My journey yesterday to reprise the Merseyrail branch to Kirkby, which was extended a mile eastwards to a new Headbolt Lane station back in October.
Kirkby, like another Merseyrail station not too far away, Ormskirk, used to be a single track station with two railways terminating end on, the other railway in Kirkby's case being the Northern Rail line towards Wigan Wallgate. In October, the extension used up part of the Wigan line, doubling the track as far as Headbolt Lane, and the latter acting as the interchange with Northern Rail. But the new double track was left unelectrified (no third rail), a certain subset of the new Class 777 trains being able to use battery power to get to Headbolt Lane. Merseyrail have two west-facing platforms at Headbolt, with Northern having a third east-facing platform for their services. As the Northern branch was markedly different from the pre-October set-up, my Uber-Geekery, ah, compelled me to go forward one stop from Headbolt Lane to Rainford, a teeny little station with two platforms just long enough for two carriages.
On the way back, at Liverpool Lime Street, saw a Class 197 Transport for Wales unit awaiting return to Chester, and at London Euston, saw two brand new Class 805 high-speed trains in Avanti colours coupled together. And even closer to home, also checked out the new southwestern entrance to Stratford station that had only opened on Wednesday.
Kirkby, like another Merseyrail station not too far away, Ormskirk, used to be a single track station with two railways terminating end on, the other railway in Kirkby's case being the Northern Rail line towards Wigan Wallgate. In October, the extension used up part of the Wigan line, doubling the track as far as Headbolt Lane, and the latter acting as the interchange with Northern Rail. But the new double track was left unelectrified (no third rail), a certain subset of the new Class 777 trains being able to use battery power to get to Headbolt Lane. Merseyrail have two west-facing platforms at Headbolt, with Northern having a third east-facing platform for their services. As the Northern branch was markedly different from the pre-October set-up, my Uber-Geekery, ah, compelled me to go forward one stop from Headbolt Lane to Rainford, a teeny little station with two platforms just long enough for two carriages.
On the way back, at Liverpool Lime Street, saw a Class 197 Transport for Wales unit awaiting return to Chester, and at London Euston, saw two brand new Class 805 high-speed trains in Avanti colours coupled together. And even closer to home, also checked out the new southwestern entrance to Stratford station that had only opened on Wednesday.
