Fazakerley railway station

Fazakerley railway station is a railway station in Fazakerley, Liverpool, England. It is situated on the Headbolt Lane branch of the Northern Line of the Merseyrail network.

Fazakerley
Merseyrail
Fazakerley railway station in 2023
General information
LocationFazakerley, Liverpool
England
Coordinates53°28′08″N 2°56′12″W / 53.4690°N 2.9368°W / 53.4690; -2.9368
Grid referenceSJ379974
Managed byMerseyrail
Transit authorityMerseytravel
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeFAZ
Fare zoneC1
ClassificationDfT category E
History
Original companyLancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Pre-groupingLancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
20 November 1848Station opens as Simonswood
by 1850Renamed Aintree
March 1860Renamed Fazakerley
Passengers
2018/19Increase 1.250 million
2019/20Increase 1.465 million
2020/21Decrease 0.414 million
2021/22Increase 0.920 million
2022/23Decrease 0.899 million
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road
Railway stations around Aintree
Sefton and Maghull
Old Roan
Aintree Central
Aintree
(Sefton Arms)
Ford
Aintree Racecourse
Fazakerley
Orrell Park
Warbreck

History

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The Liverpool and Bury Railway (L&BR) was authorised in 1845,[1] but while it was under construction, the L&BR amalgamated with the Manchester and Leeds Railway (M&LR) in 1846,[2] and the M&LR in turn was renamed the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1847.[3] The line opened on 20 November 1848;[4] one of the original stations was Simonswood.[5][6] This station was renamed twice: it had become Aintree by 1850,[7] and in March 1860 it took its present name Fazakerley[8] to avoid confusion with the nearby Aintree station on a different line,[6] which had opened in 1849.[9]

At the time of opening, the mileage of the station was 29+12 miles (47.5 km) from Bury,[6] but this has since been amended to 31 miles 31 chains (50.5 km) from Manchester Victoria via Wigan.[10]

To the north-east of the station is Fazakerley Junction, 30 miles 72 chains (49.7 km) from Manchester Victoria,[10] which is where the North Mersey Branch once headed westwards towards Gladstone Dock.[11] The branch has closed, but the junction remains as the point where the double track out of Liverpool becomes single track for the last few miles into Kirkby.[10] The line eastwards was singled in May 1970, though through running beyond Kirkby (to Wigan Wallgate and Bolton) continued until the inauguration of electric operation in May 1977.[12]

Facilities

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In common with most Merseyrail stations, it is staffed throughout the day - the street-level ticket office opens 15 minutes prior to start of service and closes at 00:25 each evening (including Sundays). At platform level, there are digital display screens, timetable posters and shelters on each side; a P.A system also provides automated train running information. The ticket office is linked to the platforms via a footbridge - this has a lift installed on each side to provide step-free access. There are cycle racks for 4 cycles and secure cycle storage for 20 cycles.[13]

Services

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The station is currently served by four trains per hour in each direction during the day time Monday - Saturday. In late evenings and on Sundays services are reduced to two trains per hour in each direction. Services are operated using Class 777 BEMUs.[14][15]

In the future, the service will be increased to up to four trains per hour in each direction as more battery operated Class 777 trains become available.[16]

Preceding station   National Rail Following station
Kirkby
  Merseyrail
  Rice Lane

Notes

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  1. ^ Marshall 1969, p. 129.
  2. ^ Marshall 1969, p. 130.
  3. ^ Marshall 1969, p. 65.
  4. ^ Marshall 1969, p. 132.
  5. ^ Butt 1995, p. 212.
  6. ^ a b c Marshall 1969, p. 133.
  7. ^ Butt 1995, pp. 212, 14.
  8. ^ Butt 1995, pp. 14, 95.
  9. ^ Butt 1995, p. 14.
  10. ^ a b c Yonge 2005, map 41A.
  11. ^ Marshall 1969, p. 160.
  12. ^ "Disused Stations - Rainford Junction Signal Box" Disused Stations; Retrieved 25 March 2016
  13. ^ "Fazakerley train station | timetable | ticket prices & facilities". www.merseyrail.org. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  14. ^ "Increased services between Headbolt Lane and Liverpool Central". Merseyrail. Retrieved 12 October 2023.[permanent dead link]
  15. ^ Table 83 National Rail timetable, May 2023
  16. ^ "Headbolt Lane Station In Kirkby Opens To Merseyrail Services". Merseyrail. Retrieved 12 October 2023.

References

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