| Liverpool Lime Street | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Place | Liverpool |
| Local authority | Liverpool |
| Grid reference | SJ351905 |
| Operations | |
| Station code | LIV |
| Managed by | Network Rail (mainline), Merseyrail (underground) |
| Number of platforms | 9 + 1 underground |
| Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail Enquiries |
|
| Annual rail passenger usage | |
| 2004/05 * | 13.535 million |
| 2005/06 * | 14.472 million |
| 2006/07 * | 6.377 million |
| 2007/08 * | 4.338 million |
| 2008/09 * | 10.833 million |
| 2009/10 * | 10.840 million |
| Passenger Transport Executive | |
| PTE | Merseytravel |
| Zone | C1 |
| History | |
| Original company | Liverpool and Manchester Railway |
| Pre-grouping | London and North Western Railway |
| Post-grouping | London, Midland and Scottish Railway |
| 15 August 1836 | Opened |
| 1977 | Underground station opened |
| National Rail - UK railway stations | |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | |
| * Annual estimated 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. Please note: methodology may vary year on year. | |
Liverpool Lime Street is a railway station serving the city centre of Liverpool, England. The station lies on a branch of the West Coast Main Line from London Euston, and on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network. It is the largest railway station in Liverpool, and is one of 19 stations managed by Network Rail.
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In the early days of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&MR), 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 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. A second roof was added in the 1880s.
In 1845 the L&MR was absorbed by its principal business partner, the Grand Junction Railway (GJR); the following year the GJR formed part of the London and North Western Railway. The station was one of the first to send mail by train. 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. At 'the grouping' in 1923, the station passed to the ownership of the London, Midland and Scottish (LMS) railway, and, in 1948, the London Midland Region of British Railways.
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 railway stations in a 2007 poll[1] but was voted "Station of the Year 2010" at the National Rail Awards thanks in part to a recent reburbishment.[2]
Liverpool Lime Street is divided into two sections: the mainline station, which offers national inter-city and regional overground services including local City Line routes, and services on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network, located underground between the mainline station and 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, Leeds, Sheffield and Norwich. Access to platforms 1-6 is through a ticket inspection barrier, while platforms 7-9 are now gated with the creation of new shops and facilities. Toilets, booking offices, shops, a left-luggage office, taxi ranks and coffee bars are amongst the facilities provided.
In 2009, new buildings were erected in the old "cab road" area between platforms 7 and 8. These currently house customer lounges, the Virgin Trains customer service point, and an ATM, and there are retail units which have coffee shops amongst the units.
The main concourse features a pair of statues of Ken Dodd and Bessie Braddock, a work entitled "Chance Meeting" by sculptor Tom Murphy, unveiled by Ken Dodd in June 2009.[3]
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 received a £35 million redevelopment. The Lime Street Gateway Project saw the retail parade and office block in front of the station demolished, and an improved frontage and public plaza built. The development was overseen by English Partnerships.
As a rule of thumb, during the day:
Platforms are subject to change and diversions to a different platform are common, particularly when services arrive late or early.
The underground station 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 mainline station by means of a pedestrian subway and escalators, accessed via a long passageway which crosses beneath Lime Street itself, and by a lift from the main concourse.
The Merseyrail Wirral line trains operate on a 5 minute frequency Monday-Saturday, and between 5 and 10 minute frequency on Sunday.
Off-peak service is as follows:
4tph to Chester
2tph to Ellesmere Port
4tph to West Kirby
4tph to New Brighton
As part of a programme of improvements by Merseytravel, the underground station has recently been fitted with automatic ticket barriers and machines.
A new 'M to Go' shop in the low level of the station was opened in late 2011.
The main station is currently served by five train operating companies serving a wide variety of destinations, but the service has been much reduced in recent times. For example it is no longer possible to travel directly to Edinburgh, Plymouth and Cardiff without changing trains. Services out of Lime Street (as of June 2011[update]) are as follows:
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains operate an hourly service to Norwich via Warrington Central, Manchester Piccadilly, Sheffield and Nottingham. Late afternoon and evening services terminate at Nottingham.
First TransPennine Express
TransPennine Express operate an hourly service to Scarborough via Warrington Central, Manchester Piccadilly, Leeds and York. There are also daily services to Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Hull. Evening services will run to York only.
London Midland
London Midland operate a half hourly service to Birmingham New Street via Runcorn, Crewe, Stafford and Wolverhampton. Late services terminate at Crewe.
Northern Rail
Northern Rail are the main train operating company out of Lime Street, and run the ticket office. Services include:
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains operate an hourly Pendolino service to London Euston via Runcorn and Stafford (some peak services also call at Crewe, Lichfield Trent Valley, Tamworth, Nuneaton, Rugby, Milton Keynes Central and Watford Junction).
Merseyrail
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 |
Liverpool South Parkway |
||
| Terminus | First TransPennine Express North TransPennine |
Liverpool South Parkway |
||
| Terminus | London Midland West Coast Main Line |
Liverpool South Parkway |
||
| Terminus | Northern Rail Liverpool - Wigan |
Edge Hill | ||
| Northern Rail Liverpool to Manchester Line |
||||
| Terminus | Northern Rail Liverpool-Manchester Airport |
Wavertree Technology Park |
||
| Liverpool South Parkway |
Northern Rail South Parkway-Lime Street-Blackpool |
Huyton | ||
| Terminus | Virgin Trains WCML Liverpool Branch |
Runcorn | ||
| Moorfields | Merseyrail Wirral Line City Loop |
Liverpool Central | ||
Renaissance Trains have proposed a twice-daily service from Lime Street to Glasgow Central, with weekend trains running instead from Blackpool to Glasgow. As of 2009, the company is attempting to negotiate train paths with Network Rail.[4]
Proposals to upgrade the Halton Curve have been considered by, among others, Merseytravel and the North Cheshire Rail User's Group.[5] This would provide a second rail route between Liverpool and Wrexham, this one running via Chester (Providing express Liverpool to Chester services), and would permit the introduction of new direct services from Liverpool to Llandudno and other parts of North Wales.
From May 22, 2011, off peak Blackpool terminating services will be extended to Liverpool South Parkway[6]
Certain direct trains to and from Liverpool Lime Street station have been withdrawn since 2000. These include the following services:
In addition, former British Rail services to Scotland, Wrexham and other parts of North Wales, Bradford, Harwich and Leicester no longer operate.
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