Old Liverpool Railway Stations

[PhilipG]

Thanks Ged.

It probably gave access to all these underground streets we hear about!

[John_142]

I have found out about it and is part of the Alexander Dock Branch and does link up to Edge Hill via the Canada Dock Branch and i suspect that were it links to onto the Northern Line is to connect it to What i would immagine is the Seaforth Dock Branch Line a short one simmiler to the Alexander Dock Line.

And where i see it go under ground at Bootle acutally used to Be a Station Called Bootle Baloriel Road.

The line seves the former Edge Lane Station site and all of the other Stations what used to be on the Canada Dock Branch Line.

Would be grate if this was to re-open as i wouldent have to bother struggling to get through the one way system in the city centre to get from Liverpool Central to Lime Street.

(information from Dissused Stations web site)

[Ged]

There's an oriel and a balliol rd but none of the name you mention?

[John_142]

There's an oriel and a balliol rd but none of the name you mention?

Balliol is correct probably my poor spellin got you confused sorry!

[Waterways]

Only according to Oritelad Philip who also says so on his site but I can find no facts relating to it?

The Hodson St cutting looks like it was a stop of some sort, as it is too big for mere ventilation - other ventilation shafts are just large round pipes to the surface. The St. James' Stn cutting gives the biggest hint. It may have been for rail workers only or access for tunnels diggers, as the ventilation shafts would have been. Or originally intended to be a station, but never commissioned.

There is a clear question mark over the cutting.

[Waterways]

My understanding is that Crown Street was the first railway station in the world, opening on the Liverpool-Manchester Railway -- the world's first -- in 1830.

Crown St and the station in Manchester were the "joint" first passenger stations in the world, commissioned at the same time to my knowledge. They operated at the same time. Was there intermediate stations as well? If so then these are equal to Crown St. Crown St may get the first tag because the train left Liverpool for Manchester so was the first station to have a passenger train operate from it, which a rather pedantic point. The Manchester Station at Liverpool St (?), is still there, while Crown St has disappeared.

[Cadfael]

Thanks Ged.

It probably gave access to all these underground streets we hear about!

Now now Philip

[PhilipG]

Now now Philip

Only messin', Brother Cad.

[John_142]

The Hodson St cutting looks like it was a stop of some sort, as it is too big for mere ventilation - other ventilation shafts are just large round pipes to the surface. The St. James' Stn cutting gives the biggest hint. It may have been for rail workers only or access for tunnels diggers, as the ventilation shafts would have been. Or originally intended to be a station, but never commissioned.

There is a clear question mark over the cutting.

Well the BOOTLE BALLIOL ROAD cutting was definitly a station as there was a Ticket Office there fro which the remains can be seen today.

See this link http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/s...ad/index.shtml

And i think it will be a great idear to re-open the Line to passenger traffic again.

[Waterways]

Well the BOOTLE BALLIOL ROAD cutting was definitly a station as there was a Ticket Office there fro which the remains can be seen today.

See this link http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/s...ad/index.shtml

And i think it will be a great idear to re-open the Line to passenger traffic again.

I was in a cutting and a tunnel at one end, unlike Hodson St and St. James', which are cuttings down into an full underground tunnel.

Re-open the line. If it couldn't make in 1948, then I doubt it will today. To make any sense it would have to be an integrated part of Merseyrail.

[John_142]

Yes probably the best option would be to make it part of Merseyrail for which i can see it making a few bob these days especially if they open Stations for the University and Hospital etc.

It would provide a vital link for these sites from the Main Line as if you get off at Lime St it's quite a walk to the Hospital from there and up Hill as well.

[HollyBlack]

... Re-open the line. If it couldn't make in 1948, then I doubt it will today. To make any sense it would have to be an integrated part of Merseyrail.

The thing is that, given the geography and other developments, the Alexandra and Canada Dock branch is likely to get 25kV overhead electrification before third-rail DC electrification. For a number of reasons.

So if it opens to passengers at all it is likely that service on this branch will be to and from the Lime Street mainline station, just like it was back in 1948. A cross-platform terminus/interchange or something similar with the Northern line at Oriel road could be feasible and attractive.

I suppose it might also be possible to put in a new station in the existing deep cutting somewhere near the University of Liverpool Veterinary Sciences building. I wonder why no-one has ever (that I'm aware of) proposed doing that. Ie siting a new station there at the University, between Lime Street and Edge Hill, on the mainline and at the foot of the ancient deep cutting.

Just possibly service could be routed from the Alexandra Dock branch via Liverpool South Parkway (on the Allerton side of the station). Again using overhead electrification.

Electric hauled soccer specials to Anfield coming direct to/from places faraway (by-passing Lime Street) are an interesting possibility if indeed the dock branch is overhead electrified (including the Olive Mount Chord), irrespective of whether regular passenger service is established.

[Ged]

Well i've just had a reply from the guys at and organising this
http://www.lmrs.org.uk/exhibition/index.htm

after last years success.

According to their member 'Jim' an ex steam train and then diesel train driver and railway enthusiast who apparently knows everything worth knowing regarding Liverpool's rail network. There was never any passenger stations on the Waterloo tunnel line and no passengers used Gt Howard St depot either as it was only goods.

[SKie]

There wouldnt be any point re-opening Balliol road, as they could simply have the trains cross over onto the merseyrail lines and terminate at the third platform at Oriel road (or continue to the third platform at Bootle New Strand).

I do think this line will eventually re-open to passenger traffic due in part to the Anfield expansion's transport plans requiring a station to be opened on that line. If its overhead, they could probably extend the overhead to the above stations at little extra cost, nicely linking the two lines. merseyrail could then get dual power trains when they put their order in for the new stock they will need by 2010/15 and then they could run services directly to lime-street from the northern line via Anfield.

[Waterways]

Well i've just had a reply from the guys at and organising this
http://www.lmrs.org.uk/exhibition/index.htm

after last years success.

According to their member 'Jim' an ex steam train and then diesel train driver and railway enthusiast who apparently knows everything worth knowing regarding Liverpool's rail network. There was never any passenger stations on the Waterloo tunnel line and no passengers used Gt Howard St depot either as it was only goods.

The Hodson St cutting may have been to crane down cables and the likes as the wagons were pulled by cables from Edge Hill. It also most certainly would have been a rail/construction workers or materials access point when digging the tunnel. I'm sure lines would have been run in as the tunnel progressed and rail wagons used to cart away the rock.