Liverpool Lime Street Railway Station
Liverpool Lime Street railway station is the main train station in Liverpool, England. It opened in 1836 and is the oldest mainline station in the world that is still open. It is close to the city centre and connects Liverpool to cities across the UK.
History
The station opened on 15 August 1836 by the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. It replaced Crown Street station, which was further out from the city centre. In 1867, a large roof made of iron and glass was built over the platforms. This made the station one of the biggest in the country.
In 1977, an underground platform opened as part of the Merseyrail Wirral Line. This is called Lime Street Low Level and is connected to the main station.
Station layout
There are two parts to the station:
- High Level – the main station with ten platforms. It has long-distance and regional trains.
- Low Level – the underground station with a single island platform for Merseyrail trains.
Services
Many train companies run from Lime Street station:
- Avanti West Coast – to London Euston
- TransPennine Express – to Manchester, Leeds, and Newcastle
- East Midlands Railway – to Nottingham and Norwich
- Transport for Wales – to Chester and Cardiff
- Northern Trains – to Wigan, Blackpool, and Manchester
- Merseyrail (Wirral Line) – to Chester, Ellesmere Port, and West Kirby
Facilities
The station has shops, cafes, toilets, lifts, and free Wi-Fi. There are ticket machines and help points. There is step-free access to all platforms.
Surroundings
Lime Street station is next to St George’s Hall in the centre of Liverpool. The building at the front used to be the North Western Hotel, which is now the Radisson RED hotel.