The North Liverpool Extension Line is a now-disused railway line in Liverpool, England.

History

The line was built by the Cheshire Lines Committee, branching from the Committee's Liverpool to Manchester line at Hunts Cross and skirting the edge of Liverpool before finally arriving at the Walton Triangle, a junction where one line continued north to Aintree and another turned west towards the River Mersey. It opened between 1879 and 1880.The Aintree branch was extended to Southport in 1884.

The route closed in stages. In 1960 the line closed to passengers between Aintree and Gateacre.In 1972 passenger trains to Gateacre were withdrawn. Freight trains, however, continued to use the line until 1979. The line has not been used since, and the trackbed now forms part of National Cycle Network Route 62, the Trans Pennine Trail.

Planned Reopening

The line was planned to be re-opened and electrified as far as Gateacre when Merseyrail was created but this never happened.

Route

Main line

• Hunts Cross junction with CLC Liverpool to Manchester line.
• Gateacre 1 December 1879-15 April 1972.
• Childwall 1 December 1879-1 January 1931.
• Knotty Ash 1 December 1879-7 November 1960.
• West Derby 1 December 1879-7 November 1960.
• Clubmoor 14 April 1927-7 November 1960.
• Fazakerley South Junction.
• Fazakerley West Junction.
• Walton on the Hill Walton 1 December 1879-1 January 1918.
• Walton Tunnel No 41 (240 yd)
• Walton Tunnel No 42 (643 yd)
• Walton Tunnel No 43 (249 yd)
• Huskisson 13 July 1880-1 May 1886.

North branch

• Fazakerley South Junction.
• Fazakerley North Junction.
• Fazakerley Junction with the Midland Railway's Langton Dock Branch.
• Warbreck 1 August 1929-7 November 1960.
• Aintree Central Aintree 13 July 1880-7 November 1960.
• Southport Junction
• Southport & Cheshire Lines Extension Railway

Plans

The CLC put forward several plans to connect to Liverpool Docks via the extension. One of these was the Liverpool, St Helens & South Lancashire Railway.

External links

• Historic map of railways in Liverpool
• Childwall railway station
• Video of a train on the NLEL