Edge Hill railway station
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Edge Hill | |||
| Location | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Edge Hill | ||
| Local authority | Liverpool | ||
| Operations | |||
| Managed by | Northern Rail | ||
| Platforms in use | 4 | ||
| Annual Passenger Usage | |||
| 2004/05 ** | 0.023 million | ||
| Passenger Transport Executive | |||
| PTE | Merseytravel | ||
| Zone | C | ||
| History | |||
| 1836 | Opened | ||
| National Rail - UK railway stations | |||
| Annual passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Edge Hill (source) | |||
|
|||
Edge Hill railway station is a railway station in Edge Hill, an area of Liverpool, England.
There have been two stations of that name. The first was located a short distance to the South West of the present station and its remains are still visible, although the site is not open to the public.
Contents |
[edit] History
The first station was located in a deep sandstone cutting, with three tunnels at the West end. The largest bore, in the centre, was the Wapping Tunnel, a long incline leading to Wapping Dock. The goods wagons descended by gravity, but were hauled up by a winding engine. When first opened, it was whitewashed, lit by gas, and used as a promenade by visitors.
The tunnel to the right or North of it was much shorter and inclined upwards, leading to the passenger terminal at Crown Street. Here the trains descended by gravity to Edge Hill station and were wound up into Crown Street. The left-hand or South tunnel was originally a short length leading nowhere, used as a storage shed. This was intended to create a symmetrical appearance. It was later extended on a curving incline so that it could pass over the Wapping tunnel and join the Crown Street tunnel.
At the opposite end of the station area boilers and steam engine were found. These were used for the rope winding mechanism. Each formed the base of a fine Moorish Arch. The smoke was channeled down rock cut flues to tall chimneys on either side of the tunnel facing. These were termed the 'Pillars of Hercules'.
There were engine sheds and workshops cut into the rock either side of the station area, entered by transverse tracks accessed by turnplates.
The station area was rarely used for passengers, but rather for the marshalling of trains and coupling and uncoupling of locomotives.
The decision to divert passenger traffic by means of a new branch to Lime Street Station resulted in the construction of a new station. Both Crown Street and the old station were then used for goods purposes. Crown Street also was used as a coal yard. The new station was opened in 1836. Again, trains were able to descend to Lime Street by gravity, and were rope-hauled by a winding engine up to Edge Hill. However, this practice soon became redundant.
[edit] Layout
The northernmost tunnel is the Waterloo Tunnel, and the Southern tunnel leads to Lime Street Station. The station consists of two island platforms, each with an original building of 1836, making this possibly the oldest station in continuous use and in its original form in the world. Though the station is staffed, it is somewhat lacking in passenger facilities such as shelter and seating.
[edit] Services
Edge Hill is on both the northern and southern routes of the Liverpool to Manchester Line from Liverpool Lime Street. There is a half-hourly service on the northern branch, with alternate trains to Manchester Victoria and Warrington Bank Quay. There is also an hourly service on the southern branch to Manchester Oxford Road via Warrington Central. All services are operated by Northern Rail.
[edit] Trivia
Due to Edge Hill being the station immediately preceding Liverpool Lime Street, the term "getting off at Edge Hill" has become a euphemism in Liverpudlian slang for coitus interruptus.
[edit] External links
- Train times and station information for Edge Hill railway station from National Rail
- Street map and aerial photo of Edge Hill railway station from Multimap.com
| Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mossley Hill or Wavertree Technology Park towards Manchester (All Stations) |
Northern Rail (Liverpool to Manchester Line) |
Liverpool Lime Street towards Liverpool |
||
| Wavertree Technology Park | Northern Rail (Liverpool to Wigan Line) |
Liverpool Lime Street | ||
| Disused Railways | ||||
| Edge Lane | LNWR Canada Dock Branch |
Terminus | ||
| Terminus | LNWR Waterloo Tunnel |
Liverpool Riverside | ||
| Terminus | Liverpool and Manchester Railway Wapping Branch |
Crown Street | ||
