Network Rail unveils Liverpool Lime Street station plans

Transport partners for the Liverpool City Region have made public plans to keep commuters moving during the final phase of Lime Street station’s landmark upgrade.

Lime Street station is midway through a comprehensive transformation following a £340M railway investment for the Liverpool City Region – itself part of the wider Great North Rail Project.

A final eight week phase is now scheduled to take place between Saturday 2nd June and Sunday 29th July. Complex remodelling will bring two newly built platforms into being, along with an extensive programme of signalling upgrades. For commuters this spells trouble however, though Network Rail has pledged to maintain as many services as possible.

During the transformation, the majority of main line routes will begin and end at Liverpool South Parkway where passengers can easily access the Merseyrail network to and from Liverpool city centre. Where rail replacement buses are required, they will be of a high quality with express and stopping options.

According to Martin Frobisher, London North Western Route Managing Director at Network Rail: “This major upgrade, and the wider Great North Rail Project, is part of our commitment to transform rail travel in the Liverpool City Region and across the north of England.

“With passenger figures expected to double during peak periods by 2043, the work is vital to boost station capacity – making room for more frequent, longer trains, with more space for passengers.

“We cannot safely complete the majority of the work while the station is open so have carefully planned it, with our partners, to cause the least amount of disruption to passengers as possible.”

Frank Rogers, Chief Executive of Merseytravel, added: “Completing the upgrade at Lime Street is an important step in modernising rail transport for our City Region and is the first in a number of exciting rail projects which are due to be completed between now and 2020.

“Planning is underway to make sure passengers can continue to get to where to they need to go during this final phase and we will continue to work with Network Rail and partners to make sure up to the minute service information is able to help people plan their journeys in and out of Lime Street.

“Once completed, the works will enable Lime Street to handle an additional three services per hour and this increase in capacity will generate very significant economic benefit for the entire Liverpool City Region for many years to come.”

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