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Location notes
Liverpool Central serves the heart of Liverpool, as the name suggests, and is the busiest station on the Merseyrail electrics. The station has a very interesting history. There originally was a Liverpool Central High level station, opened by the Cheshire Lines Committee in 1874. At one time this station offered services to Manchester, Warrington, London Marlyebone, Hull and even Harwich. There was also a local service to gateacre via Hunts Cross.
In 1898 the Mersey Railway (today's Wirral line) extended their route from James Street through new tunnels to Liverpool Central, terminating below high level. After nationalisation in 1948, these two platforms became low level.
In 1972, the loop and link line construction started, and high level closed. By this time it was only offering the Gateacre service, all other routes diverted via the Allerton Curve to Lime Street. The station was demolished, and the tunnel to Brunswick excavated, and new tunnels were dug to met up with the mersey railway over-run tunnels. This, along with new tunnelling to Moorfields, created a cross city Northern Line, allowing trains to proceed to Hunts cross, replacing the old High level service. A new loop line for the wirral line allowed a deeper level platform to be built below what became the Northern Line platforms. The connection through the old tunnel to James Street still remains, but for ECS movements.
More details on the old Liverpool Central High Level can be found on the disused stations website.
In 1898 the Mersey Railway (today's Wirral line) extended their route from James Street through new tunnels to Liverpool Central, terminating below high level. After nationalisation in 1948, these two platforms became low level.
In 1972, the loop and link line construction started, and high level closed. By this time it was only offering the Gateacre service, all other routes diverted via the Allerton Curve to Lime Street. The station was demolished, and the tunnel to Brunswick excavated, and new tunnels were dug to met up with the mersey railway over-run tunnels. This, along with new tunnelling to Moorfields, created a cross city Northern Line, allowing trains to proceed to Hunts cross, replacing the old High level service. A new loop line for the wirral line allowed a deeper level platform to be built below what became the Northern Line platforms. The connection through the old tunnel to James Street still remains, but for ECS movements.
More details on the old Liverpool Central High Level can be found on the disused stations website.
Railway type and traffic
Liverpool Central has three platforms, 1 & 2 are on the Merseyrail Northern Line, platform 3 (dating from 1978) is on the Wirral Line. Trains to see will be class 507 and 508 EMUs of Merseyrail electrics.
Environment
Liverpool Central is underground, so need to worry about the weather. The station is busy at all times, but is covered by CCTV, and there are staff present at all times, so no security issues to worry about.
Road directions
It is best not to drive to this location. Park out side the city centre, and get a train or bus in.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Liverpool Central map co-ordinates
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Liverpool Central map co-ordinates
Parking
Car parking is available locally, but is chargable. It would be easier to park outside the city, and get a train or bus in.
Public transport
This is served by Merseyrail electrics.
Stagecoach and Arriva provide most of the bus services, their websites are Stagecoach and Arriva.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Stagecoach and Arriva provide most of the bus services, their websites are Stagecoach and Arriva.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Amenities
Liverpool Central is right in the heart of Liverpool City centre. All amenities are close to hand. In addition, the station is situated in a small shopping arcade, with a Sainsburys local being one of the tenants.
The station has toilets on the concourse, but on the platform side of the ticket barriers. You will face no more than a 5-10 minute walk for all amenities.
The station has toilets on the concourse, but on the platform side of the ticket barriers. You will face no more than a 5-10 minute walk for all amenities.
Accommodation
Plenty of accomodation will be available to hand, visit Visit Liverpool.com for more information.
Sun Compass
Sun Compass using Suncalc by brought to you by Vladimir Agafonkin:
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Liverpool Central
Streetmap links
Liverpool Central general view map
Liverpool Central close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Liverpool Central
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Liverpool Central
Googly map
Liverpool Central general view map
Liverpool Central close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Liverpool Central
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Photographic notes
Liverpool Central is an underground station, with stairs, lifts, and escalators from the concourse to all the platforms. Due to it being underground, flash photography and tripods are prohibited.
Trains coming into the Northern Line platforms come in slowly, those on the Wirral loop a bit faster. The rumbling on the tunnel is a useful clue to the approach of a train.
Trains coming into the Northern Line platforms come in slowly, those on the Wirral loop a bit faster. The rumbling on the tunnel is a useful clue to the approach of a train.
General views - All photographs © Robert Clarke unless otherwise stated
Fig 1 - Wirral Line Platform
Fig 2 - Looking towards Moorfields
Fig 3 - Looking towards Moorfields
Fig 4 - Looking towards Brunswick
Disclaimer
All information contained within this is site is © Trainspots. The images used on this site remain the property of the original photographer, as credited at the top of the page, and are used with their kind permission.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
