NR’s Route Utilisation Strategy for Merseyside

[Deleted]

For those who might be interested, Network Rail’s Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) for Merseyside has just been published and is available online

www.networkrail.co.uk/browseDirectory.aspx?dir=\RUS%20Documents\Route%20Utilisation%20Strategies\Merseyside&pageid=4449&root=\RUS%20Documents\Route%20Utilisation%20Strategies

(see link to PDF at bottom of the page)

Cheers,

Dave

[Beemer]

It's interesting to see that the re-instatement of the Halton Curve is mentioned four times so could be looking good. Regards Beemer.

[davel]

One of the things I did notice in the report is the that the Bidston to Wrexham line has been discounted from upgrading by extending the third rail eletrification system as it would not cost in, however they say they are still concidering O/H electrification. I would have thought that would be a lot more expensive than third rail!!

[orange]

Mar 27, 2009 18:31:10 GMT 1 Beemer said:

It's interesting to see that the re-instatement of the Halton Curve is mentioned four times so could be looking good. Regards Beemer.

The map at the beginning shows the Halton curve in place (?)

[Beemer]

Orange, the Halton Curve line has been in place for more than thirty odd years or so but hasn't been used for a long time.

This is taken from Wikipedia.

The Halton Curve is a railway line in the borough of Halton, Cheshire. It runs from Frodsham Junction (north of Frodsham station) to Halton Junction (south of Runcorn station), providing a link from the North Cheshire Line to the Liverpool branch of the West Coast Main Line.

The line can currently only be used in the northbound direction. This is because the southbound line and the associated points & diamond crossings at each end of the curve have been removed (to permit higher line speed on the main line towards Crewe at the northern end). Because of this, the line is rarely used. There are occasional freight workings, and one scheduled passenger train service: a Parliamentary train, operated by Northern Rail train which runs on summer Saturdays only, non-stop from Chester to Runcorn (this replaced the former Liverpool to Llandudno and return summer Saturday train that used the curve up until September 1994 . Regular passenger services over the line had previously ceased in May 1975

In short it would be a great link for the people of North Wales and Chester area to LJLA via Liverpool South Park Way.

Regards Beemer.