Why are buses not good enough given where people live and work?
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Why is Edge Hill closed on Sundays?
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BeijingDave
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I didn't know the university was actually so close.
Quite amusing that the station for University of Liverpool is Edge Hill, while the comparatively nearby Edge Hill University is in Ormskirk.
I wonder if that has thrown many international students.
I'm interested in that change of pattern, as that is new since my time there. This former student always walked or cycled, took the bus, or used the train when he'd been in town.
Edge Hill station was a distraction, being further from the heart of the campus, worse served, and with none of the city centre advantages. The University of Liverpool (I can't speak about JMU) has shifted a lot of accommodation to the campus from out at Mossley Hill, which also affects demand.
I'd be interested in how many international students are at Edge Hill, and would hope that Edge Hill has done a decent job of providing orientation
See also: University of Warwick (in Coventry), or University of Coventry London campus.
Or University of Durham Stockton campus (where international students have defintely felt let down)
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I think near the uni is pushing it a bit, Lime St and Central are actually slightly closer. But it might suit commuting students coming from the Wigan and Chat Moss side if they are using trains that stop there.
I doubt it would be used significantly for going to Liverpool, for short journeys like that the bus (or walking) tend to win out, but it might be useful for inbound commuting as noted and for those going to Wigan etc, possibly not to Manchester as you'd be taking a stopping service that takes forever.
That'd depend a lot on which course they do - the campus is large.
Well Edge Hill University did move nearly 100 years ago!
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Although this was indeed an epic fail, I think this closed several years ago.
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and slowly expanding in the direction of Edge Hill railway station.
BeijingDave
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As an alumnus of Warwick, it was very strange that even when forced to live off-campus in the second year, students lived in Leamington Spa, Kenilworth, Coventry... anywhere but Warwick itself as there was no direct bus route.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
That's different because it's never been sited in Warwick. Edge Hill was founded in Edge Hill and later moved.
I think we might be starting to wander slightly off-topic here. The location of other Universities is not exactly relevant to the matter of services at Edge Hill! Thanks 
I don't doubt that buses will be the most convenient transport for most people who live so close to the city centre.
But Brunswick, a similar distance away, is a very well used station, even by people travelling only one stop to Liverpool Central.
Edge Hill station exists; if it had the same predictable service, run by Merseyrail, as Brunswick and was marketed as such its usage would increase. I'm sure that development, if not 'gentrification' as such, will continue to happen in the area. No-one is suggesting closing it I don't think. It is a historic and significant place in Liverpool's, and the world's, railway history. It deserves a boost.
But Brunswick was built for a different purpose, serves a different catchment, and makes use of an existing inner suburban corridor. Edge Hill has a fundamentally different context and the gains you suggest would rely upon other very significant changes
childwallblues
Established Member
Spot on. We are now in the ralms of fntasyland.I think we might be starting to wander slightly off-topic here. The location of other Universities is not exactly relevant to the matter of services at Edge Hill! Thanks
sjm77
Member
I had no idea it was closed on Sundays. However I think the main reason is stupidness. West Allerton recieves an hourly service on Sundays but only has ~60K passengers per year. Whereas Edge Hill has 210K pasengers per year but does not warrant any service on Sunday. Explain that! Many of us had to walk to Edge Hill after the Liverpool parade in 2025 to board trains that left Lime Street empty because nobody was allowed into the station. More stupidness.
Even Bempton on the Yorkshire Coast Line (23K annual pax) has an hourly service on a Sunday.
Even Bempton on the Yorkshire Coast Line (23K annual pax) has an hourly service on a Sunday.
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Northerngirl
Member
Stupidness is the standard policy for Northern managed stations
childwallblues
Established Member
Correct. Northern were allocated money to provide lifts and a new booking office at Broad Green, two stations past Edge Hill in 2023. We are still waiting although they did get the booking office demolished!
Kite159
Veteran Member
And how many of those 210K passengers a year are genuine passengers?
Rather than tickets purchased to bypass the gateline at Lime Street.
childwallblues
Established Member
To sum up Edge Hill probably would not have the footfall to justify a Sunday opening.
The buildings are dated from 1836 and are Grade II listed. When I worked in Lime Street Station I used Broad Green on many occasions to get to/from work. One of the station staff moved to Edge Hill when a vacancy occurred and his reply was that he could walk to work and he got every Sunday off.
At the time one of the station management team had his office at the station and told him that a survey had been carried out and as a result Sunday opening would not be justified. That was 20 years ago, so things may have changed now.
The buildings are dated from 1836 and are Grade II listed. When I worked in Lime Street Station I used Broad Green on many occasions to get to/from work. One of the station staff moved to Edge Hill when a vacancy occurred and his reply was that he could walk to work and he got every Sunday off.
At the time one of the station management team had his office at the station and told him that a survey had been carried out and as a result Sunday opening would not be justified. That was 20 years ago, so things may have changed now.
sjm77
Member
Ticketless people may get off at Edge Hill but then they would not show in the statistics would they. So funny.
Buzby
Established Member
I was there earlier during a weekday and the ticket office was shut. There were however painters blitzing the platform buildings making it all look nice. I had assumed since there was no gateline saying a station is ‘closed’ is odd as I didn’t see any gate to prevent platform access - if it’s just the trains not stopping, I wonder if that's because Northern think it IS closed? 
Mcr Warrior
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If we're still talking about Edge Hill station, it apparently has 147 calls on a typical weekday. And 149 on a typical Saturday. All are Northern, with all four platforms in use. Which makes the average number of passengers using Edge Hill per station call less than 5.if it’s just the trains not stopping, I wonder if that's because Northern think it IS closed?
Buzby
Established Member
That was the number waiting on my platform (2 got off!)
Statistics are not just based on ticket sales. Passenger counts are done as there are a lot of zonal tickets, plus free passes for OAPs and disabled. In Merseyside Zonal tickets and free passes probably make up the majority of journeys, not singles or returns, especially at local stations. Depending on the methodolgy of the passenger counts, those that are.ticketless may well show in the statistics.
When I worked at Edge Hill as you can imagine a lot of people were going to Lime Street and Manchester, primarily in the mornings people would buy tickets.
I can’t speak of recent years but the afternoons and evenings people would enquire about what platforms trains were on as people would be using Edge Hill to change lines but ticket sales were mostly in the mornings.
If the bulk of people are working Monday to Friday then a Sunday service isn’t really necessary when a lot of people walk into town and get the bus. Wavertree serves the Tech Park better I feel without the walk up the cobbles with a walk along a busy Tunnel Road and Wavertree Road.
OT but yes, had quite a few people turn up asking for Edge Hill uni
I can’t speak of recent years but the afternoons and evenings people would enquire about what platforms trains were on as people would be using Edge Hill to change lines but ticket sales were mostly in the mornings.
If the bulk of people are working Monday to Friday then a Sunday service isn’t really necessary when a lot of people walk into town and get the bus. Wavertree serves the Tech Park better I feel without the walk up the cobbles with a walk along a busy Tunnel Road and Wavertree Road.
OT but yes, had quite a few people turn up asking for Edge Hill uni
John Luxton
Established Member
I live off Smithdown Road, not far from the site of the old Sefton Park station.
That places me halfway between Edge Hill and Mossley Hill stations.
The bus service along Smithdown Road 75, 76, 86, 86A, 86C take you close to Lime Street - 80 is now a bit of a walk as they were rerouted through China Town a few years ago - but unless travelling very early in the morning or late at night it is one of those bus corridors that you don't really need to look at a timetable for - you just go to the bus stop and one turns up.
Also from this location it is possible to get the 86 / 86A and 80 to Liverpool South Parkway Station.
Thus unless once lives very close to Edge Hill or Mossley Hill it makes more sense to go to Lime Street which I do.
On return trips if the train stops at South Parkway I alight there and get the bus from there as it avoids the city centre in the evenings or night.
Stating from Limes Street is also better as you get the pick of the seats if things are busy.
Anyway just a perspective from someone who could use Edge Hill or Mossley Hill but doesn't. Now I imagine I am not the only one in the area that does the same. I recall older relatives always heading to Lime Street.
Apparently the old Sefton Park Station located a few yards from where I catch the bus (check out Disused Stations web site) had a very sparse service just before closure which was just a few months after I was born the site mentions the frequent then tramway service undermining patronage.
That places me halfway between Edge Hill and Mossley Hill stations.
The bus service along Smithdown Road 75, 76, 86, 86A, 86C take you close to Lime Street - 80 is now a bit of a walk as they were rerouted through China Town a few years ago - but unless travelling very early in the morning or late at night it is one of those bus corridors that you don't really need to look at a timetable for - you just go to the bus stop and one turns up.
Also from this location it is possible to get the 86 / 86A and 80 to Liverpool South Parkway Station.
Thus unless once lives very close to Edge Hill or Mossley Hill it makes more sense to go to Lime Street which I do.
On return trips if the train stops at South Parkway I alight there and get the bus from there as it avoids the city centre in the evenings or night.
Stating from Limes Street is also better as you get the pick of the seats if things are busy.
Anyway just a perspective from someone who could use Edge Hill or Mossley Hill but doesn't. Now I imagine I am not the only one in the area that does the same. I recall older relatives always heading to Lime Street.
Apparently the old Sefton Park Station located a few yards from where I catch the bus (check out Disused Stations web site) had a very sparse service just before closure which was just a few months after I was born the site mentions the frequent then tramway service undermining patronage.