Merseyrail is a commuter rail network which serves Merseyside and adjacent areas of Cheshire and Lancashire in the Northwest of England. 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 28.3 million passengers in the 2023/2024 statistical period.
Liverpool Central railway station in Liverpool,England,forms a central hub of the Merseyrail network,being on both the Northern Line and the Wirral Line. The station is located underground on two levels,below the site of a former mainline terminus. It is the busiest station in Liverpool,though considerably smaller than Lime Street station,the mainline terminus,and the busiest station to operate solely on the Merseyrail network. The station is the busiest underground station outside London serving 40,000 people daily. The station in passengers per platform is the busiest underground railway station in the United Kingdom outside of London at 3,979,547 per platform per annum and coming tenth out of all stations outside the capital,underground or overground.
The Liverpool and Bury Railway was formed by an act of Parliament in 1845 to link Liverpool and Bury via Kirkby,Wigan and Bolton,the line opening on 20 November 1848. The line became the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway's main line between Liverpool,Manchester and Yorkshire. Most of it is still open.
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+3⁄4 miles (20.5 km) northeast of Liverpool. The station building and three arch road bridge are both Grade II listed structures.
Wigan Wallgate railway station is one of two railway stations serving the town centre of Wigan in Greater Manchester,England. The station serves two routes,the Manchester-Southport Line and the Manchester-Kirkby Line. It is 16 miles north-west of Manchester Victoria. The station is managed by Northern Trains,who operate all trains serving it.
Old Roan railway station is a railway station in Aintree village,Merseyside,England,about seven miles north-east of Liverpool,on the Ormskirk Branch of the Northern Line 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,Headbolt Lane 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.
The Skelmersdale branch was a standard gauge railway (SKE) which connected the Liverpool,Ormskirk and Preston Railway at Ormskirk with Rainford Junction via Skelmersdale. At Rainford it connected with the Liverpool and Bury Railway and the St. Helens Railway. It was built by the East Lancashire Railway,which was taken over by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway shortly afterward.
Bootle New Strand railway station is a railway station in the centre of Bootle,Merseyside,England. It is on the Northern Line of the Merseyrail network and serves in particular the nearby New Strand Shopping Centre. The platforms are elevated and are reached by ramps from the entrance at street level. Connecting bus services leave from the nearby bus station in the basement of New Strand Shopping Centre.
St Michaels railway station is a railway station in St Michael's Hamlet,Liverpool,England,on the Northern Line of the Merseyrail suburban system. It is situated near,but not on St Michael's Road,Aigburth,a short distance to the south of the Lark Lane and Sefton Park neighbourhoods. The main station building sits at street level,over the lines which are in a cutting. Leading down to the platforms,from apertures in the station building,are ramps which were built for the International Garden Festival in 1984.
Kirkby railway station is situated in Kirkby,Merseyside,England. It is located 7.5 miles (12 km) north-east of Liverpool Central and is on the Headbolt Lane branch of Merseyrail's Northern Line.
Burscough Bridge railway station is one of two railway stations which serves the town of Burscough in Lancashire,England. It is on the Manchester-Southport Line. It is operated and managed by Northern Trains. A bus interchange has recently been constructed next to the station,including a shop and cafe. The station has been identified by Merseytravel as a possible interchange between the Liverpool to Ormskirk line and the Southport to Wigan line in its Liverpool City Region Long Term Rail Strategy.
Kirkdale 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 acts as the interchange between the branches to Kirkby and Ormskirk;these lines diverge just north of the station.
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.
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.
Skelmersdale railway station was a station located on the Skelmersdale branch at Skelmersdale,England. The station was originally named Blague Gate,having its name changed to Skelmersdale on 8 August 1874 and carried passengers from 1858 to 1956.
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.
The British Rail Class 777 METRO is a class of electric multiple unit passenger trains currently being delivered by the Swiss rolling stock manufacturer Stadler Rail,being used on the Merseyrail network in the Liverpool City Region and adjacent areas of Cheshire and Lancashire. The trains have the ability to operate on the third rail-powered sections of the network,with some units carrying onboard batteries to allow use on unpowered track. Ordered in 2016,construction of the units began in 2018. The first unit entered service on 23 January 2023,following delays to the deployment programme. The Class 777 will replace Merseyrail's current Class 507 and Class 508 units,which were built between 1978 and 1980. Seven units of the total 53 ordered are being configured as battery electric multiple units (BEMUs) for use on non-electrified lines,being designated subclass 777/1.
The history of Merseyrail dates back to the 19th century,with the original formation of the Mersey Railway,however,Merseyrail dates back to the 20th century,namely being set up by British Rail in 1969,it did not become a single network until 1977.
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