Crewe–Liverpool line

The Crewe–Liverpool line is a railway line in North West England that diverges from the West Coast Main Line at Weaver Junction 16 miles 53 chains (26.8 km) north of Crewe and runs to Liverpool Lime Street via Runcorn and Liverpool South Parkway.

Crewe–Liverpool
Overview
OwnerNetwork Rail
Locale
Service
Operator(s)
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Route map

(193 52)
Liverpool Lime Street
Merseyrail
(192 21)
Edge Hill
192 06
Edge Hill East Jn
191 00
Wavertree Jn
Wavertree
Sefton Park
189 57
Mossley Hill
189 00
West Allerton
187 77
Merseyrail Liverpool John Lennon Airport
187 74
Allerton Jn
187 60
Allerton East Jn
186 71
Speke East Jn
Halebank
Jaguar Land Rover Halewood
 
Speke
Merseytravel boundary
Ditton
182 67
Ditton East Jn
180 40
Runcorn
179 24
Halton Jn
Chester–Warrington line
through Sutton Tunnel
Sutton Weaver
174 70
Weaver Junction
Acton Bridge
Parking
Hartford curve
Hartford
Parking
Vale Royal Viaduct
over Weaver Navigation
Winsford
Parking
Crewe
Parking

History

The line was built in stages by the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway and the London and North Western Railway during the mid-19th century. The route became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923, passing to the London Midland Region of British Railways in 1948.

Electrification

The line was electrified at 25 kV AC, using overhead wires under the BR 1955 Modernisation Plan. In 1959, preparations began at Liverpool Lime Street for the first stage of electrification of the West Coast Main Line.[1] On 1 January 1962, electric services between Liverpool Lime Street and Crewe officially began.[2]

Signalling

Re-signalling work from Liverpool to Weaver Junction was underway in 2016. Signal control moved to the Manchester rail operating centre removing five local signal boxes. The signal improvements improved journey times on this section of track.[3]

Services

Services along the full length of the line are operated by Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway, with East Midlands Railway, Northern and TransPennine Express operating between Liverpool South Parkway and Lime Street, a section which is shared by the Liverpool–Manchester lines.

References

  1. Cadwallader & Jenkins 2010, p. 55
  2. Cadwallader & Jenkins 2010, p. 56
  3. "£340m railway upgrade planned for Liverpool City Region". Network Rail. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 25 February 2017.

Sources

  • Cadwallader, Jonathan; Jenkins, Martin (2010). Merseyside Electrics. Ian Allan. ISBN 9780711034174. OCLC 455806364.


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