Tuesday 8 Apr 2025
Passengers advised of Liverpool Lime Street overground closure on Easter Sunday
- Region & Route:
- North West & Central
- | North West & Central: North West
Railway upgrades in the Liverpool City Region mean there will be no overground services into Liverpool Lime Street station on Sunday 20 April.
Passengers intending to travel into Liverpool are advised to plan their journeys in advance over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend as there are changes to train services.
Lines between Mossley Hill, Huyton and Lime Street will be closed so engineers can upgrade the railway. The team will be replacing track switches and crossings and carrying out proactive maintenance work to the electrical supply equipment. The work will make the track more reliable for the 240 services that travel in and out of Liverpool Lime Street station every day.
Paul Owen, Network Rail’s area director for Liverpool, said: “I understand that our work in Liverpool on Easter Sunday will inconvenience people, and I am sorry for that. The work will make services more reliable for our passengers and give the track and other infrastructure, such as overhead lines, a much-needed refresh for journeys into Lime Street station.
“I urge passengers to check National Rail Enquiries or with their train operator to understand exactly what their journey into Liverpool will look like on Easter Sunday. I’d like to thank everyone for their patience as we work to deliver a better railway in the North West.”
Last year (2024) over 18 million people visited Lime Street station. In 2023-2024, the station was named the third busiest in the North West.
Rachel Rahbarzare, Liverpool Lime Street station manager, said: “No overground services will be terminating at Liverpool Lime Street station on Easter Sunday, but the station building will be open for access to the Merseyrail Network and rail replacement buses.
“Our friendly team will be on hand to help you with any questions you may have about your journey, however, I’d advise you to check before you travel, as there will be changes to services on Easter Sunday.”
Passengers travelling in the North West of England are being advised to plan their journeys in advance over the Easter bank holiday weekend.
Between Friday 18 April and Monday 21 April, Network Rail will be carrying out other important work to improve the reliability of the railway for passengers and freight services.
Upgrades include:*
- Work to prepare the railway for the almost £20m project to rebuild the Greek Street bridge in Stockport.
- Essential signalling upgrades between Carlisle, Cumbria and Carstairs, Scotland.
- Improvements to Salford Central station.
Passengers planning to travel to or from London Euston are advised to travel either side of the bank holiday weekend to avoid longer journeys and some bus replacement services. Engineering work, including the renewal of overhead lines, switches and crossings (movable sections of track), and drainage improvements will mean major service changes between London Euston and Milton Keynes Central. No trains will run between these stations on Saturday 19 April, Sunday 20 April and Monday 21 April, with Euston station closed on these days. A reduced timetable will be in effect on Friday 18 April. On these days, Caledonian Sleeper services will start and terminate at London King’s Cross.
Passengers are advised to check their journeys in advance with their train operator or via www.nationalrail.co.uk/spring.
Notes to Editors
*In Stockport, preparation for the almost £20m project to rebuild the Greek Street bridge over the Manchester branch of the West Coast Main Line begins. The Greek Street roundabout is closed to traffic for one year. Between 19-22 April some services will be diverted around Stockport, while others will be replaced with buses.
Essential signalling upgrades between Carlisle, Cumbria and Carstairs, Scotland, between Saturday 19 - Monday 21 April means services on the West Coast Main Line will start and terminate at Carlisle. Bus replacement services will be in place between Carlisle, Glasgow, Dumfries and Edinburgh.
Also on Easter Sunday, Transport for Greater Manchester’s (TfGM) work to make Salford Central a modernised and more accessible station means that the line will be closed between Manchester Victoria and Salford Crescent. Passengers are advised to check before they travel between Bolton, Manchester Victoria, Manchester Piccadilly, Wigan, Leeds, Clitheroe and Chester.
Train operator information for travel into Liverpool on Easter Sunday
Avanti West Coast
No Avanti West Coast trains will run to / from Liverpool Lime Street.
Replacement bus services will run between Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street.
Transport for Wales
No Transport for Wales trains will run to / from Liverpool Lime Street.
Trains between Chester and Liverpool Lime Street will instead run between Chester and Liverpool South Parkway.
You can use Merseyrail trains between Liverpool South Parkway and Liverpool Central at no extra cost to complete your journey.
East Midlands Railway
An amended timetable will run on the Liverpool to Norwich route, with trains running to / from Manchester Piccadilly and Nottingham / Norwich. Rail replacement buses will operate between Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly to connect with the train service. You are advised to use alternative services between Manchester Piccadilly and Liverpool.
Northern
No Northern trains will run to / from Liverpool Lime Street.
Trains between Manchester Oxford Road and Liverpool Lime Street will instead run a reduced service between Manchester Oxford Road and Hunts Cross.
Trains between Manchester Piccadilly and Liverpool Lime Street via Earlestown, and also between Blackpool North and Liverpool Lime Street will start / terminate at Huyton.
Replacement bus services will run between Hunts Cross and Liverpool Lime Street, and between Huyton and Liverpool Lime Street.
TransPennine Express
No TransPennine Express trains will run to / from Liverpool Lime Street.
Trains between Cleethorpes and Liverpool Lime Street will instead run between Cleethorpes and Manchester Piccadilly. Replacement bus services will run between Manchester Victoria and Liverpool Lime Street.
Trains between Manchester Oxford Road and Liverpool Lime Street will instead run between Manchester Oxford Road and Warrington Central. Replacement bus services will run between Warrington Central and Liverpool Lime Street.
London North Western Railway
No London Northwestern Railway trains will run to / from Liverpool Lime Street.
Train services between Birmingham New Street and Liverpool Lime Street will run between Birmingham New Street and Liverpool South Parkway only.
You should use Merseyrail trains between Liverpool South Parkway and Liverpool Central to complete your journey. Liverpool Central is a short distance from Liverpool Lime Street.
Contact information
Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41
Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries
Journalists
Network Rail press office - North West & Central Region
0330 854 0100
NWCmediarelations@networkrail.co.uk
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