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Tuesday 28 Mar 2006

£4.3 MILLION INVESTMENT FOR MERSEYSIDE

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Passengers using the Wirral line will benefit following the completion of a £4.3 million Network Rail project to upgrade the line between Liverpool Lime Street and Liverpool Central.  Andrew Skidmore, Area General Manager (Liverpool and North Wales) said: “When complete, this project will have long term benefits for passengers on the Wirral line. This is a major investment for Merseyside and demonstrates Network Rail’s continued commitment to the Merseyrail network as a whole.” The work will affect passengers travelling beyond James Street station, and will take place from Friday April 14 until Tuesday May 30 2006. All services will terminate at James Street station and will not call at Moorfields, Liverpool Lime Street or Liverpool Central. The work will not affect Northern Line services or Liverpool Lime Street main line station. A bus shuttle will operate every five minutes between James Street and Lime Street stations.  Passengers are advised to call Merseytravel’s Traveline on 0870 608 2608 or National Rail Enquiries on 08457 484950 for details of rail replacement services. Patrick Verwer, Managing Director of Merseyrail said:  “Although there’s never a good time for such a major project, as it will inevitably inconvenience passengers, we will get a better railway from it in the long term.  We are doing everything we can to minimise the disruption to our passengers.” This work is phase two of a three-year programme, which was planned in 2004, and Network Rail intends to carry out more work at Moorfields next year. The aggressive environment of water and minerals within the tunnel presents a challenge in terms of routine maintenance, and it has become necessary to carry out major renewals on the line.