Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
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LIVERPOOL CITY REGION COMBINED AUTHORITY To: The Chair and Members of the Transport Committee Meeting: 27 July 2017 Authority/Authorities Affected: All Districts EXEMPT/CONFIDENTIAL ITEM: No REPORT OF THE LEAD OFFICER: TRANSPORT LIVERPOOL LIME STREET STATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME 2017 1. PURPOSE OF REPORT The purpose of this report is to inform the Transport Committee about the plans and mitigation for the Liverpool Lime Street Station Improvement Programme works to be delivered from 30 September to 22 October 2017. For part of these works mainline rail services will terminate at key interchange stations with passengers transferring onto rail to rail connections wherever possible or rail replacement buses to complete their journeys. Work continues to be undertaken with key city region partners and stakeholders (from the LEP, Liverpool Vision and local business and educational representatives) to engage them in the programme, so they are aware and can plan for the arrangements; and to develop and help spread the message that the Liverpool City Region remains open for business. This report highlights the impact these works and the mitigation plan will have across the city region and beyond. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1. It is recommended that the Transport Committee: (a) Note that rail services will be impacted by engineering works from 30 September to 22 October 2017; and (b) Note the arrangements Network Rail are putting in place in partnership with Train Operation Companies (TOCs) to use key interchange stations (Liverpool South Parkway, Huyton, St Helens Junction and St Helens Central) across the City Region to support this work and the impact these works will have on travel within and outside the Region between these dates. 3. BACKGROUND 3.1. The Liverpool Lime Street improvement programme is the largest element within the wider Network Rail/LCR Combined Authority £340m Railway Improvement Programme which will implement 10 key rail infrastructure projects between 2016 and 2019. The programme as a whole will create: An improved rail network able to cope with longer and faster trains More reliable railway infrastructure Better facilities for passengers, Increased capacity/additional services (including direct services to Scotland from December 2018) Infrastructure that supports economic growth – getting more people to work, education and leisure opportunities quickly and efficiently. 3.2. The works to Lime Street Station will cost Network Rail circa £154m and will include the rebuilding and remodelling of all station platforms; renewal of track within the station curtilage and throat; installation of overhead line equipment; the upgrade of all signalling and some concourse improvements including the development of new retail facilities such as a new supermarket. These works constitute the biggest upgrade of Lime Street station since the 19th century. 3.3. The programme is being undertaken because passenger numbers are growing - by 2043 it is forecast that the number of commuters entering the city through Lime Street will have doubled. The works will support the provision of 3 additional services per hour into the station; will provide longer wider platforms that can accommodate longer trains and more passengers and a remodelled concourse all of which support the delivery of the LCR’s growth ambitions. Wirral Loop Line Track Renewal 3.4. The first of these major projects and programmes, Wirral Loop Line Track Renewal, has recently been completed by Network Rail with the railway handed back to Merseyrail on time and passenger services resuming as planned. 3.5. This project gained support from passengers and key City Region stakeholders as it was well managed throughout the six months of cessation of loop line access which included 9 weeks with no cross river rail services. Passenger feedback during and after the works has been better than expected with many praising the rail replacement services used. Passenger migration to other modes (commercial bus, car, ferry) during the works was less than Merseyrail expected and increased car usage through the Mersey tunnels was managed throughout. 3.6. Although different in scope and scale to the Lime Street works lessons learnt from this major piece of work have been developed and where applicable applied to the planning for Lime Street station including: Collaborative working with key partners and stakeholders on the planning and delivery of the programme Detailed planning in advance on both transportation and comms Provision of high quality transport options Specific support for passengers with reduced mobility Distinctive and memorable marketing campaign The need for social media – this became a key interface with passengers The need for dynamic management of the transport plan with means to flex system where possible Lime Street Improvement Programme 3.7. For the Lime Street Station Improvements Programme Network Rail, with support from Atkins Consulting, have been working with the 6 train operating companies and Merseytravel since 2015 to develop the programme and formulate a robust and deliverable transportation plan for the works. In 2017 there will be a 23 day full/partial closure of Lime Street Station with main line trains terminating at various points on the network and onward travel supported by rail replacement bus services and rail to rail transfers – a key consideration requested by key Liverpool City Region and partners. 3.8. Works will commence on Saturday 30 September initially with a full closure of all lines into Lime Street Station. A table of the closure dates and mitigation plans is attached in Appendix One. 3.9. In addition to the Lime Street Works Network Rail are taking this opportunity to undertake other infrastructure works (as they did for Wirral Loop Line Track Renewals) to reduce the overall disruption caused to passengers. For the first nine days of the Lime Street works they will complete and commission the Huyton Roby 4th Track works which will enable faster express rail services to pass slower stopping services making journeys quicker between Liverpool and Manchester completing the work that commenced in 2015. This means that rail replacement bus services along the Chat Moss will start at St Helens Central and Junction stations for the initial nine days of the Lime Street works. In addition to the Huyton and Roby 4th Track works Network Rail will take the opportunity to install equipment to support a bi-directional rail service into Lime Street Station which will operate from 9 to 20 October to allow direct rail services to operate on some routes. Services Terminating at LSP and Hunts Cross 3.10. From 30 September to 22 October 2017 services that are operated by Virgin Trains, London Midland, East Midlands Trains and Trans Pennine Express on lines from the South and East through Liverpool South Parkway into Lime Street Station will terminate at Liverpool South Parkway (LSP). To facilitate these services a temporary platform extension is currently being constructed on Platform 4 at LSP to ensure that 11 car Pendolinos can terminate at the station. 3.11. Passengers will transfer onto a strengthened 6 car 4 trains per hour Merseyrail service that will operate between LSP and Moorfields Station to support passengers to complete their journeys by bringing them into the heart of the city. This is a similar operation to that used during the emergency works at Lime Street in February 2017 when part of the tunnel wall collapsed. Lessons have been taken from this closure and fed into the 2017 works transport plan. 3.12. The additional journey time for passengers making this connection is approximately 15 to 20 mins. 3.13. Merseyrail are an integral/crucial part of this transportation plan and although the Merseyrail network remains unaffected by the Lime Street works have taken on the role of with carrying all rail passengers arriving at Liverpool South Parkway into Moorfields and Liverpool Central Stations. 3.14. In order to do this Merseyrail have developed a train plan based around unit availability and staffing resource. (See attached Appendix Two). Where additional units become available these will be used to strengthen Chester and Ormskirk services were increased passenger demand is expected as passengers find alternate routes into the city centre. 3.15. In order for Merseyrail to offer a robust rail service between Liverpool South Parkway and Liverpool Central/Moorfields no Merseyrail services will run to Hunts Cross station. To enable Merseyrail to operate the necessary dwell times at key interchange stations supporting the safe loading and unloading of passengers. A rail replacement service will be provided to transport passengers between LSP and Hunts Cross. Passengers wanting access to Liverpool South Parkway and Liverpool City centre by rail will be able to transfer on to East Midland and Trans Pennine Express services at stations from Manchester. 3.16. In addition Northern Services using the Cheshire Lines will terminate at Hunts Cross. Passengers will transfer onto one of two rail replacement bus services: Stopping service – calling all stations on the City Line to Liverpool Lime Street Station, St Georges Plateau (this will create the direct link between Hunts Cross and LSP mentioned above). Express service – direct service from Hunts Cross to Moorfields Station 3.17. This service will operated by Northern Trains. Additional journey times and routes for express and stopping services are currently being calculated and will be communicated out to passengers in due course. Additional journey times for stopping services are more difficult to quantify because of the potential different journeys that could be made. Network Rail is working to produce these details in a customer friendly format. Services Operating on the Chat Moss Line From 30 September to 9 October 3.18. During this time all services along the Chat Moss will terminate at either St Helens Central or St Helens Junction and passengers will transfer onto high quality rail replacement bus services.