Liverpool
HISTORY OF THE LIVERPOOL METRO
Mister M presents
Liverpool subway
Liverpool Underground Museum
Merseyrail is a suburban railway network serving Liverpool, England, the surrounding Liverpool City Region, the Wirral Peninsula and adjacent areas of Cheshire and Lancashire, including a number of underground stations. The core of the network is formed by two dedicated electrified lines known as the Northern Line and the Wirral Line, which run underground in central Liverpool and Birkenhead. The third line, separate from the electrified network, is named the City Line. The City Line is a term used by the governing body Merseytravel referring to local Northern Trains services it sponsors serving in its area operating on the Liverpool to Manchester Lines and Liverpool to Wigan Line. Many of the City Line stations are branded Merseyrail using Merseyrail ticketing.
The Merseyrail third rail network has 68 stations and 75 miles of route, of which 6.5 miles are underground. Carrying approximately 110,000 passengers each weekday, or 34 million passengers per year, it forms the most heavily used urban railway network in the UK outside London. The network is operated by a joint venture between franchise holder Serco and Abellio, who superseded Arriva Trains Merseyside in 2003. The contract is for 25 years expiring in 2028. Serco-Abellio operate a fleet of 59 trains and as of 2015, employ 1,200 people.
The first part of the large comprehensive urban network was initially opened in 1977 by merging separate rail lines by constructing new tunnels under Liverpool city centre and Birkenhead. Although financial constraints have prevented some of the 1970s plans for the network being realised, the network has been extended on its peripheries, with additional extensions proposed. The extensions were by electrifying existing lines then transferring the sections into Merseyrail.
Point-to-point or return tickets are purchased from staffed offices or ticket machines, but the system is tightly integrated with Merseytravel's City Region-wide pass system, which also encompasses the Mersey Ferries and city and regional bus networks.
TIMELINE STORIES
MAPLINE routes
With a wide range of new and customer-centric features, your new modern trains will transform your journey. The trains are being built and serviced by Swiss manufacturer Stadler and will replace the nearly 40-year-old fleet currently operating on the network - one of the oldest in the UK.
Liverpool is currently served by the subway system, Merseyrail, which is similar to S-Bahn systems in many cities in Germany or Australia's rail systems in Sydney and Melbourne. Merseyrail contains three separate lines, two of which (North and Virral lines) are electrified and separated from all other rail services and move in tunnels under central Liverpool. These lines also offer frequent (5-minute interval in central Liverpool off-peak), making it comparable to the metro. The two lines are collectively referred to as Merseyrail Electrics or Merseyrail Underground. The third line, City Line, uses diesel services that connect to neighboring Manchester.
Merseyrail is a subway-style underground heavy rail system serving Liverpool, Birkenhead and the wider areas of Mersey and Wirral. This video includes clips from James Street, Liverpool Central and Lime Street stations, as well as a passenger overview from Liverpool South Parkway to Cressington.
