Route History

[L544]

RE: Route History
Turning Circle Bootle Station Route 60

Possibly the oldest remaining turning circle that still exists is from the days before Strand Shopping Centre and Bus Station.
Routes 60 (to Dingle) and 81 terminated at Bootle Station/ Town Hall. Only the 60 turned in the circle as the 81 was across the road arriving via Merton Road and departing via Balliol Road. There was also a 60D and 50 along Oriel Road which terminated at Regent Road/ Millers Bridge but didn't use the circle.

Notably there was a gate from the Oriel Road platform straight onto the circle, less than 20 yds from train door to bus it was the most efficient Rail/Bus interchange I have ever seen. A subway from the circle is still in use but now fenced off from the station. At the time it gave speedy access from a bus to the other 3 platforms.

Plus of course there were through trains to London from Bootle prior to Electrification of the West Coast.

You could complete a round trip of the Overhead with less than 100 yds walking, 60 to Dingle, Overhead to Seaforth & Litherland and back to Bootle via the Southport line.