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| Merseyrail | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
 | |||
 | |||
| Overview | |||
| Owner | Merseytravel, Network Rail | ||
| Area served | Liverpool City Region and surrounding areas | ||
| Locale | |||
| Transit type | Commuter rail | ||
| Number of lines | 2 (plus main line commuter services) | ||
| Number of stations | 69 (67 managed[a]) | ||
| Annual ridership | 28.3 million (2023/2024)[3] | ||
| Chief executive | Neil Grabham[4] | ||
| Headquarters | Rail House, Liverpool | ||
| Website | www | ||
| Operation | |||
| Began operation | 1886 as the Mersey Railway, 1977 as expanded Merseyrail | ||
| Operator(s) | Merseyrail Electrics 2002 (Serco and Transport UK Group) | ||
| Infrastructure manager(s) | Network Rail | ||
| Character | Commuter rail, National Rail franchise | ||
| Number of vehicles | 57 | ||
| Train length | 3 or 4 cars, 6 or 8 cars during peak times | ||
| Headway | 15 minutes (general), 5 minutes (central sections), 30 minutes (Ellesmere Port branch, general in evenings and on Sundays) | ||
| Technical | |||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | ||
| Electrification | 750 V DC third rail | ||
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Merseyrail is a commuter rail network which serves Merseyside and adjacent areas of Cheshire and Lancashire. Merseyrail serves 69 stations, 67 of which it manages,[b] across two lines – the Northern Line and the Wirral Line. The network uses 750 V DC third rail electrified lines having 75.0 miles (120.7 km) of routes, of which 6.5 miles (10.5 km) are underground. Since January 2023, Merseyrail commenced replacing its train fleet, withdrawing the Class 507 and 508 trains and introducing 53 new Class 777 trains.[5][6] The network carried 28.3 million passengers in the 2023/2024 statistical period.[3]
The concession to operate Merseyrail is held by Merseyrail Electrics 2002, a joint venture between Serco and Transport UK Group (formerly Abellio UK).[7][8] The concession is awarded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and is overseen by Merseytravel, the passenger transport executive which co-ordinates public transport across the Liverpool City Region. Merseyrail branding and ticketing is also applied to stations on the City Line, which are within the Liverpool City Region but do not form part of the Merseyrail concession.
Merseyrail was established in 1977, when existing railway lines were connected by constructing new tunnels under Liverpool city centre and Birkenhead. The network has since been extended at its peripheries, primarily by electrifying existing lines and transferring the electrified sections into Merseyrail. New stations have also been opened. Seven of the Class 777 trains can operate using batteries, which has allowed the Northern Line to extend beyond the electrified track at Kirkby to a new terminus at Headbolt Lane.[5]
Merseyrail has its origins in the underground Mersey Railway of 1886, which forms the core, being the world's second underground passenger railway after the 1863 Metropolitan Railway, now a part of London Underground. The network has a number world firsts.
- ^ "Train Operating Company Key Statistics, April 2023 to March 2024: Merseyrail" (PDF). 30 July 2024.
- ^ "Headbolt Lane Station In Kirkby Opens To Merseyrail Services". www.merseyrail.org. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
- ^ a b "Train Operating Company Key Statistics, April 2023 to March 2024: Merseyrail" (PDF). 30 July 2024.
- ^ "New Merseyrail Managing Director Named". Merseyrail. Archived from the original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
- ^ a b FIMechE, Malcolm Dobell BTech CEng (23 February 2023). "Mersey Electrics Class 777 and system upgrade". Rail Engineer. Archived from the original on 12 November 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
- ^ "Train Operating Company Key Statistics: April 2021 to March 2022" (PDF). Office of Rail and Road. 28 July 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 December 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
- ^ "About". Transport UK. Archived from the original on 12 November 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
- ^ "Serco and Transport UK". www.merseyrail.org. Archived from the original on 12 November 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
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