Northern Line (Merseyrail)
Encyclopedia
The Northern Line is one of the two commuter rail lines
Commuter rail in the United Kingdom
Urban rail, commuter rail, regional rail, or suburban rail, plays a key role in the public transport system of many of the United Kingdom's major cities. Urban rail is defined as a rail service between a central business district and suburbs or other locations that draw large numbers of people on a...
operated by 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...
in 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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The other line is the Wirral Line
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...
. A third line of the Merseyrail Network, the City Line
City Line (Merseyrail)
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...
, is not owned or operated by Merseyrail, although funded by Merseytravel.
The Northern Line passes underground through Liverpool city centre and has four termini at: to the south. to the north. to the north. to the north.
Description
The line runs from 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:...
via the former 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...
(CLC) route towards 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...
. Brunswick
Brunswick railway station
Brunswick railway station is a railway station in Dingle, Liverpool, England, on the Northern Line of the Merseyrail rapid-transit urban network. It also serves the nearby district of Dingle and is situated on a short section of track between two tunnels, between the now in-filled Toxteth and...
station between and Liverpool Central was added in 1998 to provide a connection to the Brunswick Business Park. Just south of Liverpool Central, the line leaves the CLC route (which is in tunnel at that point) into a 1970s tunnel which drops the tunnel to a lower level, running into the former underground Mersey Railway
Mersey Railway
The Mersey Railway connected Liverpool and Birkenhead, England, via the Mersey Railway Tunnel under the River Mersey. Opened in 1886, it was the second oldest urban underground railway network in the world. The railway contained the first tunnel built under the River Mersey. It was constructed by...
Liverpool Central (Low Level) station. North of Central Station the line uses the former Mersey Railway tunnel for about half of the route to the next station, Moorfields
Moorfields railway station
Moorfields station is an underground railway station in Liverpool, England. It is situated on both the Northern and Wirral Lines of the Merseyrail network and is the only station on the network which has services to all other Merseyrail stations....
, a new underground station built in the 1970s to replace the surface-level Liverpool Exchange
Liverpool Exchange railway station
Liverpool Exchange railway station was a railway station located in the town centre of Liverpool, England.- Station construction and opening :...
. North of Moorfields station, the route emerges from the tunnel to join the former Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
lines from Exchange station.
After the next station, 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...
, the former Liverpool, Crosby and Southport Railway
Liverpool, Crosby and Southport Railway
The Liverpool, Crosby and Southport Railway received parliamentary authorization on 2 July 1847 and opened between Southport and Liverpool Waterloo on 24 July 1848.-LC&SR later operations:...
line branches off towards 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...
, while the other routes continue to Kirkdale
Kirkdale railway station
Kirkdale 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...
on what was a joint section of track between Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway
Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway
The Liverpool, Ormskirk & Preston Railway was formed in 1846. It was purchased by the East Lancashire Railway. Today the line still operates, with the section between Liverpool and Ormskirk forming part of Merseyrail's Northern Line and the section between Ormskirk and Preston forming Northern...
and the Liverpool and Bury Railway
Liverpool and Bury Railway
The Liverpool and Bury Railway was formed in 1845 and opened on 28 November 1848. The line ran from Liverpool Exchange first using a joint line with Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway before branching of to proceed via Kirkby then Wigan and Bolton to Bury.In 1846 the line merged with the...
. After Kirkdale, the Ormskirk
Ormskirk
Ormskirk is a market town in West Lancashire, England. It is situated north of Liverpool city centre, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston.-Geography and administration:...
and Kirkby
Kirkby
Kirkby is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in the metropolitan county of Merseyside in England. The town was developed from the 1950s through 1970s as a means to house the overspill of Liverpool. It is situated roughly north of Huyton, the administrative HQ of the borough and about...
lines diverge.
Trains from Hunts Cross continue to Southport, while trains to Ormskirk and Kirkby start at Liverpool Central station. Daytime trains operate every 15 minutes on each of the three routes (Monday to Saturday) and every 30 minutes on Sundays, except in the summer months when Sunday frequencies on the Southport - Hunts Cross route are increased to every 15 minutes. On the same route, the frequency is as little as every 8 minutes during peak hours. Trains on the Southport - Hunts Cross and Ormskirk - Liverpool Central routes are increased to 6 carriages during peak hours. Weekend services during the summer on the Southport route are 6 carriages all day.
Electrification
The Northern Line is electrifiedRailway electrification in Great Britain
Railway electrification in Great Britain started towards of the 19th century. A great range of voltages have been used in the intervening period using both overhead lines and third rails, however the most common standard for mainline services is now 25 kV AC using overhead lines and the...
using a 750V DC third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
.
- The section of line from the old Liverpool Exchange Station to Southport on to CrossensCrossens railway stationCrossens railway station was a railway station serving Crossens, a suburb of Southport, Sefton, Merseyside, England. Located on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway main line between and , it was opened to passengers by the West Lancashire Railway...
and Meols CopMeols Cop railway stationMeols Cop railway station serves the Blowick suburb of the coastal town of Southport, Merseyside, England. The station has an island platform and is served by Northern Rail's - via branch services, on which it is the last stop before the terminus...
, was the first section to be electrified in 1904. - The branch to AintreeAintree railway stationAintree railway station is a railway station in Aintree, Merseyside, England. It is on the Ormskirk branch of the Merseyrail network's Northern Line...
, on the current Northern Line Ormskirk branch, followed in 1906, being extended to Ormskirk in 1913. - The Kirkby branch and the line south of Liverpool as far as GarstonGarston (Merseyside) railway stationGarston station was a railway station in the Garston district of Liverpool, England. It was located on the Northern Line of the Merseyrail suburban rail network.-History:The station was opened on 1 April 1874 by the Cheshire Lines Committee...
were electrified to coincide with the construction of the Link Tunnel creating Merseyrail in 1978. - Electrification was cut back to Southport in the north in 1978.
- The section from Garston to Hunts Cross was electrified in 1983, making Hunts Cross the southern terminal station.
Connections
Interchange with the Wirral LineWirral 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...
is available at and stations. As the Northern Line does not pass through Liverpool's mainline station, , passengers must use the Wirral Line as a connection. In practice, given the relatively short distance between Liverpool Central and Liverpool Lime Street stations, many prefer to walk. Using the Wirral Line as a connection from Liverpool Central to Liverpool Lime Street requires passengers to change at James Street station. This is the only station on the Loop with two Wirral Line platforms, one coming into Liverpool and out going out.
Interchange with other National Rail services can be made at Southport, Ormskirk, Kirkby, Liverpool South Parkway and Hunts Cross.
The new 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....
station opened on 11 June 2006, replacing Garston station
Garston (Merseyside) railway station
Garston station was a railway station in the Garston district of Liverpool, England. It was located on the Northern Line of the Merseyrail suburban rail network.-History:The station was opened on 1 April 1874 by the Cheshire Lines Committee...
and providing connections to the City Line formerly available at .
Former stations
This list is incomplete.- ChurchtownChurchtown railway stationChurchtown railway station was on the West Lancashire Railway in England. It served the Southport suburb of Churchtown.In the Churchtown area the railway ran above the local streets on an embankment, and crossed Cambridge Road to Churchtown station on an iron bridge...
(Southport-Crossens branchWest Lancashire RailwayThe West Lancashire Railway ran northeast from Southport to Preston in northwest England.-History:Construction was started by Samuel Swire the Mayor of Southport, on 19 April 1873....
) - CrossensCrossens railway stationCrossens railway station was a railway station serving Crossens, a suburb of Southport, Sefton, Merseyside, England. Located on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway main line between and , it was opened to passengers by the West Lancashire Railway...
(Southport-Crossens branch) - FordFord (Sefton) railway stationFord railway station was a station located on the North Mersey Branch at East of Netherton Way A5038, north Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It opened for service on June 1, 1906 and closed on April 2, 1951. Passenger trains then only ran once a year on this line, transporting passengers for the...
http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/f/ford/index.shtml (North Mersey BranchNorth Mersey BranchThe North Mersey Branch is a railway line that connected the Liverpool and Bury Railway at Fazakerley Junction with the Gladstone Dock. It was opened in 1867 by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway.- Usage :...
) - GarstonGarston (Merseyside) railway stationGarston station was a railway station in the Garston district of Liverpool, England. It was located on the Northern Line of the Merseyrail suburban rail network.-History:The station was opened on 1 April 1874 by the Cheshire Lines Committee...
(Closed 10 June 2006; replaced by Liverpool South ParkwayLiverpool South Parkway railway stationLiverpool 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....
) - Hesketh ParkHesketh Park railway stationHesketh Park railway station was on the West Lancashire Railway in England. It was close to Hesketh Park in Southport....
(Southport-Crossens branch) - Linacre RoadLinacre Road railway stationLinacre Road railway station was a station located on the North Mersey Branch It opened on 1 June 1906. It closed on 2 April 1951, the track however is still in place though no longer electrified.-External links:*...
http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/l/linacre_road/index.shtml (North Mersey BranchNorth Mersey BranchThe North Mersey Branch is a railway line that connected the Liverpool and Bury Railway at Fazakerley Junction with the Gladstone Dock. It was opened in 1867 by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway.- Usage :...
). - Liverpool ExchangeLiverpool Exchange railway stationLiverpool Exchange railway station was a railway station located in the town centre of Liverpool, England.- Station construction and opening :...
(1850-1977: Southport/Kirkby/Ormskirk branches) - Meols CopMeols Cop railway stationMeols Cop railway station serves the Blowick suburb of the coastal town of Southport, Merseyside, England. The station has an island platform and is served by Northern Rail's - via branch services, on which it is the last stop before the terminus...
(Still open, but no longer part of the Northern Line: Manchester and Southport RailwayManchester and Southport RailwayThe Manchester and Southport Railway in England opened on 9 April 1855. It merged with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in January 1885. The line eventually formed part of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, 59.5 km Liverpool to Manchester route via a junction with the Liverpool and Bury...
) - OtterspoolOtterspool railway stationOtterspool station was a railway station in Liverpool, England. It was located between St Michaels and Aigburth stations on the Garston and Liverpool Railway....
(Closed 1951) - St James'Saint James railway station, LiverpoolSt James' station in Liverpool, England was a railway station situated on the old Cheshire Lines Committee line from Liverpool Central between Central and Brunswick stations. This is now a part of Merseyrail's Northern Line. The station is located at the Parliament Street St...
(Closed 1917)