Broad Green Station, Liverpool Refurbishment

[BG2024]

PIS boards are completely broken now. The one on the eastbound platform had been a bit broken for months, but now all screens are blank. Presumably Northern will take the attitude that there's no point fixing them while the building work is "ongoing". So the station is now unstaffed, there's no way to cross the tracks, the ticket office has been demolished, the TVM doesn't work and there's no service information. Also no evidence of any actual building work going on either, but that's a given.

And the latest ORR data shows that passengers are already avoiding the station, with BGE the only station on the line that's showing a decrease in passenger entries & exits:

Lime Street: up 10.6%
Edge Hill: up 2.4%
Wavertree Tech Park: up 3.6%
Broad Green: down 0.7%
Roby: up 11.9%
Huyton: up 18%
Whiston: up 2.0%

 

[Pacef8]

They have thrown a bit of fresh tarmac on one platform so thats a good result in a year. Maybe they need a golf tournament close by and shoe in steve rotherham for a photo shoot.

 

[Geeves]

It's the contractor being thrown off various job sites that's caused all the delay but the question remains to me is that after doing a horrendous job on virtually every contact I don't understand why "Input Group" were ever brought back to do anything.

They were given a second chance at Victoria and immediately went through some HV cables and were thrown off again. The work site has now sat abandoned again since March...

 

[childwallblues]

I was talking to a Northern RPI yesterday morning and he informed me that the current contractor on site whose remit was to clear up the mess left by Input Group has also gone bust!

 

[Bevan Price]

Lea Green also seems to be taking ages to complete its new car park, although the new building looks not far from completion. It must be well over a year since rebuilding started.

 

[childwallblues]

It appears that Input Group had a 10 million pound contract to fit lifts at Chorley and Todmorden as well as Broad Green.

 

[darylyates17]

Lea Green also seems to be taking ages to complete its new car park, although the new building looks not far from completion. It must be well over a year since rebuilding started.

Lea Green is completed but the approval from the ORR is what’s currently further delaying the opening.

 

[Meerkat]

I assume there is no connection with other dubious public sector contract letting in the Liverpool area?
I can’t remember where investigations have got to so don’t want to throw around names.

 

[BG2024]

Small signs of progress this week. The displays and the automated announcemnts are working again, which I really didn't think we'd see until the works were complete. They've also installed some impressively bright temporary lighting. Not a huge amount of actual building work going on - or at least not that can be easily seen - but at least it finally feels like they've remembered the station exists!

 

[DJH1971]

Lea Green is completed but the approval from the ORR is what’s currently further delaying the opening.

And continues to be the subject of criticism within St Helens

 

[darylyates17]

And continues to be the subject of criticism within St Helens

Indeed I personally believe there is a safety issue thats holding it back cant be more work left now surely.

 

[DJH1971]

Indeed I personally believe there is a safety issue thats holding it back cant be more work left now surely.

Although a new article on the St Helens Star website states Northern are insisting there are no structural issues with the new car park.

 

[DM352]

Considering the station is being redeveloped, although taking their time, it has only very basic facilities which are the two platforms and not much else. Even room on the platforms is limited. I accept a simple direction sign for hospital would be appreciated though given its the nearest station.

I have never been to Broad Green but from reading around it looks like the M62 alignment (unfinished motorway downtown) had a not so nice impact on it in 1962 taking out two tracks and squeezing the other two platforms. Reminds me of what happened to Eccles with the adjacent M602

 

[childwallblues]

I have never been to Broad Green but from reading around it looks like the M62 alignment (unfinished motorway downtown) had a not so nice impact on it in 1962 taking out two tracks and squeezing the other two platforms. Reminds me of what happened to Eccles with the adjacent M602

I think that your description fits. The fast lines were taken out for the M62 and associated works. The planned extension from Broad Green hit the buffers as it would have meant the demolition of about 300-400 semi detached houses and Northway Infants and Junior School which is still going strong today. Also these days the planned route through the Edge Hill Gridiron is now taken up by new housing and the Wavertree Innovation Park.

 

[Skie]

I think that your description fits. The fast lines were taken out for the M62 and associated works. The planned extension from Broad Green hit the buffers as it would have meant the demolition of about 300-400 semi detached houses and Northway Infants and Junior School which is still going strong today. Also these days the planned route through the Edge Hill Gridiron is now taken up by new housing and the Wavertree Innovation Park.

It’s actually just the local Bowring Park Road that impinges on the old alignment. The Motorway itself was built sensibly and the bridge can handle a 4 track railway. Probably something to do with local road vs highways, and the local road authorities have more leeway to destroy alignments

 

[darylyates17]

It’s actually just the local Bowring Park Road that impinges on the old alignment. The Motorway itself was built sensibly and the bridge can handle a 4 track railway. Probably something to do with local road vs highways, and the local road authorities have more leeway to destroy alignments

If they wanted to built it what’s actually stopping a 4 track all the way from Edge Hill to Huyton? I am aware Wavertree Technology Park would have to be re designed at least.

 

[Skie]

If they wanted to built it what’s actually stopping a 4 track all the way from Edge Hill to Huyton? I am aware Wavertree Technology Park would have to be re designed at least.

Other than the Bootle Branch junction and Wavertree Technology Park there isnt anything in the way. It used to be 4 track in the past, and only Wavertree Tech Park (the tech park itself, not the station) is really built on it but there is sufficient space to slew the tracks onto the old incline for the now defunct flying junction. Though that would preclude that returning, and the sensible design would probably re-instate the flying junction and start the 4 track section from there. That's if there was a decision to re-route trains to Central, no point otherwise.

 

[childwallblues]

If they wanted to built it what’s actually stopping a 4 track all the way from Edge Hill to Huyton? I am aware Wavertree Technology Park would have to be re designed at least.

Either Broad Green Station would need to be demolished or Bowring Park Road closed to provide sufficient room for four tracking.

 

[urban]

An update from today:

Broadgreen station upgrades face delay after 'significant slip'

Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram expressed his own frustrations at the progress

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk

"As a result, a works completion date has now been set for December 31, 2026"

The farce goes on.

 

[BG2024]

An update from today:

Broadgreen station upgrades face delay after 'significant slip'

Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram expressed his own frustrations at the progress

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk

"As a result, a works completion date has now been set for December 31, 2026"

The farce goes on.

Two years to add a lift and tidy up the platforms, on a project with planning permission in place and everything ready to go. That's criminal.

 

[childwallblues]

Two years to add a lift and tidy up the platforms, on a project with planning permission in place and everything ready to go. That's criminal.

The subway has been closed since at least May 2023. I hope that Northern ring fenced the money that they were given for the project.

 

[BG2024]

A view westbound from Broad Green. That's the M62 to the immediate left of the tracks, and there's no chance of 4-tracking without a massive demolition and rebuilding job. It's not entirely impossible: some people have suspicions about the state of the concrete in the M62 turnpike and the Rocket flyover, and if they need work then a complete redesign would be a once in a century chance to improve the area. But I won't hold my breath.

 

[Skie]

That's the M62 to the immediate left of the tracks

Sorry, but it’s not the M62. Check google earth, it’s a local road that adjoins the motorway structure. The actual bridge for the main lanes was build to accommodate 4 tracks. The local idjits built Bowring Park Road on the old formation.

 

[childwallblues]

Sorry, but it’s not the M62. Check google earth, it’s a local road that adjoins the motorway structure. The actual bridge for the main lanes was build to accommodate 4 tracks. The local idjits built Bowring Park Road on the old formation.

Spot on Skie. The M62 finishes approximatey 100 yards before the bridge. I don't suppose that they could us a temporary overbridge whist they spend another two years deciding were to build the lift shaft pits.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Jan 2025 ==

According to the Liverpool Echo the Metro Mayor has put Northern Rail on notice concerning Broad Green Station.
At last we MIGHT get some action.

 

[Pacef8]

3 entities that you wouldn't trust with the truth.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The electrification of the Chat Moss route planted masts in the old fast line formation that still exists, along with a signalling cable route and switchgear.
That would not be cheap to move.
NR could have used the cutting walls for portal structures covering the 4-track width, as they did in the Lime St cutting, but didn't.

 

[BG2024]

Sorry, but it’s not the M62. Check google earth, it’s a local road that adjoins the motorway structure. The actual bridge for the main lanes was build to accommodate 4 tracks. The local idjits built Bowring Park Road on the old formation.

Ah of course you're right, I get it now. They could keep the M62 and have 4 tracks if they scrapped the slip lane.

 

[HUY2ROB]

Ah of course you're right, I get it now. They could keep the M62 and have 4 tracks if they scrapped the slip lane.

What are the benefits of four tracks?

 

[childwallblues]

Visited the car park this morning but did not walk up to the current temporary entrance to Platform 1. The car park has been tidied up with just two portakabins in situ. One is a set of toilets and the other customer service but that was closed. The area between the car park and the platform entrance has also been cleared and new temporary fencing erected. The excavator which was in this area has finally gone. A company called AmcoGiffen was on site but whether they are there just to clean up the mess left by previous contractors or are going to actually rebuild the station and fit the lifts remains to be seen.

 

[WAO]

What are the benefits of four tracks?

The same as at Castlefield in Manchester and at Marsh Lane in Leeds.

If Bowring Park Road were diverted North of the railway to Thomas Lane then the main obstruction could be removed. They are all local roads.

You can see what's in the way and what isn't from the L - M cab rides on You Tube.

The link to the old CLC line to Hunts Cross would then be possible as it's the South part of this line that has potential; the North part to Aintree goes nowhere.

WAO