West Coast Main Line and Merseyrail Trains at Liverpool South Parkway on March 8th 2023

Описание: 1st visit on a Snowy Afternoon to Liverpool South Parkway on the Liverpool Branch of the West Coast Main Line and Merseyrail's Northern Line plus being the junction for Liverpool to Manchester services via Warrington Central

Featuring services from Avanti West Coast, London Northwestern Railway, East Midlands Railway, Northern and Merseyrail's (Northern Line)

Liverpool South Parkway was a later addition opening on June 11th 2006 which replaced the separate stations of Allerton on the WCML and Garston on Merseyrail's Northern Line.

The first proposals for an interchange began back in the 1960s when proposals for a Merseyrail underground network were being planned.

It included suggestions of new stations such as Broad Green which today is on the Liverpool to Manchester Line via Newton-le-Willows between Wavertree Technology Park and Roby.

The North Liverpool Extension Line closed in 1972 along with the Liverpool Central High Level to Garston line however the latter reopened in 1978 with Liverpool Central Low Level replacing High Level station before eventually being extended to Hunts Cross in 1983.

To improve connections to nearby Liverpool John Lennon Airport construction of a new interchange began in 2004 which was due to be completed in December 2005 however to overruns and double the cost meant it wasn't opened until nearly 7 months later.

On February 28th 2017 a landslide caused the lines into Liverpool Lime Street to close until March 8th whilst over 200 tonnes of debris was cleared and overhead lines had to be repaired

Eventually between September 2017 and June 2018 Liverpool South Parkway became for certain periods of time a terminus when major remodelling of the layout of Liverpool Lime Street was taking which also included the replacement of the signalling equipment which dated back to the 1940s.

Today Platforms 1- 4 used by WCML as well as connections from the Liverpool - Manchester Line via Widnes and Warrington Central although Platforms 3-4 are rarely used except for emergencies although Platform 4 is long enough to accomodate a Class 390 Pendolino.

Platforms 1-2 served by Northern services to Manchester Oxford Road and Warrington Central operated by Class 150 and 156 Sprinters and Class 195 respectively.

London Northwestern Railway semi fast services to and from Birmingham New Street via Wolverhampton however due to the short platforms on a 8 car set of Class 350s only the doors on the front set open which also apply to other stations between Liverpool Lime Street and Crewe such as Acton Bridge, Winsford and Hartford.

East Midlands Railway services operated mostly by Class 158s run to and from Norwich via Manchester Oxford Road, Sheffield, Nottingham and Ely

Occasional Transpennine Express services served by Class 185s to and from Cleethorpes although can be used for diverted services if the Liverpool - Manchester Line via Newton-le-Willows is closed for engineering works.

Avanti West Coast services served by Class 390 Pendolinos which run hourly to and from London Euston run non stop through the station although soon the Class 390s will share Liverpool services with 7 car Class 807s being built by Hitachi which at the time of filming were still undergoing construction.

Transport For Wales nowadays operated by Class 197s provide 1 every 2 hour service from Liverpool Lime Street to Chester via Runcorn is which one of two routes to Chester with the other being Merseyrails Wirral Line via Birkenhead Central.

The junction turn out for trains out of Liverpool South Parkway is the WCML heads towards Runcorn whilst services to Warrington Central and Beyond to Manchester Oxford Road diverge to the left towards Hunts Cross which also passes nearby Northern's Allerton Depot.

Platforms 5 and 6 is used by Merseyrail Northern Line services to and from Hunts Cross which originate from Southport via Liverpool Central low level.

The Class 507s and 508s have been on the Merseyrail Network are sadly are on borrowed time and in their last months of operation which are being replaced by new Class 777s which will be maintained at Kirkdale C.S. which at the time of filming had just completed the takeover operation of the Kirkby Line from Liverpool Central with Ormskirk due to be next up and then Southport and Hunts Cross to follow before the attention is shifted to the Wirral Lines

It's a process that began on January 23rd 2023 when the first Class 777 entered service which is one of 53 sets with 46 777/0s and 7 777/1s with the latter including Battery power for future workings on Non electrified routes.

Music used:
JJD - Adventure
Music provided by NCS

Video link:
NoCopyrightSounds
   • JJD - Adventure | Glitch Hop | NCS - Copyr...  

Filmed on Wednesday March 8th 2023 on iPhone 14 Pro and edited on iMovie

#liverpool #avantiwestcoast #merseyrail #merseyside #northern #class390 #class350 #class507 #class508 #class150 #class156 #westcoastmainline