City Line (Merseyrail)
Encyclopedia
The City Line is the name given to local rail routes out of Liverpool Lime Street station
, Liverpool
, Merseyside
. It appears on maps of the Merseyrail
network as red, and covers the Liverpool-Wigan Line as well as the two routes of the Liverpool-Manchester Line. Although it is branded under the Merseyrail
name, the routes are operated by Northern Rail
on behalf of Merseytravel
rather than by the Merseyrail franchise.
, opened in 1830 having Broad Green Station
the oldest operating station in the world. Other early railway companies whose lines are now part of the City Line include the Cheshire Lines Committee
and the London & North Western Railway.
These disparate local railway services were not marketed under a common name until 1972, when Merseyside PTE
introduced the Merseyrail brand for services which were operated by British Rail
on its behalf. The PTE applied the City Line name to local services out of Liverpool's main station at Lime Street.
Around this time, ambitious plans were floated to electrify parts of the City Line and incorporate it into the Northern Line
, via the Wapping Tunnel
from Edge Hill to Liverpool Central
. However, after work started, they were abandoned.
In the 1990s, as part of the Government's rail privatisation, the City Line services became part of the North Western Trains franchise (later taken over by First Group and renamed First North Western
). Merseytravel continue to use the City Line name and stations retain the Merseyrail branding and familiar M logo.
In 2004, the First North Western franchise was merged with that of neighbouring train company Arriva Trains Northern
to create a new franchise covering the north of England. The new franchise was won by Northern Rail, owned by the Serco-NedRailways
consortium (who, coincidentally, had been named as the operators of the Merseyrail Electrics franchise a year earlier).
and Wirral
lines of the Merseyrail Network in that many of the routes are shared with inter-city express services. The lines which make up the City Line are:
Some City Line services continue beyond the confines of the above routes. For example, many Preston services continue to Blackpool or Lancaster, while Manchester Victoria services go on to Stalybridge.
Other lines out of Lime Street are not generally considered part of the City Line. However, sometimes the distinction is unclear. For example, Merseytravel publicity for Liverpool South Parkway
referred to the Central Trains
service from Liverpool to Crewe
and Birmingham New Street as if it were part of the City Line. The City Line timetable booklets also show other services where they share tracks with City Line trains (for example, the Chester to Manchester
services via Newton-le-Willows
and Warrington Bank Quay).
Long-distance express services provided by other operators provide additional trains to some City Line stations.
On Sundays Edge Hill, Eccleston Park and Bryn stations are closed and a basic hourly frequency operates on all lines.
, for services to Southport
. No direct connections to the branches to Kirkby and Ormskirk are available; passengers must board Southport-bound trains and alight at Sandhills
.
Interchange with the Wirral Line is possible at Liverpool Lime Street. Passengers wishing to transfer to the Northern Line can take a Wirral line service to Liverpool Central (although given the short distance between the two stations, many prefer to walk).
Connections to long distance services is possible at Wigan North Western
, Earlestown
or Manchester Oxford Road
.
Pacer units painted in the PTE's yellow livery, ostensibly for use on City Line services. However, they are not dedicated to Merseyside operations and can often be seen working on other Northern Rail services outside the Merseyside area. Conversely, 142s in other liveries can frequently be seen working Lime Street services.
Some longer-distance City Line services are diagrammed for Class 150
or Class 156
Sprinter units.
On 28 February 2007 Merseytravel announced a new deal with Northern Rail and Angel Trains
, which would see 4 Pacers taken out of service and replaced by 6 Class 156 units. The higher capacity of the 156s will assist in tackling overcrowding. This new arrangement is expected to begin with the May 2007 timetable.
announced that the line from Liverpool to Manchester via Newton-le-Willows (the Chat Moss route) would be electrified, along with the Liverpool to Wigan line. The electrification will be complete in 2013.
In February 2010 Networkrail's Northern Hub Plan, on page 26, announced that 4 electrified tracks will be operative from Broad Green Station to Huyton Station. This is to allow a fast uninterrupted service from Liverpool to Manchester and slower electric urban trains to operate on segregated tracks from Liverpool to Wigan. Merseyrail City Line trains run on this section of track. Whether Merseyrail electric trains, operated by either Merseyrail or Northern Rail
will operate on this electrified section remains to be clarified.
The Canada Dock Branch
line is a line running from Edge Hill Junction in the east of the city in a long curve to Canada Dock in the north of the city. The line meets Merseyrail's Northern Line at a junction between and stations. The line's last remaining passenger services were withdrawn in 1977, but the line remains busy with freight to Seaforth Container Terminal.
The line could be reopened to passengers, allowing the reopening of stations along its length: , , , Tuebrook
, and . The line from Edge Lane would continue through to Edge Hill station and terminate at Lime Street
.
Network Rail have investigated options for the Canada Dock Branch in their Route Utilisation Strategy for Merseyside and have concluded that the expected benefits do not justify the investment in new infrastructure. However, it has been suggested that Liverpool FC could assist in funding the reopening of this line to provide a direct link to their proposed new Stanley Park Stadium
.
The Department for Transport's Rail electrification document of July 2009, states that the route to Liverpool Docks will be electrified. The Canada Dock Branch Line is the only line into the docks. From the document:
The electrification of this line would greatly assist in recommissioning passenger trains, as costs would be reduced.
Liverpool Lime Street railway station
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...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
. It appears on maps of the Merseyrail
Merseyrail
Merseyrail is a train operating company and commuter rail network in the United Kingdom, centred on Liverpool, Merseyside. The network is predominantly electric with diesel trains running on the City Line. Two City Line branches are currently being electrified on the overhead wire AC system with...
network as red, and covers the Liverpool-Wigan Line as well as the two routes of the Liverpool-Manchester Line. Although it is branded under the Merseyrail
Merseyrail
Merseyrail is a train operating company and commuter rail network in the United Kingdom, centred on Liverpool, Merseyside. The network is predominantly electric with diesel trains running on the City Line. Two City Line branches are currently being electrified on the overhead wire AC system with...
name, the routes are operated by Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
on behalf of Merseytravel
Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive
The Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive is the Passenger Transport Executive responsible for the coordination of public transport in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England...
rather than by the Merseyrail franchise.
History
The City Line can trace its origins back to the dawn of the railway era, as it incorporates most of the route of the Liverpool and Manchester RailwayLiverpool and Manchester Railway
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the world's first inter-city passenger railway in which all the trains were timetabled and were hauled for most of the distance solely by steam locomotives. The line opened on 15 September 1830 and ran between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in North...
, opened in 1830 having Broad Green Station
Broad Green railway station
Broad Green railway station is situated in the Broadgreen district of Liverpool, England. It is the oldest used railway station in the world being a part of the original 1830 Liverpool and Manchester passenger railway....
the oldest operating station in the world. Other early railway companies whose lines are now part of the City Line include the Cheshire Lines Committee
Cheshire Lines Committee
The Cheshire Lines Committee was the second largest joint railway in Great Britain, with 143 route miles. Despite its name, approximately 55% of its system was in Lancashire. In its publicity material it was often styled as the Cheshire Lines Railway...
and the London & North Western Railway.
These disparate local railway services were not marketed under a common name until 1972, when Merseyside PTE
Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive
The Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive is the Passenger Transport Executive responsible for the coordination of public transport in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England...
introduced the Merseyrail brand for services which were operated by British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
on its behalf. The PTE applied the City Line name to local services out of Liverpool's main station at Lime Street.
Around this time, ambitious plans were floated to electrify parts of the City Line and incorporate it into the Northern Line
Northern Line (Merseyrail)
The Northern Line is one of the two commuter rail lines operated by Merseyrail in Merseyside, England. The other line is the Wirral Line. A third line of the Merseyrail Network, the City Line, is not owned or operated by Merseyrail, although funded by Merseytravel.The Northern Line passes...
, via the Wapping Tunnel
Wapping Tunnel
Wapping or Edge Hill Tunnel in Liverpool, England, was constructed to enable goods services to operate between Liverpool docks and Manchester, and all points between, as part of the planned Liverpool and Manchester Railway. It was the first tunnel in the world to be bored under a metropolis...
from Edge Hill to Liverpool Central
Liverpool Central railway station
Liverpool Central railway station is a railway station in Liverpool, England, and forms the central hub of the Merseyrail network, being on both the Northern Line and the Wirral Line. In the years 2008/09, Liverpool Central station was shown to be the busiest station in Liverpool, despite being...
. However, after work started, they were abandoned.
In the 1990s, as part of the Government's rail privatisation, the City Line services became part of the North Western Trains franchise (later taken over by First Group and renamed First North Western
First North Western
First North Western was a train operating company in the United Kingdom serving North West England. It operated from 1997 to 2004.The company when first privatised was known as North Western Trains and was owned by Great Western Holdings, a partnership between Great Western's management, First...
). Merseytravel continue to use the City Line name and stations retain the Merseyrail branding and familiar M logo.
In 2004, the First North Western franchise was merged with that of neighbouring train company Arriva Trains Northern
Arriva Trains Northern
Arriva Trains Northern was a train operating company that operated passenger trains in Yorkshire and the North East of England. The company had previously been known as Northern Spirit before being taken over by Arriva....
to create a new franchise covering the north of England. The new franchise was won by Northern Rail, owned by the Serco-NedRailways
Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Nederlandse Spoorwegen , or NS, is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands.Its trains operate over the tracks of the Dutch national railinfrastructure, operated by ProRail, which was split off from NS in 2003...
consortium (who, coincidentally, had been named as the operators of the Merseyrail Electrics franchise a year earlier).
Description
The City Line differs from the NorthernNorthern Line (Merseyrail)
The Northern Line is one of the two commuter rail lines operated by Merseyrail in Merseyside, England. The other line is the Wirral Line. A third line of the Merseyrail Network, the City Line, is not owned or operated by Merseyrail, although funded by Merseytravel.The Northern Line passes...
and Wirral
Wirral Line
The Wirral Line is one of the two commuter railway lines operated by Merseyrail that are centred around Merseyside, England, the other being the Northern Line...
lines of the Merseyrail Network in that many of the routes are shared with inter-city express services. The lines which make up the City Line are:
- Liverpool to Wigan LineLiverpool to Wigan LineThe Liverpool to Wigan Line is a railway line in the north-west of England, running between Liverpool Lime Street and Wigan North Western via St Helens Central.-Description:...
(and onward to PrestonPreston railway stationPreston railway station serves the city of Preston in Lancashire, England and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line.It is served by Northern Rail, Virgin Trains, and TransPennine Express services, plus First ScotRail overnight sleeper services between London and Scotland.-Station layout...
via the West Coast Main LineWest Coast Main LineThe West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
) - Liverpool to Manchester LinesLiverpool to Manchester LinesThere are two Liverpool to Manchester railway lines between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in the North West of England. The 'Northern Route' via and to either or follows the route of the original Liverpool and Manchester Railway...
(Northern and Southern Routes, including the branch to Warrington Bank QuayWarrington Bank Quay railway stationWarrington Bank Quay railway station is a mainline railway station serving the UK town of Warrington. The town centre has two stations on opposite sides of the main shopping area, Warrington Central operating a more frequent service to the neighbouring cities Liverpool and Manchester...
)
Some City Line services continue beyond the confines of the above routes. For example, many Preston services continue to Blackpool or Lancaster, while Manchester Victoria services go on to Stalybridge.
Other lines out of Lime Street are not generally considered part of the City Line. However, sometimes the distinction is unclear. For example, Merseytravel publicity for Liverpool South Parkway
Liverpool South Parkway railway station
Liverpool South Parkway station is a railway station and bus interchange in the Garston district of Liverpool, England. It serves, via a bus link, Liverpool John Lennon Airport in the neighbouring suburb of Speke....
referred to the Central Trains
Central Trains
Central Trains was one of the original 25 train operating companies to emerge from the break-up of British Rail between 1994 and 1997. The company operated local, urban and secondary express services across central England and Mid Wales.-Overview:...
service from Liverpool to Crewe
Crewe railway station
Crewe railway station was completed in 1837 and is one of the most historic railway stations in the world. Built in fields near to Crewe Hall, it originally served the village of Crewe with a population of just 70 residents...
and Birmingham New Street as if it were part of the City Line. The City Line timetable booklets also show other services where they share tracks with City Line trains (for example, the Chester to Manchester
Chester to Manchester Line
There are two Chester to Manchester Lines between the cities of Chester and Manchester in North West England.-Description:Both routes to Manchester share the Chester to Crewe line for a short distance to Brook Lane Junction where the Manchester lines diverge to Mickle Trafford at which point the...
services via Newton-le-Willows
Newton-le-Willows railway station
Newton-le-Willows railway station is a railway station in the town of Newton-le-Willows, in the borough of St Helens in the north-west of England, and at the edge of the Merseytravel region. It is situated on the northern route of the Liverpool to Manchester Line, the former Liverpool and...
and Warrington Bank Quay).
Services
Monday to Saturday daytimes, most stations are served by a train every half-hour on core sections of route. Some smaller stations are served only by one train per hour. Services are less frequent in the evenings.Long-distance express services provided by other operators provide additional trains to some City Line stations.
On Sundays Edge Hill, Eccleston Park and Bryn stations are closed and a basic hourly frequency operates on all lines.
Connections
Transfer to the Northern Line is possible at Liverpool South Parkway or Hunts CrossHunts Cross railway station
Hunts Cross railway station is a Grade II listed railway station in Hunts Cross, Liverpool, England. It is situated on the southern branch of the City Line's Liverpool to Manchester route, and is the southern terminus of Merseyrail's Northern Line.-History:...
, for services to Southport
Southport railway station
Southport railway station serves the town of Southport, Merseyside, England. It is at the end of one of the branches of the Northern Line of the Merseyrail network, and at the end of the Manchester-Southport Line which runs via Wigan...
. No direct connections to the branches to Kirkby and Ormskirk are available; passengers must board Southport-bound trains and alight at Sandhills
Sandhills railway station
Sandhills railway station is a railway station in Kirkdale, Liverpool, England, located to the north of the city centre on the Northern Line of the Merseyrail network.It was built by the Liverpool, Crosby and Southport Railway Company and now stands at the junction between the branch to Southport...
.
Interchange with the Wirral Line is possible at Liverpool Lime Street. Passengers wishing to transfer to the Northern Line can take a Wirral line service to Liverpool Central (although given the short distance between the two stations, many prefer to walk).
Connections to long distance services is possible at Wigan North Western
Wigan North Western railway station
Wigan North Western railway station is one of two railway stations serving the town centre of Wigan, Greater Manchester, UK.It is a moderately-sized station on the West Coast Main Line. It is operated by Virgin Trains, and is also served by Northern Rail...
, Earlestown
Earlestown railway station
Earlestown railway station is a railway station in Earlestown, Newton-le-Willows in Merseyside, England. Since recent restoration of a platform for Warrington Bank Quay to Liverpool trains, it is one of the few "triangular" stations in Britain ....
or Manchester Oxford Road
Manchester Oxford Road railway station
Manchester Oxford Road Railway Station is a railway station in the city of Manchester, England. The station is located at the junction of Whitworth Street West and Oxford Street, on an elevated line between Deansgate and Piccadilly stations....
.
Rolling stock
There were 17 Class 142British Rail Class 142
The British Rail Class 142 is a class of Pacer diesel multiple units used in the United Kingdom. 96 units were built by BREL in Derby between 1985 and 1987. They were a development of the earlier Class 141 which were introduced in 1984....
Pacer units painted in the PTE's yellow livery, ostensibly for use on City Line services. However, they are not dedicated to Merseyside operations and can often be seen working on other Northern Rail services outside the Merseyside area. Conversely, 142s in other liveries can frequently be seen working Lime Street services.
Some longer-distance City Line services are diagrammed for Class 150
British Rail Class 150
The British Rail Class 150 "Sprinter" diesel multiple units were built by BREL from 1984-87. A total of 137 units were built in three main subclasses, replacing many of the earlier first-generation "Heritage" DMUs.- Background :...
or Class 156
British Rail Class 156
The British Rail Class 156 Super Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train . 114 of these units were built from 1987 to 1989 by Metro-Cammell at its Washwood Heath Works in Birmingham...
Sprinter units.
On 28 February 2007 Merseytravel announced a new deal with Northern Rail and Angel Trains
Angel Trains
Angel Trains is an English Rolling Stock Operating Company created in 1994 as part of the privatisation of British Rail. It was one of three ROSCOs...
, which would see 4 Pacers taken out of service and replaced by 6 Class 156 units. The higher capacity of the 156s will assist in tackling overcrowding. This new arrangement is expected to begin with the May 2007 timetable.
Future
Merseytravel have aspirations to electrify much of the City Line with 25kV overhead. The only section of City Line route currently electrified is between Lime Street and Liverpool South Parkway (for use by Virgin and London Midland EMUs). In July 2009 the Department for TransportDepartment for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
announced that the line from Liverpool to Manchester via Newton-le-Willows (the Chat Moss route) would be electrified, along with the Liverpool to Wigan line. The electrification will be complete in 2013.
In February 2010 Networkrail's Northern Hub Plan, on page 26, announced that 4 electrified tracks will be operative from Broad Green Station to Huyton Station. This is to allow a fast uninterrupted service from Liverpool to Manchester and slower electric urban trains to operate on segregated tracks from Liverpool to Wigan. Merseyrail City Line trains run on this section of track. Whether Merseyrail electric trains, operated by either Merseyrail or Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
will operate on this electrified section remains to be clarified.
The Canada Dock Branch
Canada Dock Branch
The Canada Dock Branch is a 4 mile 59 chain long railway line in Liverpool, England. The line runs from the large Edge Hill rail junction in the east of Liverpool to Seaforth Dock to the north. The line was originally built by the London and North Western Railway terminating at Canada Dock, with...
line is a line running from Edge Hill Junction in the east of the city in a long curve to Canada Dock in the north of the city. The line meets Merseyrail's Northern Line at a junction between and stations. The line's last remaining passenger services were withdrawn in 1977, but the line remains busy with freight to Seaforth Container Terminal.
The line could be reopened to passengers, allowing the reopening of stations along its length: , , , Tuebrook
Tue Brook railway station
Tue Brook railway station was a station located on the north side of West Derby Road, Tuebrook, Liverpool, England, opposite Newsham Park on the Canada Dock Branch. It opened on the 1 July 1870; and it closed to passengers on 31 May 1948.-External links:*...
, and . The line from Edge Lane would continue through to Edge Hill station and terminate at Lime Street
Liverpool Lime Street railway station
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...
.
Network Rail have investigated options for the Canada Dock Branch in their Route Utilisation Strategy for Merseyside and have concluded that the expected benefits do not justify the investment in new infrastructure. However, it has been suggested that Liverpool FC could assist in funding the reopening of this line to provide a direct link to their proposed new Stanley Park Stadium
Stanley Park Stadium
Stanley Park is a proposed football stadium in Liverpool that if built, would become home to Liverpool Football Club. The stadium would have a capacity of 60,000 to 72,000 all-seated if built as originally planned...
.
The Department for Transport's Rail electrification document of July 2009, states that the route to Liverpool Docks will be electrified. The Canada Dock Branch Line is the only line into the docks. From the document:
- 70. Electrification of this route will offer electric haulage options for freight.
- There will be an alternative route to Liverpool docks for electrically-operated freight trains, and better opportunities of electrified access to the proposed freight terminal at Parkside near Newton-le-Willows.
The electrification of this line would greatly assist in recommissioning passenger trains, as costs would be reduced.