve (increases WCML capacity if Hartford station is relocated) can be played off to see which is cheaper for Merseyrail's share of costs.

btw The suggestion for a super-large "Car Park and Ride" at Bidston is a great idea.

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Originally Posted by oritelad

Merseyrail Future

There have been various suggestions for ways to enlarge the Merseyrail network lately. Some would extend beyond the current area, whilst others would use existing lines or track beds, i am in regular contact with nick scales who is head of merseyrail so i get most of my info from him as well as others i know in merseyrail. below is just about everythink that has been proposed to be done by merseyrail in the future.

Third-rail electrification has been suggested for many lines, of which the Borderlands Line from Bidston to Wrexham, adding another branch . ...

and thats about everythink below is a map of the future merseyrail network to give you a better idea. it the bottom map on the page

http://www.freewebs.com/oritelad/maps.htm

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Apologies also for digging up and old thread, but was wondering if this is for real. The talk of re-opening the "North Liverpool Extention Branch" aka "Loop LIne" will not happen in a million years. It's now Sustrans owned, and it closed for a reason (not commercially viable). The cycle path that is there is now worth more than any railway. My house used to back onto it in Gateacre, I can remember the tracks getting lifted in 1979. Anyway given that we're going begging to the government for money to reopen the Olive Mount Chord, how exactly will we fund all these new stations/infrastructure ?

I can't find the map of future merseyrail stations on your new-look site oritelad, is it still there?

I am talking about the one with Deeside Industrial Park and Woodchurch station marked on it.
Thanks

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Originally Posted by Blue Lou

I can't find the map of future merseyrail stations on your new-look site oritelad, is it still there?
I am talking about the one with Deeside Industrial Park and Woodchurch station marked on it. Thanks

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http://s153.photobucket.com/albums/s...railways/Maps/
See the sixth map on that page

Also see
http://www.btinternet.com/~joyce.whi...ps/mersey1.jpg
although that map is very old it shows more detail than other maps.