North Mersey Branch

Last updated

North Mersey Branch
North Mersey Branch leaves Northern Line.jpg
Branch leaves the Merseyrail Northern
line south of Aintree Station
Overview
StatusEngineering trains only
Owner Network Rail
Locale Sefton, Merseyside
Termini
Stations5
Service
Type Heavy rail
System National Rail
Operator(s) DB Schenker Rail (UK)
Rolling stockLocomotives: Class 60,
Class 66, MPV
History
Opened1866
Technical
Line length4 miles 46 chains (7.4 km)
Number of tracksSingle (1)
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
Loading gauge W6
Electrification Not electrified
Operating speed20 mph (32 km/h)
maximum
Route map

Contents

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Kirkby
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Aintree Racecourse
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Liverpool, Ormskirk
and Preston Railway
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BSicon CONT2+4.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Ford (Merseyside)
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Linacre Road
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BSicon CONT4+2.svg
BSicon STR+c3.svg
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BSicon xKRZ2+4l+xr.svg
BSicon STRc3.svg
Liverpool, Crosby and
Southport Railway
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BSicon CONT2+4.svg
BSicon exSTRc2.svg
BSicon exABZg3.svg
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Seaforth Sands
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Mersey Docks and
Harbour Company

The North Mersey Branch (NMB) is a railway line that connected the Liverpool and Bury Railway at Fazakerley Junction with North Mersey and Alexandra Docks.

History

The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway built this 4 miles 46 chains (7.4 km) long double-track line to capture some of the increasing freight passing through the Canada Dock system in the north of the Mersey docks, opened in 1859. The scheme was authorised in May 1861, a contract was let to George Thomson in 1864 and the line opened on 27 August 1866. [1] [2] [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2]

The line initially had no stations, terminating in the North Mersey goods yard where an end-on connection was made to the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board (MDHB) rail network. North Mersey goods railway station opened in 1866, being renamed in North Mersey and Alexandra Docks in 1892. [4] [5]

An early passenger station, first noted in 1878, on the line was Aintree Cinder Lane, this temporary station didn't appear in the timetables and was only used for race traffic, it was replaced by Aintree Racecourse station which opened in 1910, it also only operated on race days at Aintree Racecourse and saw its last service on 25 March 1961. [6]

Linacre Road and Ford were opened on 1 June 1906 on the branch when it was electrified between Liverpool Exchange and Aintree Sefton Arms using the Seaforth connecting line, these closed on 2 April 1951. [7] [8]

Gladstone Dock station opened on 7 September 1914, when the section of track from North Mersey Branch Junction was electrified, it became a halt in 1916 and closed on 7 July 1924. [9] [10]

The branch was connected to the Liverpool Overhead Railway (LOR) in 1905 when a connecting line was built between Seaforth Sands, formerly the LOR terminus and the former Liverpool, Crosby and Southport Railway line, the connecting line ran adjacent to the branch for most of its length and a connection was made between them opposite the end of Bowles Street. The junction was used by through L&YR services between Southport and Dingle from 1906 to the outbreak of WWI. [11] [12]

Usage

Intermodal and engineering trains ran from Garston, Edge Hill and as far away as Southampton, along the North Mersey Branch to Aintree Container Base, Aintree Metal Box and Fazakerley P-Way Yard. Annual Grand National Express services ran from London Euston and other locations in the country, direct to Aintree Station via the North Mersey Branch and Bootle Branch Line.

In 1988 BR decided to cancel the Grand National Express permanently, due to attacks by vandals along the line. Bricks and other missiles would be hurled at the trains when coming down the line in Litherland on the old site of the North Mersey Junction at the end of the crossover above the Merseyrail Northern Line.[ citation needed ]; and too many trains and coaches were arriving at Aintree with significant damage.[ citation needed ] In 1986 the line to Aintree Container Base was cut, leaving no further need for container trains along the line. In 1987 the short spur to Fazakerley sidings was closed, and the Metal Box service had finished by 1991, leaving no regular goods services on the North Mersey Branch.[ citation needed ]

Today

The section of the line between Sefton Junction and North Mersey Branch Junction is no longer maintained to basic Network Rail operational standards and as of December 2017 is completely overgrown in places.

Occasionally diesel-powered engineering/maintenance trains used the branch to access the Southport line, saving the need to reverse at Sandhills.

For trains to access the branch, a key must first be obtained in advance from the Merseyrail IECC signalling centre which unlocks the gate allowing access to/from the branch line at Aintree.

The line is largely single track and is not electrified.

As of October 2020, much of the North Mersey Branch is completely overgrown in most places. However, the spur behind Aintree Station, which formerly housed the Grand National platforms, was severed from the branch junction in favour of an electrical power supply cabinet installed by Network Rail. A section of rail on the Leeds Liverpool Canal Bridge between Bootle New Strand and Bootle Oriel Road was cut during the bridge's renovation and replacement. Although it does appear that the track on this section has been reinstated.

Future

Plans to open this section as part of Merseyrail's Northern Line have been put forward in Sefton's transport plan, with the first details to emerge about its possible reopening being published by the media on 28 February 2008. The Crosby Herald newspaper reported that the line could be reopened in conjunction with a proposed new stadium for Liverpool F.C., to provide additional transport links via the town of Litherland, likely to cost millions. [13] This was again mentioned in Merseytravel's 30-year plan of 2014. [14]

In January 2019, Campaign for Better Transport released a report identifying the line which was listed as Priority 2 for reopening. Priority 2 is for those lines which require further development or a change in circumstances (such as housing developments). [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merseyside</span> County of England

Merseyside is ceremonial and metropolitan county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, Greater Manchester to the east, Cheshire to the south, the Welsh county of Flintshire across the Dee Estuary to the southwest, and the Irish Sea to the west. The largest settlement is the city of Liverpool.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Crosby</span> Human settlement in England

Great Crosby is an area of the town of Crosby, in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England and is historically, part of Lancashire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Litherland</span> Human settlement in England

Litherland is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside. It was an urban district, which included Seaforth and Ford. It neighbours Waterloo to the north, Seaforth to the west, and Bootle to the south and is approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Liverpool city centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merseyrail</span> Commuter rail system in England

Merseyrail is a commuter rail network which serves Merseyside and adjacent areas of Cheshire and Lancashire. Merseyrail serves 69 stations, 67 of which it manages, across two lines – the Northern Line and the Wirral Line. The network uses 750 V DC third rail electrified lines having 75.0 miles (120.7 km) of routes, of which 6.5 miles (10.5 km) are underground. Since January 2023, Merseyrail commenced replacing its train fleet, withdrawing the Class 507 and 508 trains and introducing 53 new Class 777 trains. The network carried 25.5 million passengers in the 2022/2023 statistical period.

Merseytravel is the passenger transport executive, responsible for the coordination of public transport in the Liverpool City Region in North West England. Merseytravel was established on 1 December 1969 as the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive. From 1 April 2014, with the creation of the Liverpool City Region, Merseytravel expanded its area of operation from the metropolitan county of Merseyside to also include the Borough of Halton.

The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (LYR) built suburban electric stock for lines in Liverpool and Manchester. The line between Liverpool to Southport began using electric multiple units (EMUs) on 22 March 1904, using a third rail 625 V DC. Additional trains were later built for this route, and in 1913 incompatible stock for the route to Ormskirk. Lightweight units were built to run on the Liverpool Overhead Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liverpool Overhead Railway</span> Defunct elevated railway in Liverpool

The Liverpool Overhead Railway was an overhead railway in Liverpool that operated along the Liverpool Docks and opened in 1893 with lightweight electric multiple units. The railway had a number of world firsts: it was the first electric elevated railway, the first to use automatic signalling, electric colour light signals and electric multiple units, and was home to one of the first passenger escalators at a railway station. It was the second-oldest electric metro in the world, being preceded by the 1890 City and South London Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liverpool, Crosby and Southport Railway</span>

The Liverpool, Crosby and Southport Railway (LC&SR) received parliamentary authorization on 2 July 1847 and opened between Southport and Liverpool, on 24 July 1848. The Liverpool terminal was a temporary station on the viaduct passing near to Waterloo Goods station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway</span>

The Liverpool, Ormskirk & Preston Railway in north-west England was formed in 1846. It was purchased by the East Lancashire Railway the following year and opened to traffic on 2 April 1849.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seaforth, Merseyside</span> Human settlement in England

Seaforth is a district in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. Historically in Lancashire, it is north of Liverpool, between Bootle and Waterloo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ormskirk railway station</span> Railway station in Lancashire, England

Ormskirk railway station in Ormskirk, Lancashire, England, is a cross-platform interchange between Merseyrail services from Liverpool Central and Northern Trains services from Preston on the Ormskirk branch line, 12+34 miles (20.5 km) northeast of Liverpool. The station building and three arch road bridge are both Grade II listed structures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandhills railway station</span> Railway station in Liverpool, England

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 and the branch to Ormskirk and Kirkby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern line (Merseyrail)</span> Line part of the Merseyrail network

The Northern line is one of two commuter rail routes operated by Merseyrail and centred on Merseyside, England, the other being the Wirral line. The cross-city route runs from Hunts Cross in south Liverpool then branches in the north to terminate at Southport, Kirkby and Ormskirk (Lancashire).

The North Liverpool Extension Line was a railway line in Liverpool, England in operation between 1879 and 1972. It was at one stage intended to become the eastern section of the Merseyrail Outer Loop, an orbital line circling the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canada Dock Branch</span> Railway line serving Canada Dock, Liverpool, England

The Canada Dock Branch is a 4-mile 59 chain long railway line in Liverpool, England. The line's route is from the large Edge Hill rail junction in the east of Liverpool to Seaforth Dock to the north. The line was originally built by the London and North Western Railway terminating at Canada Dock, with a later branch extension added to Alexandra Dock and links onto the MDHC railway lines. The line is not electrified.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aintree railway station</span> Railway station on the Ormskirk Branch of the Northern Line in Liverpool, England

Aintree railway station is a railway station that serves the village of Aintree, Merseyside, England. It is on the Ormskirk branch of the Merseyrail network's Northern Line. Until 1968 it was known as Aintree Sefton Arms after a nearby public house. The station's design reflects that it is the closest station to Aintree Racecourse, where the annual Grand National horse race takes place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fazakerley railway station</span> Railway station on the Headbolt Lane Branch of the Northern Line in Liverpool, England

Fazakerley railway station is a railway station in Fazakerley, Liverpool, England. It is situated on the Headbolt Lane branch of the Northern Line of the Merseyrail network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seaforth & Litherland railway station</span> Railway station in Merseyside, England

Seaforth & Litherland railway station is a railway station in Seaforth, Merseyside, England, on the Northern Line of the Merseyrail network. It also serves the adjacent area of Litherland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirkby branch line</span> Railway line in the North West of England

The Kirkby Branch Line is a branch railway line from Wigan to Headbolt Lane. The line's original route was from Liverpool to Bury and later the most northern of the Liverpool to Manchester lines. The line was split at Kirkby in 1977 with the western section forming a high frequency branch of the electrified Merseyrail Northern Line, also referred to as the Kirkby branch line. The Kirkby branch to Wigan remained a low frequency diesel operated service by Northern Trains from Headbolt Lane to Manchester.

North Mersey station opened on 27 August 1866 as the terminus of the North Mersey Branch of the L&YR. The station was for goods only and initially there was an extensive goods yard at the foot of the descent down to river level and alongside the slope. A four-storey warehouse, loading mound and goods sheds was constructed between 1881 and 1884.

References

Notes

  1. Railways in the United Kingdom are, for historical reasons, measured in miles and chains. A chain is 22 yards (20 m) long, there are 80 chains to the mile.
  2. An Act to enable the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company to make a Railway from Aintree to Bootle, with certain Branch Railways, all in Lancashire; and for other Purposes relating to the same Company. Local Act, 24 & 25 Victoria I, c. xxxiv. [3]

Citations

  1. Marshall 1969, pp. 159–160.
  2. "Engineer's Line Reference: NMB (North Mersey Branch)". Railway Codes. 20 August 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  3. "Local Act, 24 & 25 Victoria I, c. xxxiv". UK Parliament Parliamentary Archives. UK Parliament. 1861. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  4. Marshall 1969, p. 160.
  5. Clinker 1978, p. 16.
  6. Quick 2019, p. 42.
  7. Marshall 1970, p. 166.
  8. Quick 2019, pp. 175 & 252.
  9. Marshall 1970, p. 168.
  10. Quick 2019, p. 184.
  11. Marshall 1970, p. 165.
  12. "Fazakerley and North Mersey Branch on OS 25 inch map Lancashire XCIX.13 (Bootle Cum Linacre; Litherland; Seaforth; Waterloo)". National Library of Scotland. 1927. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  13. "Litherland in line for a new station".[ dead link ]
  14. Shennan, Paddy (28 August 2014). "Merseytravel plan to open or reopen host of new stations". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  15. Campaign for Better Transport (January 2019). "The case for expanding the rail network" (PDF). p. 42.

Bibliography