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Friday 29 Sep 2017

Train customers reminded that Liverpool Lime Street station upgrade starts on Saturday

Region & Route:

| North West & Central

Train customers are reminded to plan ahead so they can stay on the move during a major transformation of Liverpool Lime Street station which starts tomorrow (Saturday 30 September).

The Lime Street upgrade is the biggest transformation the station has seen since the 19^th Century. It is one of 10 major railway upgrades that make up the £340m railway investment in the Liverpool City Region by the end of 2019, and sits within the wider Great North Rail Project to transform rail travel for customers in the north of England.

While Merseyside’s main station will be closed to trains between 30 September and 22 October, Liverpool City Region remains very much “open for business” throughout this time.

The concourse at Lime Street station will also remain open for retail and tickets.

Train customers will be kept on trains wherever possible. Many main line rail services will be diverted to Liverpool South Parkway so people can access the city on the Merseyrail network.

To support Liverpool South Parkway becoming the temporary main rail ‘hub’, there will be some service and timetable changes on the Merseyrail network and passengers are reminded to check before they travel.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “We are committed to improving train journeys in Liverpool and this major upgrade will mean we can deliver more services that people want, longer trains and better platforms.

“The work at Lime Street is part of our Great North Rail Project which will help transform services for passengers and we are grateful to them for their patience while this upgrade is underway.

“This is a key part of the well over £1 billion investment we have for improving the rail network across the North of England.”

Martin Frobisher, Network Rail’s London North Western route managing director, said: “With passenger figures set to double during peak periods by 2043, the Liverpool Lime Street upgrade is vital to transform train travel for passengers in the future.

“Our work will enable faster, more frequent and reliable train services to run in and out of the station by 2019.”

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:

“I welcome this scheme as an important stepping stone in improving the City Region’s capacity and connectivity. As the Lime Street station upgrade gets underway we’ll be continuing to make the case for the north to get the infrastructure commitment and funding it deserves, not least full high-speed rail connections west-east, joining up north-south HS2 infrastructure with Northern Powerhouse Rail into Liverpool.”

Chris Nutton, major projects director at TransPennine Express, said on behalf of all operators using Liverpool Lime Street station: “The train companies that serve Liverpool Lime Street have developed a joint plan that will allow customers to move in and out of the city during these crucial works, but make sure you check before you travel.

“Going forward, this important upgrade will allow TransPennine Express to run longer trains with more carriages into the station meaning more seats for customers. It will also enable us to introduce a brand new direct service from Liverpool to Glasgow in December 2018.”

Frank Rogers, chief executive at Merseytravel, said: “The alternative travel arrangements being put in place are a culmination of many months of work by Network Rail, the Liverpool City Region and rail operators with a brief that the City Region must remain ‘open for business. We’re doing what we can, now we’re calling on passengers, both local and from further afield, to plan ahead and familiarise themselves with the alternative arrangements so they can continue to get about easily and seamlessly during the works.”

Jan Chaudhry-van der Velde, managing director at Merseyrail, said: “The Merseyrail network provides fast, frequent and reliable travel around the city region, complementing the longer distance rail services available from Lime Street, and promoting economic benefits to the city through business, commuter and leisure travel.

“During the temporary closure of Lime Street station, we will operate a 15-minute service between Liverpool South Parkway and the centre of Liverpool at Moorfields, using full length trains to maximise capacity.

“Changing from train to train at our modern and spacious station at Liverpool South Parkway is quick and easy. The South Parkway connection will enable us to play a supportive role in helping to maintain ‘business as usual’ in the city.”

Once complete in 2018, the work will enable an extra three services per hour in and out of Lime Street station, including new direct services to Scotland. Longer, better managed platforms will allow bigger trains, with more space for passengers, in and out of the station.

For the first nine days of the closure, engineers will also be working to complete the installation of the fourth track between Huyton and Roby. This will allow faster non-stop intercity services to overtake local stopping services along this route.

Where rail replacement buses are required they will be high quality and will offer both express/limited stop and stopping services.

Over the 23 days, engineers will continue work to remodel station platforms, increasing them in number and in length. Work will also take place to install overhead line equipment to power electric trains and upgrade track.

Strikes by RMT members on the Merseyrail network and on Northern train services are due to take place on Tuesday 3^rd and Thursday 5^th October, with plans being put in place to help ensure that alternative travel arrangements for the Lime Street Station works will still be effective. 

This is the first of two phases of work at Liverpool Lime Street, with a further station closure planned in summer 2018. Key travel details are below, but to find out more visit www.networkrail.co.uk/lcr