(05/03/2015 22:15)wirralbus Wrote: [ -> ]If Kirkby - Salford Crescent and Southport - Salford Crescrent do get electrified it will be with OHL and will probably stay with the incumbent operator of that part of the line .
Both have been prioritised as Tier One so it is likely that both will be electrified - not forgetting that electrification of these lines wouldn't be starting until 2019/2020 once current schemes have been completed. By the time electrification is completed Merseyrail could have found a fleet modernisation solution with new dual voltage trains so overhead electrification wouldn't be an issue
(05/03/2015 22:15)wirralbus Wrote: [ -> ]I just cant see Merseyrail wanting to increase there sphere any more than they have at present .
I think it's very likely with electrification of the line Merseyrail could take this opportunity to extend selected or even all journeys from Kirkby (or Headbolt Lane if it's built) to Wigan Wallgate - there is absolutely nothing to suggest that Merseyrail doesn't want to extend to Wigan after the electrification.
This Liverpool Echo article from six months ago suggests that it is quite possible the extension could happen. It is a long term plan and things could change a lot in the next five or ten years
I think that a direct rail link to Wigan Wallgate from Liverpool Central would be extremely beneficial and has great potential. In theory if the extension is realised a passenger could board a train at Hunts Cross and swap trains at Liverpool Central without having to take the short walk to Lime Street
Lets see if they do manage to get the funding from any Government for new trains .
Trains further out from the core depots will be a problem that will have to be rectified with new depots elsewhere than Kirkdale and Birkenhead North.
a lot of People on the Kirkby line would oppose losing Direct trains to Manchester so the only way this would gain support is via Having Direct Manchester-Liverpool's via Kirkby
If they ever make it to Headbolt Lane , I would hope Merseytravel will consider a different name for the station more in keeping with the locality .
As with everything else that seems to be listed it will takes ages for it to come to fruition .
This locality could be even more exposed to the weather than Kirkby ever was for interchanging purposes .
(06/03/2015 19:03)wirralbus Wrote: [ -> ]If they ever make it to Headbolt Lane , I would hope Merseytravel will consider a different name for the station more in keeping with the locality .
To be honest I think there's plenty of stations on the network named after the local areas. Some stations named after the road/street they are on would make a pleasant change. The planned station at Vauxhall could be called Great Howard Street
I think St James should be renamed Parliament Street if it reopens to prevent any possible confusion with James Street
We also have on the Merseyrail network one of the more confusing sets of stations Bromborough and Bromborough Rake , because Bromborough was built first this station got the proper name for the area , but since Bromborough Rake was opened this station is actually closer to the village of Bromborough.
Anyone getting off thinking there in Bromborough will find themselves with a walk of about 15 minutes to get to the village .
Maybe time for Network Rail and Merseytravel to look at Bromborough becoming Bromborough Allport.
I think Conway Park is a worse example of a poorly named station. It was pencilled in to be named Birkenhead Market which begs the question: why on Earth was it changed? Conway Park is a silly name for a station in the centre of the town.
Another Merseyrail station whose name might be slightly altered is Bootle New Strand. The shopping centre hasn't been referred to as 'new' for years.
They could of called Conway Park a few things , Birkenhead Market being one , the other Europa Boulevard as that is the road the station sits on.
Bootle New Strand could always be called Bootle Shopping Centre as it will probably always have a shopping centre opposite .
Its like a few years back there was a clamour to change Green Lane's name to Lairdside , which seemed to die a death.
There was over-running engineering work this morning between Birkenhead North and New Brighton , normal service didnt start till 11am , the service between these locations was booked to start from 9am .
Its a long bus journey from Liverpool to West Kirby , as Saturday was the start of the West Kirby line blockade as well.
I find the liverpool-west kirby quicker than the liverpool - Ellesmere port/chester as i was on the west kirby line today as my duty.