Liverpool's Historic Rail Tunnels - Liverpool - LocalWiki Liverpool's Historic Rail Tunnels Liverpool's Historic Rail Tunnels Victoria/Waterloo Tunnel to the left with Byrom Street Cutting - Lime Street Tunnel centre - Wapping Tunnel to the right. The Victoria/Waterloo and Wapping Tunnels are awaiting recommission. Liverpool was a pioneer in railways with the earliest examples of the world's first innovative rail infrastructure found in the city. There are spurious claims from around the world of first in rail tunnels. Americans claim the oldest tunnel under streets is the Atlantic Avenue tunnel of 1844, in New York - sealed up in 1861 it was forgotten until rediscovered in 1980. London claim the Brunel tunnel under the River Thames. The Liverpool tunnels pre-date any tunnel in New York or London. A proposed scheme to reuse the disused tunnels: Extending Rapid Transit Merseyrail Edge Hill Junction Edge Hill Junction and tunnels. Located east of of Liverpool's city centre, Edge Hill is situated at the top of an escarpment that rises from the River Mersey. The land flattens out at this point.

In 1829, the Liverpool to Manchester passenger railway entered from Manchester in the east, with the passenger terminal located at Crown Street, Edge Hill. In order to transport goods to and from Liverpool docks, the 1.26 mile Wapping Tunnel was bored under Liverpool to the South End Docks. Seven years later in 1836, a 1.07 mile tunnel was bored from Edge Hill to Lime Street in Liverpool's city centre. Twelve years after the Lime Street tunnel was bored in 1848, the 2.07 mile Victoria/Waterloo Tunnel was bored under Liverpool's city centre to the north end docks. Edge Hill became a major junction, sidings and goods terminal. Three major tunnels fanned out west from Edge Hill. To access the Crown Street station site, just west of the Edge Hill junction, a deep long cutting was cut out of solid rock. The cutting is also known as the Cavendish Cutting. At the western end of this cutting two tunnels were bored. One short tunnel to Crown Street Station,known as the Crown Street Stephenson Tunnel, and the other the long 1.26 mile long Wapping Tunnel, running to the South End Docks.

Edge Hill Junction Map Edge Hill Junction & Crown Street Freight Yard outlined in red. In blue, the 1829 single track Stephenson Tunnel terminated at Crown Street. The world's first passenger station was at the end of the 1829 tunnel. In green, the Wapping tunnel to Kings Dock runs below the Crown Street station. In blue, the 1846 two track tunnel for extra freight lines to Crown Street, is shorter than the 1829 tunnel. The cutting is deep. The Moorish Arch was between Chatsworth Dr and the three tunnel heads in the cutting. The Moorish Arch location was adjacent to the first Edge Hill station in the deep cutting. The steam winding engines were in side rooms in the cutting near the Moorish arch. The 50 yard long two track 1836 tunnel to Lime Street is in green at Edge Hill Station. The open Lime Street cutting can be seen running away to the north west from the 1836 tunnel. In green, the Waterloo Tunnel's portal is north of Edge Hill station. The tunnel terminates at Waterloo Dock.

Crown Street Stephenson Tunnel - 1829 Edge Hill Cutting and Edge Hill Station,1830 Edge Hill cutting - 291 yards Crown Street Stephenson tunnel right, 1.26 mile Wapping Tunnel in the middle. To the left the short 1846 Crown Street tunnel Running to Crown Street Station, 1829. Built by George Stephenson, a single track tunnel 291 yards long was bored from the deep cutting at the Edge Hill junction to Crown Street, to serve the world's first passenger railway station. However the tunnel is: The dilapidated state of the Cutting today. The left 1846 tunnel is used for parking trains. The others tunnels are disused. The dilapidated state of the Cutting from the air. Looking from the east The 1846 Tunnel at the bottom - looking from the west. The cutting is at the top. The oldest rail tunnel in the world running under streets. The second oldest rail tunnel in the world after the very short 1804 tunnel at Pentrebach, Merthyr Tydfil.

Being too far from Liverpool city centre, the passenger station was abandoned in 1836 in favour of Lime Street. The area was converted for freight use. An additional two track tunnel was bored through to Crown Street from the Edge Hill cutting in 1846, to increase traffic to the freight yard. The head of this tunnel was initially cut to about 3 metres deep in 1829 and used as a store room. The freight yard was closed in 1972 along with the original 1829 Stephenson tunnel. The Crown Street portal is landscaped over showing no trace of the tunnel at Crown Street apart from an incline of grass near the tall brick Wapping tunnel ventilation shaft, which was initially in the passenger station and then freight yard. The historic 1929 Crown Street Tunnel is partially collapsing at the Crown Street end, due to lack of maintenance, as the subsidence in the street surface above indicates. Wapping Tunnel - 1829 A diesel train emerging from the Wapping Tunnel at Edge Hill Cutting.

Park Lane Goods Station looking towards Wapping Tunnel Park Lane Good Station after a re-build due to Luftwaffe bombing in 1940 The 1.26 mile (2.03 km) 1829 Wapping Tunnel is the first rail tunnel in the world bored under a metropolis. Currently disused since 1972 it is the second oldest tunnel under streets in the world, the first being the adjacent single track Crown Street tunnel. Having two tracks, the tunnel runs from Edge Hill junction in the east of the city to the south end Liverpool docks being used only for freight. The termination point was Park Lane Good Depot near Kings Dock. Warehouses were directly over the rail lines with trap doors directly accessing the wagons below. The Goods Depot was heavily bombed by the German Luftwaffe in 1940 being rebuilt in the 1950s. The Wapping Tunnel terminated at Liverpool Docks in a wide open cutting, which was also a sand run-off trap for run-away rail wagons. The cutting had three very short tunnels under Park Lane and Jamaica Street into the Park Lane Goods Depot.

The tunnel is still in excellent condition and has been considered for reuse by Merseyrail rapid transit rail system. Suggestions in the past were for an underground station cut into the tunnel. The river portal is opposite the new Liverpool Arena at Kings Dock, being ideal for a serving station. If reused it will be the oldest used underground rail tunnel in the world and oldest part of any underground metro system. The 1831 Liverpool-Manchester Railway Report. The tunnels are mentioned from page 146. Lime Street Tunnel - 1836 1836, Lime Street Station tunnel. A two track rail tunnel, 1.13 miles (1,811 metres) long was bored under a metropolis from Edge Hill junction in the east of the city to Lime Street. A new Edge Hill station was build at the western end replacing the station at the head of the Wapping Tunnel at Edge Hill. At the eastern end was Lime Street Station. In the 1880s the tunnel was converted to a deep open cutting four tracks wide. The only occurrence of a tunnel being removed at that point.

A very short 50 metre section of the original tunnel still exists at Edge Hill giving the oldest tunnel in the world still in use and the oldest under streets, albeit now only under two streets. Edge Hill Station looking towards Lime Street. The open cutting can be seen beyond the short tunnel. The remaining 50 yard section of the original 1836 tunnel at the end of the platform. The oldest Used Rail Tunnel in the World. Edge Hill station looking towards Lime Street. The short tunnel at the end of the platforms is a part of the original 1836 tunnel being 50 yards long. It runs under Tunnel Rd and the building above. The original two track tunnel at the end of the platforms was retained and short single track tunnels bored either side of the station increasing capacity to Lime Street to four tracks, giving two island platforms with a track each side. This increased capacity to four tracks. This approach meant the Edge Hill station required no rebuilt and the two platforms were converted to island platform The 1836 tunnel is still used making it the oldest used tunnel in the world and the oldest under streets. The sandstone buildings in the station are original containing offices and engine winding houses to haul trains up from Lime Street.

The original 1830 Edge Hill station was further to the south in the Edge Hill cutting on the line running to Crown Street station, being moved onto the Lime Street line when operational. Victoria/Waterloo Tunnel - 1848 The Victoria Tunnel at Edge Hill - the large portal to the right The western end of the Waterloo Tunnel at Great Howard Street - Looking East. This is one tunnel that changes its name along its run, however the whole tunnel is generally known as the Waterloo tunnel. An open cutting is the linking point of the two tunnels. The Victoria tunnel runs from Edge Hill in the east to the Byrom Street Cutting. The Waterloo tunnel runs from the Byrom Street Cutting to the Waterloo Goods Station in the west at Waterloo Dock. Bored under a metropolis, the 2.07 miles (3.34 km) Victoria/Waterloo Tunnel opened in 1848. Initially used only for rail freight. Passengers and freight operated in the tunnel from 1895. From 1895 the termination point of the line at the western end was the Riverside Station at the ship liner terminal at the Pier Head. The Waterloo Goods Station ceased operation in 1964.

Used until 1972 the tunnel is still in excellent condition, being considered for reuse by the Merseyrail rapid transit rail system. Stations being cut into the tunnel are being considered at the Royal Liverpool Hospital. Reuse by a monorail system from the proposed Liverpool Waters redevelopment of Liverpool's Central Docks has been proposed. From Edge Hill in the east the tunnel is on a steep incline down to the north end Liverpool Docks. The tunnel contains a series of ventilation shafts which were used to remove the spoil when under construction. The Victoria Tunnel runs from Edge Hill to a large open cutting at Byrom St. From Byrom Street the tunnel then continues to the Waterloo Goods Depot changing its name to the Waterloo Tunnel. The picture to the right. The tunnel to the right is the disused 1848 Victoria tunnel. The Edge Hill portal is near the junction of Tunnel Road and Wavertree Road. The lines run into the tunnel for about a hundred metres for shunting purposes. The red sandstone above the tunnel is blackened by the smoke from trains.

The tunnel to the left at the Edge Hill portal is the additional 1880s single track tunnel for Lime Street that runs for 50 yards into the cutting beyond, forming four lines running into Lime Street. It is still used as the overhead wires indicate. There is an additional single track tunnel the other side of the original two track 1836 tunnel to widen out to four tracks. The original 1836 tunnel is the centre of the station beyond the Merseyrail sign. Byrom Street Cutting The Disused Byrom Street Cutting. Byrom Street is to the top of the picture. The Victoria Tunnel portal to Edge Hill can be seen. The Byrom Street Cutting in 1864, showing the sidings. Edge Hill is to the right, Waterloo Goods Station is to the left. The street running over the cutting is Hodson Street The Byrom St cutting contained sidings expanding from 2 tracks to 4 tracks in the cutting. The cutting was gas lit for 24 hour operation. Both tunnels incline down from the portals at Edge Hill and Waterloo Dock, although the incline from Waterloo Goods Station is quite shallow. The cutting is near to the lowest point of the two tunnels.

Trains were cable hauled from the Byrom Street cutting to Edge Hill using a winding-engine at Edge Hill, as locomotives were not powerful enough to haul long heavy trains up the sharp incline to Edge Hill. The cutting was a cable hitching and unhitching point for trains and a coaling and water point for shunting locomotives. Trains moved by gravity from Edge Hill to the Byrom Street cutting. Trains were shunted by locomotives to and from the Waterloo Goods Station and the Byrom Street Cutting. In 1895 cable hauling moved over to full locomotive haulage from the Waterloo Goods Station to Edge Hill. Byrom Street cutting changed its function to a runaway trap for runaway trains in the tunnel. River Mersey Rail Tunnel - 1886 Designed by Charles Fox, the Mersey Railway tunnel opened in 1886 operating services between Liverpool and Birkenhead under the River Mersey. By 1892 the extensions on land from Birkenhead Park station to Liverpool Central Station Low level gave a tunnel 3.12 miles (5029 m) in length.

The under river section is 0.75 miles in length, being the longest underwater tunnel in the world in 1886. The tunnel was a part of the Mersey Railway which was the second oldest underground urban railway network in the world. The Mersey Railway is now in integrated part of Merseyrail . Construction of the Mersey Railway Tunnel The red line is the original tunnel. The green and blue lines are the 1970s additions. Between the river and James Street Station the branch tunnels for Huskisson Dock were started and abandoned. One branch was later used in the 1970s. In December 1879, tunnelling work started. The initial tunnelling failed with work recommencing in 1880. Three tunnels were built. The main twin track rail tunnel is 26 foot wide and 19 foot high. The tunnel lining was 6 to 8 layers of brick. The other two smaller tunnels were for drainage and ventilation. After initially using explosives and hand tools, in 1883 a new boring machine, the compressed air driven Beaumont Cutter, was introduced. Progress improved rapidly.

Telephone lines were laid through the tunnel between Liverpool and Birkenhead improving communications. In 1886 the tunnel was opened. In 1886, a tunnel was planned to branch from the under-river tunnel from the river side of James Street Station to Huskisson Dock. This would carry mainly freight from the Wirral side of the river. The tunnel was never built, however the branch tunnel headers were built to a very short length. One of the branches was later used for the Wirral Line Loop tunnel through Liverpool city centre in the 1970s. Because of smoke from the steam engines making breathing difficult in the tunnels and underground stations, the tracks in the tunnel were electrified in 1903 initially using 4th rail converting later to 3rd rail. Drainage of the Tunnel Large drainage pumps were built above ground at each end of the main vertical shafts on either side of the River Mersey. The base of the main shafts, very large standage headings were built capable of holding 80,000 gallons of water. This was to allow quick evacuation in case of tunnel flooding. Water would flow into the standage points.

Stations Hamilton Square underground station in Birkenhead, opened in 1886 Stations were built at Hamilton Square in Birkenhead and James Street in Liverpool. These underground stations were the world's first to be cut out of solid rock, rather than the cut & cover method. Gas lights were used to light the stations and tunnel, ironically the men boring the tunnel used electric lighting. The stations were fitted with large hydraulic lifts operated by tall water towers. January 1888 saw a branch line tunnel opening from Hamilton Square station to the new Birkenhead Park Station. In January 1892 the tunnel on the Liverpool side of the River Mersey was extended from James Street to a new underground station at Central Station. This section of tunnel needed supporting using iron girders. Tunnel Used For Modern Eco Applications The now named Capital Buildings, near the river front, was eco before it was fashionable, in 1973. The building has minimal glass to conserve heat. Interesting aspects is that the building uses water that seeps into the under river Mersey Railway tunnel.

This water is pumped out of the tunnel being a near constant 12C - water seeps through the riverbed rock and is heated by the earth before it reaches the tunnel. This near constant temperature water is used to heat and cool the building. After use, the water is discharged into nearby storm drains, helping to keep them flushed and preventing an odour problem. In winter the building is heated for a few hours on Monday morning and for the rest of the week the heat from people and office machines is usually enough to keep the building warm. At times it requires cooling in winter. In summer the 12C water may be enough to keep the building cool. The quantity of water pumped from the tunnel was more than required for the building, some of the water was sold to an adjacent insurance building under development at that time. The original Victorian builders of the Mersey Rail Tunnel could never have envisaged that their tunnel would contribute to heating and cooling a building, assisting in keeping the air clean. Dingle Tunnel Kirkdale to Rice Lane Tunnel To come Liverpool Lime Street Railway Station, Liverpool, England - YouTube Liverpool Lime Street Railway Station, Liverpool, England Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist.

Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Oct 3, 2015 Liverpool Lime Street is a terminus railway station, and the main station serving the city centre of Liverpool. A large building resembling a Château fronts the station. A branch of the West Coast Main Line from London Euston terminates at the station, as well as TransPennine Express trains and other train services. The underground Lime Street Wirral Line station of the Merseyrail network is accessed via the main terminus. Lime Street is the largest and oldest railway station in Liverpool, and is one of 19 stations managed by Network Rail. The original terminus of the 1830 Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&MR) was located at Crown Street, in Edge Hill, to the east and outside the city centre. Construction of a purpose-built station at Lime Street in the city centre began in October 1833, the land being purchased from Liverpool Corporation for £9,000.

A tunnel was constructed between Edge Hill and the new station prior to station construction in 1832. The architecture was designed by Cunningham and Holme,[2] and the station was opened to the public in August 1836, although construction was not completed until the following year. Because of the steep incline between Lime Street and Edge Hill, trains were stopped at Edge Hill, their locomotives removed, and the passenger carriages taken down by gravity, with the descent controlled by brakemen. The return journey was achieved by using a stationary engine to haul the carriages up to Edge Hill by rope. Within six years, the rapid growth of the railways entailed expansion of the original station. A plan was made to erect an iron roof similar to that found at Euston station in London, ridge roofs supported by iron columns; however, Richard Turner and William Fairburn submitted a design for a single curved roof, which won the approval of the station committee. The work cost £15,000, and was completed in 1849. In 1867 further expansion was needed and included the present northern arched train shed.

With a span of 200 feet (61 m), it was the largest in the world at the time. It was also the first train shed in which iron was used throughout. A second parallel southern train shed was completed in 1879 being notable in being of dry construction with each bay taking only three days to construct. The station is fronted by a large building in the style of a French château, the former North Western Hotel. Designed by Alfred Waterhouse, the building was built in 1879 at the same time as the second train shed and is now accommodation for students of Liverpool John Moores University. A new ticket hall and office complex, which masked the views of the arches, were constructed in 2001. They were demolished as part of a comprehensive refurbishment completed in 2010. In 1845 the L&MR was absorbed by its principal business partner, the Grand Junction Railway (GJR); the following year the GJR became part of the London and North Western Railway.

At 'the grouping' in 1923, the station passed to the ownership of the London, Midland and Scottish (LMS) railway, and in 1948, the London Midland Region of British Railways. The station was one of the first to send mail by train. Lime Street station was part of the first stage of electrification of the West Coast Main Line in 1959. In 1966, the station saw the launch of the first InterCity service. With the creation of Merseyrail urban rail network in the 1970s, four terminus stations were demolished in Liverpool and Birkenhead centres, leaving only Lime Street terminus as a central point to serve the whole region for medium- and long-haul routes. The Merseyrail network gave ease of access for the whole Merseyside region to the one remaining large terminus.

Lime Street was voted Station of the Year 2010 at the National Rail Awards Category Disused Stations: Manchester Central Station Date of visit: 14.2.2005 Manchester Central Station was opened by the Cheshire Lines Committee (CLC) railway company on 1st July 1880. The CLC was a partnership of three railway companies that had come together in the 1860s, consisting of the Great Northern Railway (GNR), the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway (MSLR) and the Midland Railway (MR). The CLC partners had all gained access to Manchester by the end of the 1860s through a variety of agreements that involved running over the lines of other companies. The MSLR shared a terminus station with the London & North Western Railway (LNWR) at Manchester London Road. The MSLR allowed the MR and the GNR to use their part of the station, but by the 1870s this situation was becoming a problem as London Road was increasingly congested. Outright hostility to the MR from the LNWR did not help matters.

With the opening of the CLC main line from Liverpool to Manchester in 1873, and its purpose-built terminus station at Liverpool Central on 2nd March 1874, the need for a station in central Manchester became even more pressing. The CLC had to run its trains from Liverpool and from its mid Cheshire line into Manchester London Road, which once again meant that there was a reliance on the LNWR. The CLC obtained an Act in June 1872, which granted them powers to extend their line from Liverpool into central Manchester and create a terminus station of their own. On 9th July 1877 a station that was known as Manchester Central opened on Windmill Street at the back of the city’s Free Trade Hall. This station was destined to have only a very short life as, at the time of its opening, work was well under way on its permanent replacement. The CLC chose its resident engineer Lewis Henry Moorsom, to build the permanent Manchester Central station, and work on the building commenced in 1875. Areas of notorious slum dwellings, which inspired the writings of Frederick Engels, had occupied the land on which the station was built.

The city fathers were pleased to see the area cleared, although it is doubtful that any thought have been given to the individuals who lived there. Robert Neill & Sons, at a cost of £124,778, undertook the construction work. During the construction of the station the MR had found a way of accessing it from its main line to London St Pancras. In January 1876 the MSLR had given the MR notice to quit Manchester London Road station within three years. The MR took over a project that had been proposed by the Manchester South District Railway (MSDR) in 1873, obtained its own Act to build the line in July 1877, and started work on it in 1878. The line connected the CLC Liverpool - Manchester route just over a mile to the west of Manchester Central near Cornbrook, to the CLC Glazebrook - Woodley route via Stockport Tiviot Dale at Heaton Mersey, thus giving the MR a route into Central Station. When the station opened it consisted of a magnificent arched single-span roof, constructed by Andrew Handyside & Co.

The dimensions of the arch at Manchester Central were 210 feet wide, 550 feet long and 90 feet high at the highest point. The frame itself weighed 2,400 tons and was covered using a combination of slate and glass. Underneath the roof there were six platform faces, four of which were situated on two island platforms. The platforms were served by nine tracks, the extra lines being used by engines to run around their trains. The running lines and platforms were above street level, and beneath them were huge brick-built caverns that could be used to store goods. The lines exited the station via some very heavily engineered bridges and viaducts that carried the line down to Cornbrook where the Liverpool, Heaton Mersey and Chester lines separated. For the public the main entrance to the station was at the Windmill Street end. At the time of opening wooden buildings provided all of the usual facilities including the main booking office. These facilities were meant to be a temporary measure, as it was intended that a hotel to be constructed would form a grand frontage to the station. A large clock face was provided on the inside and on the outside of the station.

When the permanent station opened, its temporary predecessor closed to passengers and was developed as a goods station. From the opening of Manchester Central trains ran to Liverpool via the CLC main line, to Stockport and beyond via the South District line, and to Northwich and Chester via the CLC’s mid Cheshire route. From Monday 2nd August 1880 the MR began to run express services between Manchester Central and Buxton, Derby and London St Pancras. From October 1891 the GNR introduced express trains between Manchester Central and London Kings Cross. They had opened a new line that ran from Fairfield, on the MSLR main line between Manchester and Sheffield, to Chorlton-cum-Hardy on the South District Line, giving them access to Central Station. At the same time a local all-stations service was introduced between Manchester Central and Guide Bridge. On 1st July 1897 the MSLR changed its name to the Great Central Railway (GCR), and a couple of years later, on 15th March 1899, they opened their London Extension Railway to London Marylebone.

From this date trains also ran between the new GCR London terminus and Manchester Central. In 1896 the MR purchased land at the front of Manchester Central station on which to build a hotel. By this time, however, it was decided that the hotel would not be built onto the front of the station as originally envisaged; instead it was built a short distance away on the other side of Windmill Street. The hotel was designed by the MR’s architect Charles Trubshaw assisted by William Towle. It was a magnificent structure that was the height of luxury. It opened on 5th September 1903 having taken four years to build. A covered walkway was built between the station entrance and the hotel so that passengers could be protected from wet weather. The station’s so-called temporary wooden buildings were destined to remain in place. By the time the hotel had opened, passengers were able to travel between Manchester Central and Buxton, Chester Northgate, Derby, Hull, Liverpool Central, London Kings Cross, London Marylebone, London St Pancras, Nottingham and Southport Lord Street. Local services radiated out to the south Manchester suburbs and to such towns as Warrington and Wigan.

Because of the intense levels of traffic the station had to be extended. In 1906 extra platforms were built outside the overall roof on the south east side of the station. The platforms were constructed from wood and were provided with awnings to protect passengers from the elements. Three platform faces were created in all, one of which, platform 7, was effectively a bay at the end of platform six. The new platforms were numbered seven, eight and nine. During the early years of the 20th century the MR made substantial investments to speed up its services from Manchester to London in direct competition with the LNWR. With the construction of a new direct line between Heaton Mersey and New Mills opening in 1902, MR express trains were reaching London from Manchester Central in 3 hours and 40 minutes, which which was only 10 minutes slower than the LNWR. The MR also provided levels of comfort, including the introduction of Pullman Coaches, not previously seen in Britain. In 1923 the GCR and the GNR became part of the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) while the MR became part of the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS).

The CLC remained independent, but it now had only two partners, the LMS and the LNER; the LNER had two thirds of the shares and the LMS one third. After 1923 competition between the former LNWR and MR routes was no longer an issue as they both belonged to the LMS. Express services out of Manchester Central did not suffer, though, because the LMS considered the MR route to be important as it took the strain off the former LNWR line. During the 1930s two of the services between London St Pancras and Manchester Central were named trains: the ‘Peak Express’ and the ‘Palatine’. The Peak Express covered the journey in 3 hours and 35 minutes. In 1935 the signalling at Manchester Central was modernised using the latest technology. Colour light signals replaced semaphores that had served the station since its earliest days. During the Second World War passenger services were reduced both in number and in speed. At the end of hostilities it took many years for timings to reach anything like their pre-war levels.

From 1st January 1948 Manchester Central became part of the nationalised British Railways (London Midland Region) and the CLC was no more. In the early 1950s service patterns from Manchester Central were fairly familiar, but competition from road was having an effect on some of the more local services. The South District services which at this time were running between Manchester Central and Stockport Tiviot Dale or Cheadle Heath, and which had once built up to a ten minute frequency, were down to twenty-three per weekday by 1954. In 1952 the Southport Lord Street service was cut back to Aintree, and in July 1958 the Guide Bridge service ended. A regular service between Liverpool Central and Manchester Central continued to run, and from 1958 Manchester Central found itself handling an increase in express services to the south. This was because British Railways had decided to electrify the former LNWR route from Manchester London Road, which was renamed Manchester Piccadilly, to London Euston. As the electrification work would cause delays it was decided to concentrate services at Manchester Central.

From 4th July 1960 a new train that had been developed by British Railways, a diesel Pullman, which became known as the ‘Blue Pullman’, began to operate between Manchester Central and London St Pancras. The train was both modern and luxurious, completed the journey in 3 hours and 13 minutes, and proved very popular with business travellers. Sleeping car services were also concentrated into Manchester Central at this time, but they were routed over the former GCR main line to London Marylebone. Also in 1960 new four-car Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) were introduced onto the Liverpool service. In 1961 DMUs also started to operate on the South District line and on services to Chester and Buxton. However, despite the modernisation, steam-hauled services could still be seen at Manchester Central during this period. The years between 1960 and 1966 were very busy at Manchester Central, but they were to prove to be a swansong. In April 1966 electrification of the LNWR route was completed and services were concentrated onto that route.

The Blue Pullman ceased to operate in 1966, and on 1st January 1967 the South District service ended. As early as September 1966 British British Rail, as it had then become known, was considering how they might close Manchester Central and divert the remaining services. A target date for closure was eventually set for June 1968 with an estimated cost of £539,000. The costs were associated with junction remodelling that was needed to allow Liverpool and Chester trains to run towards Piccadilly. From the 1st January 1968 express services were diverted to run into Manchester Piccadilly. The last express services had run between Central Station and Nottingham and London St Pancras. From this date the only trains that served Manchester Central were the Liverpool and the Chester services along with a Sundays-only service that ran between Liverpool Lime Street and Sheffield Midland. The intended closure date of June 1968 was not met, and a new date was set for 5th May 1969. The last trains ran out of the station on Saturday 3rd May 1969.

Following its closure the station was sold to the NCP Car Parking empire in 1972. It slowly decayed, acting not only as a symbol of the decline of Britain’s railways but also of the country’s northern industrial towns. It was purchased by the Greater Manchester Council in 1978. Thankfully, as Manchester began to resurrect itself from its decline in the early 1980s, the city officials focussed their attention on the station. In 1983 it was given Grade II* Listed status, then work began on converting it to an exhibition hall. On 7th March 1986 it re-opened to the public as the GMEX exhibition hall. For over 20 years the GMEX hosted shows, exhibitions and concerts. In January 2007 the venue was renamed as Manchester Central , once again taking on its historic name. What happened to England's forgotten railway stations? - BBC News BBC News What happened to England's forgotten railway stations?

By Chris Ellis BBC News Online 11 January 2015 Image copyright Manchester Central Image caption Conferences and exhibitions are now held at the former Manchester Central station In living memory, hundreds of railway stations have closed across the country and have since been abandoned, demolished or converted to other uses. But many former passengers still remember the days when they were a hive of activity. Manchester Central: Closed in 1969 Image caption Eddie Johnson remembers Manchester Central being "very run down" before it was closed Manchester Central has been converted from a station into a national conference and exhibition centre. "It wasn't the busiest of termini but it was an impressive building which had one single arch and was based on St Pancras," said railway historian Eddie Johnson. He said it opened in the late 19th Century when it was an "important and big station" and closed in 1969. Image copyright Manchester Central Image caption Railway historian Eddie Johnson said the station was based on St Pancras Mr Johnson said people "weren't that vociferous" about the closure because it was "very run down and few people used it" towards the end. "There wasn't the appreciation of buildings in the 1960s as there is today.

It was quietly taken away, I suppose." Peter Morgan-Crockett, 76, from the Isle of Wight, was the clerk of works on the redevelopment of Manchester Central between 1983 and 1986 and said it "certainly was the biggest build he had worked on and came to over £20m". During the redevelopment, Mr Morgan-Crockett said a time capsule was found above the clock on the North Facade, which was completed in 1886. "It contained a Cheshire Lines Committee letter recording the names of those involved in the construction of the clock. "The letter finishes with the words 'God Save The Queen', which of course refers to Queen Victoria." Mr Johnson said: "Turning it into an exhibition centre was an expansionist idea, as it was the first place in Manchester where businesses or even the government could host conferences.

"It was a very forward thinking move for the city and helped expand Manchester's reputation nationwide." Railway cuts Many stations closed as a result of the Beeching report , which aimed to make the railways profitable In living memory, other lines closed as services were withdrawn, stations relocated or because of financial restraints Some lines were closed with very short notice - such as the Leominster to Bromyard branch line, in Herefordshire, which closed in 1952 in just three months. Source: BBC News/National Railway Museum Bath Green Park Station: Closed in 1966 Image caption Paul Baulch runs a market stall at the site of the former station Paul Baulch runs a market stall in the old station where he used to go trainspotting. "Nowadays, kids play on computer games; back then all the boys used to go to the railway stations and go trainspotting," he said. The station closed when Mr Baulch was 23 years old and he said he remembered "a lot of local pressure to save the station, as there was an awful lot of affection for the line".

Image copyright Mike Wyatt/Paul Baulch collection Image caption Paul Baulch remembers "a lot of local pressure to save the station" in the 1960s Mr Baulch, 71, said his favourite memory was when he had a tour of the station engine shed, which was a building he and his friends would "always try and sneak in" but get "turfed out" of because they were not allowed in without permission. "But one time, I was at the station with my father and a supervisor and we had a special conducted tour and cups of tea. My friends were all really jealous," he said. Mr Baulch, who is the curator of Avon Valley Railway Museum, runs a market stall once a week at the old station. "It is strange to have a stall at Bath Green Park after all this time, but I am really pleased that such a fine station has survived and been restored to such a high standard," he added.

Image caption In the 1980s, the former station was restored as a retail and market area Liverpool Central, High Level Station: Closed in 1972 Image copyright PAul Wright Image caption Les Fifoot standing outside the entrance to the current Liverpool Central, where the former station buildings once stood On some occasions during the winter months of the early 1950s, Les Fifoot remembers getting on the railway carriages at Liverpool Central almost in complete darkness. He said: "Before 1958, all passenger trains along the line were hauled by steam locos which did not have power generation facilities. "All the coach lighting was powered from rechargeable batteries and each coach had its own system, with a pulley-driven dynamo from the wheel axles." Mr Fifoot, 66, from Halton, said the lights could fail for a number of reasons including flat batteries. He said the lighting in the station "was not the best" with platforms being illuminated by single bulb units strung from the roof at intervals.

"Furthermore, the building was grimy looking, so reflective surfaces did not help to create a bright appearance at night-time." Image copyright Les Fifoot Image caption Les Fifoot visited Liverpool Central for the final time in 1971 after most of the services had been diverted "The railway system was not in the best condition after World War Two. Stations were generally rundown, rolling stock was seldom clean, and all the trains were steam hauled until around 1958." As a child, he said he could remember his mother "frequently reminding" him not to touch, or lean against the carriage windows, as they were dirty with smoke. Mr Fifoot's final visit was in 1971 when the station was in "terminal decline as most of the train services had been diverted to Liverpool Lime Street". "Most of the tracks had been lifted and some of the disused platforms were being used for car parking. It was a sad end for a once busy train terminus." Mr Fifoot said all the original infrastructure and buildings have since been demolished, but the entrance to the current Liverpool Central - which is part of the Merseyrail network - is in the same place.

Image copyright Les Fifoot Image caption In the early 1970s, Liverpool Central's disused platforms were used for car parking Marazion, Cornwall: Closed in 1964 Image copyright NRM/SSPL Image caption Marazion Station was a victim of the Beeching cuts As a child, Roger Winnen was part of the Station Wall Gang, which sat next to Penzance Station trainspotting. "When trains arrived at Penzance all rubbish, including empty bottles, were left in crates prior to removal. "These bottles were refundable. Taking them to a shop we got 3d back from the bottle." Mr Winnen said he used the money to pay for his journeys on the railway, in particular to Marazion, where he would spend afternoons in the summer months. "Looking in the 1958 summer timetable second class rail travel was charged at 2d per mile.

A return journey from Penzance to Paddington would have cost about £5." Image caption Roger Winnen used to watch trains at Marazion station and Terry Addicoat used to work there Mr Winnen, 69, lives about 330ft (100m) from the abandoned station that closed in October 1964. "Five other stations closed in Cornwall on the same day as part of the Beeching cuts. "It was a typical traditional railway station and was a handy stop for St Michael's Mount." Mr Winnen, who became interested in trains because his father was a carriage cleaner, said the station was busier with goods, rather than passengers and said "train loads of broccoli and potatoes would leave Marazion". Terry Addicoat used to work at Marazion Station as a porter during his teenage years. "It was a buoyant station. Farmers used to bring flowers and cabbages and vehicles used to queue on the road and wait for it to be weighed and loaded on the train heading to markets in Birmingham and London.

"We had to man the railway crossing and wave red and green flags to stop people and traffic crossing." Image copyright Roger Winnen Image caption Three Pullman coaches, which remained at Marazion, have since been converted into tourist accommodation Mr Addicoat, 72, from Penzance, said one of his fondest memories was when snow fell at the station and he and another employee rolled a large snowball. "We put it on top of the chimney of the little hut, which was an office at the end of the station. "Because it was a coal fire, the man who told other stations how many wagons and produce were leaving Marazion, was smoked out of his hut. He came running out," Mr Addicoat added. The former booking office and waiting room still remain, but three Pullman carriages which had remained at Marazion have since been moved to Petworth, Sussex and are now used as accommodation for tourists. Liverpool Exchange: Closed in 1977.

Image copyright Les Fifoot Image caption Paul Wright said he believed the Beeching cuts had an influence on the station before it closed in the late 1970s Paul Wright first visited the station in the late 1960s when he was just five years old. He remembers it being "dull and cavernous" and believed that it probably had not recovered from the war. "We travelled on electric trains that dated back to the 1940s and the train would lurch and rock as it left Liverpool Exchange. "I would be standing up looking out of the window and my young legs would struggle to keep me upright. I was thrown about quite a bit." By the mid-1970s, Mr Wright, 50, from Wallasey, said Liverpool Exchange was "certainly a shadow of its former self, but I loved it".

"Only four platforms of the original 10 were still being used, much of the glazing from the roof was missing and on Saturday afternoons it was relatively quiet." Image copyright Alan Young Image caption By the mid 1970s, Paul Wright said Liverpool Exchange was "certainly a shadow of its former self" Mr Wright said he believed the decline was partly due to the Beeching cuts. "Although it was not earmarked for closure under the plans, many of the station's services were axed and some of the destinations vanished from the railway map. "On the last day no trains actually ran and buses were put on instead. "I was sad to see Exchange go but it was replaced by the Merseyrail link line which is now a bedrock of the thriving Merseyrail system. "Thankfully, the station frontage was also saved and used as an office."

Question: What is the oldest railway station in Liverpool?
Answer: Lime Street