Idea to revive the Liverpool Outer Rail Loop

[Jorge Da Silva]

I have an idea to revive the outer rail loop plans as part of the Merseyrail network

Starting at Bootle New Strand heading to the disused North Mersey Line to a newly reopened station at Linacre Road as Orrell then head to a reopened Ford station before heading south to Warbeck via a new interchange between Aintree and Orrell Park then head to the North Liverpool Extension Railway and reopened stations at Warbeck, Norris Green (new station), Clubmoor, West Derby, Knotty Ash, Broad Green (relocated as an interchange), Childwall, Gateacre, Woolton and then join the existing terminus at Hunts Cross.
Could the line use a battery version of the Class 777’s saving costs on electrification. The line serves a lot of built up areas and the line is safeguarded but instead of using the original planned link to Kirkdale from Clubmoor which is now built on as it was not safeguarded, could you instead head north as proposed to Warbeck and join the North Mersey line to Bootle.

 

[Gareth]

Not a very direct way to get downtown. I know it opens up other journey opportunities but I doubt those alone would make a business case. You need to also consider that it probably wouldn’t be uncontroversial now that the track bed is now part of a national cycle route.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

There was a plan to create two loop style services which would have joined the Liverpool-Manchester line at Broad Green which would then diverge at Edge Hill utilising part of the existing Waterloo and Wapping tunnels and on to an enlarged city centre loop which all local services would have connected with. It was scaled back (due to costs of course) down to the current loop and link line. The original loop is too circuitous to compete with direct bus services from the Eastern suburbs and it is also too far from the larger population centres of Liverpool's Eastern and South Eastern suburbs (such as Croxteth, Cantril Farm and Netherley). The only real viable option for rail transport to serve the population centres of East Liverpool would be a tramway.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I have an idea to revive the outer rail loop plans as part of the Merseyrail network

Starting at Bootle New Strand heading to the disused North Mersey Line to a newly reopened station at Linacre Road as Orrell then head to a reopened Ford station before heading south to Warbeck via a new interchange between Aintree and Orrell Park

I broadly support the opening of at least the Gateacre stretch of the Outer Loop - it could be connected to Hunts Cross terminators. However, for the Bootle bit I would just add a service to Aintree via Ford to terminate in the presently disused platforms.

(Indeed, I believe "Ormskirk via Ford" was on the old Solaris as an alternative to the actually-used "Ormskirk via Orrell Park" - but I don't think there would be a strong case for going that far down the line with it).

 

[Gareth]

What would the time difference be from Ormskirk to Central via Ford, compared with the usual route?

 

[Bevan Price]

Aintree to Liverpool Exchange (1947 timetable) 13-14 mins direct, 17-18 mins via Ford & Bootle.

 

[lyndhurst25]

If there is one place that was "robbed" of its train service, then it's Gateacre. The Liverpool Central to Gatacre DMU service was withdrawn "temporarily" in 1972 to allow Liverpool Central to be rebuilt and the line be electrified, or so the residents of Gateacre were promised. When the line reopened in 1978 it only happened as far as Garston, and then back to Hunts Cross in 1983. No such luck for Gateacre.

In all the confusion I wonder if British Rail followed all the line closure legalities correctly?

 

[Howardh]

It's not gonna happen - but connecting the airport to the railway would be a huge boost! I've no idea whether it's ever been proposed; or whether Liverpool intends to run trams from Lime St, maybe those in the know could educate me?

 

[6Gman]

I broadly support the opening of at least the Gateacre stretch of the Outer Loop - it could be connected to Hunts Cross terminators. However, for the Bootle bit I would just add a service to Aintree via Ford to terminate in the presently disused platforms.

(Indeed, I believe "Ormskirk via Ford" was on the old Solaris as an alternative to the actually-used "Ormskirk via Orrell Park" - but I don't think there would be a strong case for going that far down the line with it).

"Disused" is hardly the term to describe the current condition of the area to the west of the current station.

"Totally overgrown" would be closer.

 

[6Gman]

I have an idea to revive the outer rail loop plans as part of the Merseyrail network

Starting at Bootle New Strand heading to the disused North Mersey Line to a newly reopened station at Linacre Road as Orrell then head to a reopened Ford station before heading south to Warbeck via a new interchange between Aintree and Orrell Park then head to the North Liverpool Extension Railway and reopened stations at Warbeck, Norris Green (new station), Clubmoor, West Derby, Knotty Ash, Broad Green (relocated as an interchange), Childwall, Gateacre, Woolton and then join the existing terminus at Hunts Cross.
Could the line use a battery version of the Class 777’s saving costs on electrification. The line serves a lot of built up areas and the line is safeguarded but instead of using the original planned link to Kirkdale from Clubmoor which is now built on as it was not safeguarded, could you instead head north as proposed to Warbeck and join the North Mersey line to Bootle.

Strikes me as a very expensive way of providing links of low value.

 

[frodshamfella]

I broadly support the opening of at least the Gateacre stretch of the Outer Loop - it could be connected to Hunts Cross terminators. However, for the Bootle bit I would just add a service to Aintree via Ford to terminate in the presently disused platforms.

(Indeed, I believe "Ormskirk via Ford" was on the old Solaris as an alternative to the actually-used "Ormskirk via Orrell Park" - but I don't think there would be a strong case for going that far down the line with it).

I agree extending the Hunts Cross section up to Gateacre would be a good move, that area is really isolated from the rail network, and its slow into the city centre on buses.

 

[frodshamfella]

It's not gonna happen - but connecting the airport to the railway would be a huge boost! I've no idea whether it's ever been proposed; or whether Liverpool intends to run trams from Lime St, maybe those in the know could educate me?

It is on the Merseytravel future plan to link the airport.

 

[Howardh]

It is on the Merseytravel future plan to link the airport.

Thanks. To Lime st?
If so for someone living in Bolton it would make the airport far more appealing knowing I can get there without having to change onto a bus from an intermediate station. I have used the "direct" bus from L'pool centre but it seemed to take ages, light rail would be so much better.

Is there a link to any plans?

 

[frodshamfella]

Thanks. To Lime st?
If so for someone living in Bolton it would make the airport far more appealing knowing I can get there without having to change onto a bus from an intermediate station. I have used the "direct" bus from L'pool centre but it seemed to take ages, light rail would be so much better.

Is there a link to any plans?

Hi...that I don't know and you are talking some time off, but it seems inconceivable for a service not to be from Lime Street . For now I find South Parkway the best station for the airport . They are very frequent pull up right outside station then drops you outside terminal.

I live in Cheshire and use Liverpool Airport over Manchester , its much more pleasant .