Future Rail Projects

[teenagewasteland]

RE: Future Rail Projects

(20/12/2012 18:46)First Class Wrote:  

(20/12/2012 08:46)childwallblues Wrote:  I have never understood why Merseyrail continue to ignore the North Mersey Branch from Bootle Oriel Road to Aintree. A single track is still in place and sees occasional use by engineering trains.
The branch is about 3.5 miles and would open up new journey opportunities as well as saving a lot of changing at Sandhills.

It's a matter of what service you run. Liverpool-Bootle-Ormskirk? I would personally just electrify the single line and just run it as a diversionary route or for ECS movements.

I think the reason for the neglect of this route is that it doesn't really bring any dramatic improvements to the network/area, compared to say the Halton Curve.

I'm surprised the North Mersey Branch is still there - it sees about one train a year at the moment, and I'm fairly sure that any engineering possessions around Aintree can be accessed using the Northern Line.

Regular traffic movement on the NMB ended when Fazakerley pre-cast depot / sidings closed in 1987. That section of the line was closed and is now part of the Trans-Pennine path and a new housing estate. Fazakerley Sidings is now a nature walk, although it's fun looking for clues as to its' former occupation - BR didn't do a complete hatchet job.

Ironically, at the exact point where the NMB once joined the Liverpool-Kirkby-Wigan line, it's now where the route becomes single-tracked towards Kirkby.