Merseyrail
Merseyrail - Keeping Merseyside on the move
Merseyrail is the best performing rail operator of its kind in the UK. Merseyrail Electrics ... Welcome to the Merseyrail website. ...
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Merseyrail - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
www.merseyrail.org. Merseyrail is the name given to the electric metro-style commuter train network ... Main article: Northern Line (Merseyrail) ...
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British Rail Class 507 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
They have worked on the Merseyrail network from new, and continue to do so, now ... the journey, she declared the new-look Merseyrail network officially open. ...
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Putting their foot in it: Merseyrail dismissed - Telegraph
Find the latest comment, opinion and obituaries from the Telegraph. ... As a regular traveller on Merseyrail I'm amazed that they have staff dealing ...
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The violent side of the Merseyrail tracks - Telegraph
Passengers who use Merseyrail services might believe there are more serious ... serious crimes committed on Merseyrail's trains and at its stations. ...
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Press Releases 2004
"Merseyrail has moved quickly and decisively to start their program of ... Including the Merseyrail project, which will be completed later this year, Cubic ...
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Collectiques.co.uk: Ford Transit Van - Mersey Rail - Corgi Classics ...
Merseyrail is the urban rail network for Liverpool and Merseyside. ... Corgi Classics > Livery > Road Transport > UK > Mersey Rail ...
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Category:Merseyrail - Wikimedia Commons
English: Merseyrail is the name given to the electric commuter train network ... Retrieved from "http://commons.wikimedia
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Merseyrail commuting
St Michaels to Liverpool Central. 1981 to 1985. More memorable through repetition of the daily routine, as a railway enthusiast ... Merseyrail commuting. Background ...
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yellow trains - Merseyrail
Merseyrail in pictures. Merseyrail in videos. There is not element linked to the company ... Merseyrail. East Midland Mainline. Mongolian Railway. Macedonian railways ...
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{{Infobox Rail companies |bgcolor=FFFFFF|logo_filename=Merseyrail_logo.gif|image_filename=Merseyrail train at Birkenhead Park.jpg|widthpx=300px|franchise=Merseyrail
20. July 2003 – 2028|nameforarea=Region|regions=Merseyside, West [Lancashire / [Nederlandse Spoorwegen|website=www.merseyrail.org|-->
Merseyrail is the name given to the Railway electrification in Great Britain commuter train network centred on Liverpool in the county of Merseyside. The name was used as the official brand for the network in the days of British Rail, and has stuck through several exclusive right holders.
Merseyrail is one of the most frequent British commuter systems outside London, transporting 100,000 passengers a day, with services running (on average) every 15 minutes during weekday daytime, and 30 minutes at evenings and weekends. Services run on two lines covering the Liverpool suburban area and greater Merseyside, with a total track length of 120 km, 75 miles and 67 stations. The Northern Line (Merseyrail) links Liverpool with Southport, Ormskirk, Kirkby and Hunts Cross, while the Wirral Line, extending under the River Mersey, links Liverpool with New Brighton, Merseyside, West Kirby, Chester and Ellesmere Port. The two lines are entirely Railway electrification in Great Britain, using a 750 V DC third-rail.
The name Merseyrail is also used by the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive to describe other railway services on Merseyside. These are the City Line (Merseyrail) from Liverpool Lime Street railway station to St Helens, Merseyside, Wigan, Warrington, Manchester, and Crewe. These services are not (and have never been) part of the Merseyrail franchise; currently most services are operated by Northern Rail, and some by Central Trains and TransPennine Express.
The various lines are not tightly connected; Northern and City Line services both use Hunts Cross and the new Liverpool South Parkway to the south of the city; the Northern and Wirral lines both use Liverpool Central railway station and Moorfields railway station. The Northern Line does not call at Lime Street; most passengers wishing to change between Northern Line and mainline services walk the short distance between Lime Street and Liverpool Central railway station rather than changing to the Wirral Line's 'loop' to Lime Street.
Following the privatisation of the UK rail network, the Merseyrail service was run first by MTL (company) under the name Merseyrail Electrics, then Arriva Trains Merseyside, before its award to a consortium of Serco and NedRailways (a division of Nederlandse Spoorwegen) in 2003. The current franchise is contracted to the consortium for an initial 25-year period.
Uniquely in the UK, the Merseyrail franchise (referred to officially as a 'contract') is awarded by the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive rather than the Department for Transport (although the franchise for the London Overground network will be awarded by Transport for London in 2007), because the franchise is self-contained and separate from the rest of the British railway network - no other services normally run over the third-rail network. As a result of this isolation, the franchise-holder is keen to adopt vertical integration - taking responsibility for maintenance of the track from Network Rail.The current Franchise Manager is Dave Davenport.
Fleet {| class="wikitable"|----- bgcolor=#f9f9f9! rowspan="2" |Class! rowspan="2" |Image! rowspan="2" |Type! colspan="2" |Top speed! rowspan="2" |Number! rowspan="2" |Unit numbers! rowspan="2" |Routes operated! rowspan="2" |Built|----- bgcolor=#f9f9f9! mph ! km/h |-|British Rail Class 507||electric multiple unit
[Wirral Line||[electric multiple unit
[Wirral Line and 1979-built [British Rail Class 508 Electric multiple unit. These replaced pre-war British Rail Class 502 (originally constructed by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway) and almost identical British Rail Class 503 EMUs. There are a total of 59 trains in service on the network. Twelve 508s were transferred to Connex (South Eastern) in 1996, a further three were transferred to Silverlink to supplement their fleet of British Rail Class 313 EMUs in North London. One Unit 507022 was scrapped after a collision with 507004 in 1991 and 508118 has been cut up after having been gutted by an attack.
The fleet is maintained and stabled at either Kirkdale TMD or Birkenhead North TMD, the two depots on the network. Minor repair works and stock cleaning takes place at Kirkdale, while overhauls are completed at Birkenhead. Other depots at Hall Road TMD and Birkenhead Central TMD have since been closed. The fleet has recently been internally and externally refurbished, involving units being dragged to and from Eastleigh works behind British Rail Class 67 locomotives. An assessment is currently taking place as to whether it would be viable to reopen the Birkenhead Central depot, which would increase the efficiency of Merseyrail services. The Merseyrail fleet is due for renewal in 2013.
To celebrate Liverpool's successful 2008 European Capital of Culture bid, Merseyrail named one of their train sets (508136) 'Capital of Culture'. Interestingly, a previous ceremony took place where Cherie Blair, Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife, named 508143 European Capital of Culture. Official nameplates were applied; these had to be later removed having been covered in graffiti. 508136 bears simple vinyl stickers.
A number of Northern Rail British Rail Class 142 Diesel Multiple Unit are in Merseyrail yellow livery, ostensibly for City Line services, but these can and do turn up all over the Northern network - they have often been seen as far away as Carlisle. Several British Rail Class 150 sets also wore the Merseytravel yellow livery for several years, but have since been repainted into other liveries.
Merseyrail formerly had four British Rail Class 73 electro-diesel locomotives for shunting, sandite trains, engineering works and other departmental duties; two of these had been repainted in the yellow livery of the previous franchise holder. These locomotives were sold to a preservation company in 2002.
Network: the Loop and Link The underground sections in the centre of Liverpool and under the River Mersey to Birkenhead form the nucleus of the network. The Mersey Railway was opened in 1886, running from Green Lane Birkenhead and terminating at James Street railway station in Liverpool. This route was extended to Liverpool Central railway station in 1890. A branch to Birkenhead Park was added in 1888 to connect with the Wirral Railway and the original line extended to Rock Ferry to connect with the Birkenhead Woodside to Chester line in 1891. It was electrified in 1903. The ex Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway line from Liverpool Exchange railway station to Southport was electrified in 1906. Further electrifications on the Wirral line took place in 1937 (New Brighton and West Kirby), 1985 (Hooton), 1993 (Chester) and 1994 (Ellesmere Port). Electrification of the Borderlands_Line has also been proposed.
The present system in Liverpool dates from the 1970s, with the construction of the 'Loop' and the 'Link'. The Loop is a single-track tunnel, along which Wirral Line trains run clockwise from James Street to Moorfields railway station, Liverpool Lime Street railway station, Liverpool Central railway station and back to James Street. The Link is a twin-track tunnel, which connects the former Cheshire Lines Committee route in the south of Liverpool to the former Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway lines in the north, via Liverpool Central and Moorfields (which replaced Liverpool Exchange station). The present twin island Northern Line platform at Liverpool Central was originally the terminus of the Wirral lines. One of the original single underground lines between James St and Central has been retained to connect the Link and the Loop lines. This is used for transfers of rolling stock, but never used for passenger services.
Northern Line Main article: Northern Line (Merseyrail) Services on the Northern Line operate from Hunts Cross railway station in the south of Liverpool, via the Link tunnel through Liverpool Central and Moorfields, to Southport railway station. Services also run from Liverpool Central to Ormskirk railway station and Kirkby railway station. Each route has a train every 15 minutes Monday-Saturday daytime, and recently Merseyrail have introduced services every 15 minutes during the evening, right until the last train at 2316; giving a five-minute interval between trains on the central section. Connections are available at Southport to Wigan Wallgate railway station, at Hunts Cross to Warrington Central railway station and Manchester Piccadilly railway station, at Ormskirk to Preston railway station and at Kirkby to Wigan Wallgate railway station and Manchester Victoria railway station.
Wirral Line Services on the Wirral Line operate from the Loop described above through the Mersey Railway Tunnel to Hamilton Square railway station station in Birkenhead. From there, they run either south to Hooton railway station, where they continue to either Chester railway station or Ellesmere Port railway station, or west to Birkenhead North railway station, where the line bifurcates to New Brighton railway station and West Kirby railway station. Connections are available at Bidston railway station on the West Kirby branch, for the Borderlands Line to Wrexham operated by Arriva Trains Wales, at Chester to Holyhead railway station and Manchester Piccadilly railway station and at Ellesmere Port to Warrington Bank Quay railway station.
Monday-Saturday daytime services are every 15 minutes from Liverpool to New Brighton and to West Kirby, and every 30 minutes to Chester and Ellesmere Port. These combine to give a service every five minutes around the Loop. Due to a major upgrade of the Liverpool loop, it will be closed between 23rd April and 28th of May, with all Wirral line services terminating at James Street (or Birkenhead North for the Northern Branch of the Wirral Line and Birkenhead Central for the Southern Branch of the Wirral line on some days).
City Line Main article: City Line (Merseyrail) This line is not part of the Merseyrail franchise and neither is it operated by the electric stock. Nevertheless, the lines that form this line are sponsored by Merseytravel and are branded as if they were Merseyrail services, despite being operated by Northern Rail. Broadly speaking, it includes the Liverpool to Wigan Line and the two alternative branches making up the Liverpool to Manchester Line.
Future There have been various suggestions for ways to enlarge the Merseyrail network. Some would extend beyond the current area, whilst others would use former existing lines or track beds.
Electrification Third-rail electrification has been suggested for many lines, of which the Borderlands Line from Bidston railway station 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 Junction railway station and possibly Midge Hall station, 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 re-opening of part of the North Mersey Branch line between Aintree railway station and Bootle New Strand railway station stations to passenger services is included in Sefton's transport plan. This would involve using Sefton Junction and would enable the reopening of Ford (Sefton) railway station and Linacre Road railway station stations.
The Canada Dock Branch (currently a busy freight-only line) could be reopened to passengers, allowing the reopening of Spellow railway station, Walton & Anfield railway station, Breck Road railway station, Tue Brook railway station, Stanley railway station and Edge Lane railway station stations. This would provide a connection from the Northern Line (south of Bootle) to Liverpool Lime Street and the City Line. In July 2007 it was suggested that Liverpool FC could fund the reopening of this line to provide a direct rail link to their new stadium.
Reopening 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 on Bedford Street South; a small road to the south of Abercromby Square. From University station, it would then join the Victoria Tunnel (Liverpool) and Waterloo Tunnel to provide a connection to Edge Hill railway station, the use of Wapping Tunnel had also been considered. Further electrification works would then have meant some City Line services (e.g. from St Helens Central railway station) could have been connected to the Merseyrail network.In 1975 An Act of Parliament was passed to allow the construction of this scheme, but it was never built. Restarting it would very likely be prohibitively expensive. However following the collapse of the Merseytram scheme in 2006 proposals are being considered to reuse both tunnels. The 1975 plan also included the use of the southern section of the North Liverpool Extension Line at least as far as Gateacre railway station.
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.
External links
- Merseyrail.org - Official site
- Merseyside Local Transport Plan
- Potential Rail Improvements in North Western England - Evidence presented to the Transport Select Committee, 2002-03
- Select Committee on Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs: Memorandum by Merseytravel
- REVIEW OF THE 2000 NETWORK MANAGEMENT STATEMENT
- Revival of curves link is back on the table - Report on the proposed reopening of the Burscough curves
- Leader on right tracks - Another report on the Burscough curves
- The Wrexham to Bidston railway, The Borderlands line
{{s-ttl|rows=1|title=Operator of Merseyrail franchise|years=2003 - present-->
Merseyrail - Keeping Merseyside on the move
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Merseyrail - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Merseyrail is the name given to the electric metro-style commuter train network centred on Liverpool in the metropolitan county of Merseyside. The name was used as the official ...
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BBC NEWS | England | Merseyside | Merseyrail guards start 24 strike
Train guards working for Merseyrail start the first of four more day strikes in an ongoing dispute over working hours.
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