Liverpool Lime Street railway station

Liverpool Lime Street is a big train station in the middle of Liverpool city centre, Merseyside, England. It is actually two stations in one: Liverpool Lime Street High Level and Liverpool Lime Street Low Level. The High Level station is the oldest grand main line station in the world that is still working, while the Low Level station is underground and part of the Merseyrail network. Both stations work together, so people see them as one place with shared signs and entrances.

The station is very important for travel. Many trains from London Euston on the West Coast Main Line finish their trips here. It is also the last stop for the historic Liverpool and Manchester Railway. From Lime Street, you can travel to many places across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The beautiful station building was designed by architects John Cunningham, Arthur Holme, and John Foster Jr and opened in 1836. It has been made bigger several times, including the addition of the world’s largest arched train shed when it was first built. Over the years, the station has had many upgrades, like new signals, better areas for waiting, and modern train services. Today, Lime Street remains the biggest and most important station in Liverpool.

History

The first train station for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway was at Crown Street in Edge Hill, east of the city center. In October 1833, work started on a new station at Lime Street in the city center. The station opened in August 1836, and the building finished the next year. Early trains used steep tracks. Passenger carriages moved by gravity or a steam engine.

Lime Street became very popular and needed to grow. By 1849, a large curved roof was added. Over time, the station grew with new train sheds and buildings. A grand building in front of the station, once a hotel, now has other uses. The station joined bigger railway networks and changed over the years. It now has electric trains and modern services. Major renovations keep happening to help today’s travelers.

Station layout

Liverpool Lime Street has two parts. The main station offers trains that go across the country and to nearby places, including local trips. Underneath, there is a smaller station for the Wirral Line. This line is part of the Merseyrail network and sits between the main station and St George's Hall.

Main line station

Liverpool Lime Street High Level is the main station. It has beautiful iron and glass roofs from the 1870s. There is a grand building in front with the Radisson RED Liverpool Hotel. Platforms 1 to 5 are shorter and mainly serve local trains. Platforms 6 to 10 handle longer journeys to places like London and Birmingham.

The station has many facilities, including toilets, shops, and coffee bars. Several train companies serve the station, going to places such as Norwich, Manchester, and London. There are plans for new train routes in the future, which could bring more services to places like Cardiff and Glasgow.

Main article: Liverpool Lime Street

Main articles: Liverpool station group, Merseyrail, Wirral line

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Terminus		Avanti West Coast West Coast Main Line Liverpool branch		Runcorn
		East Midlands Railway Liverpool – Manchester – Manchester – Sheffield		Liverpool South Parkway
		London Northwestern Railway Birmingham – Liverpool		Mossley Hill
		Transport for Wales Rail Liverpool to Chester		Liverpool South Parkway
		TransPennine Express South TransPennine
		TransPennine Express North TransPennine		Newton-le-Willows
				Lea Green
		TransPennine Express Anglo-Scottish Route Liverpool Lime Street to Glasgow Central Limited service		St Helens Central
		Northern Trains Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Oxford Road via Warrington Central		Edge Hill
				Mossley Hill
		Northern Trains Liverpool Lime Street to Blackpool North		Huyton
		Northern Trains Liverpool–Wigan North Western/Blackpool North Line		Edge Hill
				Wavertree Technology Park
		Northern Trains Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Airport via Newton-le-Willows		Edge Hill
				Wavertree Technology Park

Underground station

See also: List of underground stations of the Merseyrail network

Liverpool Lime Street Low Level is an underground station. It has one platform and a ticket hall. The station opened in 1977 and connects to the main station through a subway with escalators and a lift. In 2013, the station was updated. In 2014, the subway was also updated with new tiles, lighting, and automatic doors. The station added Wi-Fi in early 2016. Trains run every five minutes on weekdays and Saturdays, with less frequent service on Sundays in winter. Trains go to Liverpool Central and Birkenhead, with some continuing to New Brighton, West Kirby, Chester, or Ellesmere Port. Passengers can reach the Northern Line by changing at Liverpool Central or walking a short distance.

Main articles: Network Rail, Conway Park, Wi-Fi, Birkenhead, New Brighton, West Kirby, Chester, Ellesmere Port, Northern Line