Excellent article and summary. So many feasible opportunities for Liverpool to improve the railway network if the people in charge have the vision,passion and determination to make them happen.
This was an excellent article. I have long felt that the cancellation of HS2 was beneficial to Liverpool, not because of any small-minded hostility to Manchester (I agree that our interests often coincide) but because it would clearly put us at a disadvantage in securing investments etc. I think the analysis of our existing rail system and ways it could be improved was excellent.
Liverpool will always get the crumbs from the table until it starts putting Liverpool first and regarding old disused lines when I was younger being brought up in the vauxhall area we would often walk the line that starts at Waterloo Road by Costco and takes you to edge lane which is still there all underground
Nobody has mentioned the fact that there once WAS an excellent train link from Liverpool to Glasgow.
WhenI was a NewQualifiedTeacher (and couldn't AFFORD to live in Liverpool ...) I lived in WIGAN.
I managed [most days!] to jump on the 16.20 express, which (for some reason) STOPPED at Wigan. Liverpool - Glasgow ought to be perfectly possible and DOESN'T need HS2!
Great article. But sadly no surprise those running this city are sitting on their hands wondering what to do next! No worry though, they’ll all be voted in again next time with no opposition…
Expansion of Merseyrail is something I’ve been reading about in the 50 years I’ve lived on Merseyside, but apart from a couple of new stations and a link to Chester, nothing has come of it. Expansion means public investment, and government doesn’t like that (unless it’s in London). I suspect my grandson will be writing the same in 50 years’ time.
Since this article appeared, we now know that the money saved from HS2 has been used - surnprise surpise - for infrastructure repairs in (Checks notes, and looks at map) That Industrial Northern powerhouse, London! The cash has apparently been used on new pavements and pothole repairs. As regards expansion of the line, can somebody explain just what they have against Liverpool Airport? Every time they talk about expansion, it all seems to be towards Kirkby and other outlying areas. almost as soon as the new trains were introduced, that near enough immediately coincided with the opening of "head the ball Lane" in Kirkby, now they're talking about extending the line towards Skelmersdale, WTF Is wrong with simply expanding the exising line beyond Hunts Cross? It seems like they create new places (Baltic Triangle being just one example) and then a few years later suddenly decide "what d'yer reckon we build a train station there?" By the time they've done all the surveying, cleared the land, and then actually built the station, the place has once again fallen out of use
This article alone's worth the cost of the Post subscription. Great job.
Excellent article and summary. So many feasible opportunities for Liverpool to improve the railway network if the people in charge have the vision,passion and determination to make them happen.
This was an excellent article. I have long felt that the cancellation of HS2 was beneficial to Liverpool, not because of any small-minded hostility to Manchester (I agree that our interests often coincide) but because it would clearly put us at a disadvantage in securing investments etc. I think the analysis of our existing rail system and ways it could be improved was excellent.
Liverpool will always get the crumbs from the table until it starts putting Liverpool first and regarding old disused lines when I was younger being brought up in the vauxhall area we would often walk the line that starts at Waterloo Road by Costco and takes you to edge lane which is still there all underground
Great piece - but the Loop Line is more than dog-walking route, it's an oasis for active travel (cycling too).
"Elephant in the Room ..."
Nobody has mentioned the fact that there once WAS an excellent train link from Liverpool to Glasgow.
WhenI was a NewQualifiedTeacher (and couldn't AFFORD to live in Liverpool ...) I lived in WIGAN.
I managed [most days!] to jump on the 16.20 express, which (for some reason) STOPPED at Wigan. Liverpool - Glasgow ought to be perfectly possible and DOESN'T need HS2!
Great article. But sadly no surprise those running this city are sitting on their hands wondering what to do next! No worry though, they’ll all be voted in again next time with no opposition…
Expansion of Merseyrail is something I’ve been reading about in the 50 years I’ve lived on Merseyside, but apart from a couple of new stations and a link to Chester, nothing has come of it. Expansion means public investment, and government doesn’t like that (unless it’s in London). I suspect my grandson will be writing the same in 50 years’ time.
Since this article appeared, we now know that the money saved from HS2 has been used - surnprise surpise - for infrastructure repairs in (Checks notes, and looks at map) That Industrial Northern powerhouse, London! The cash has apparently been used on new pavements and pothole repairs. As regards expansion of the line, can somebody explain just what they have against Liverpool Airport? Every time they talk about expansion, it all seems to be towards Kirkby and other outlying areas. almost as soon as the new trains were introduced, that near enough immediately coincided with the opening of "head the ball Lane" in Kirkby, now they're talking about extending the line towards Skelmersdale, WTF Is wrong with simply expanding the exising line beyond Hunts Cross? It seems like they create new places (Baltic Triangle being just one example) and then a few years later suddenly decide "what d'yer reckon we build a train station there?" By the time they've done all the surveying, cleared the land, and then actually built the station, the place has once again fallen out of use