Fazakerley railway station

Fazakerley
Fazakerley railway station in 2023
General information
LocationFazakerley, Liverpool,
England
Coordinates53°28′08″N 2°56′12″W / 53.4690°N 2.9368°W / 53.4690; -2.9368
Grid referenceSJ379974
Managed byMerseyrail
Transit authorityMerseytravel
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeFAZ
Fare zoneC1
ClassificationDfT category E
History
Original companyLancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Pre-groupingLancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
20 November 1848Station opens as Simonswood
by 1850Renamed Aintree
March 1860Renamed Fazakerley
Passengers
2020/21 0.414 million
2021/22 0.920 million
2022/23 0.899 million
2023/24 0.900 million
2024/25 1.107 million
Location
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road
Railway stations around Aintree
Sefton and Maghull
Old Roan
Aintree Central
Aintree
(Sefton Arms)
Ford
Aintree Racecourse
Fazakerley
Orrell Park
Warbreck

Fazakerley railway station serves the suburb of Fazakerley, in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is a stop on the Headbolt Lane branch of the Northern Line on the Merseyrail network.

History

The Liverpool and Bury Railway (L&BR) was authorised in 1845[1] but, while it was under construction, the L&BR amalgamated with the Manchester and Leeds Railway (M&LR) in 1846;[2] the M&LR in turn was renamed the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1847.[3] The line opened on 20 November 1848;[4] one of the original stations was Simonswood.[5][6] This station was renamed twice: it had become Aintree by 1850[7] and it took its present name Fazakerley[8] in March 1860 to avoid confusion with the nearby Aintree station on a different line,[6] which had opened in 1849.[9]

At the time of opening, it lay 29+12 miles (47.5 km) from Bury,[6] but it is now 31 miles 31 chains (50.5 km) from Manchester Victoria, via Wigan Wallgate.[10]

To the north-east of the station is Fazakerley Junction, 30 miles 72 chains (49.7 km) from Manchester Victoria,[10] which is where the North Mersey Branch once headed westwards towards Gladstone Dock.[11] The branch has closed, but the junction remains as the point where the double track out of Liverpool becomes single track for the last few miles into Kirkby.[10] The line eastwards was singled in May 1970, though through running beyond Kirkby (to Wigan Wallgate and Bolton) continued until the inauguration of electric operation in May 1977.[12]

Facilities

In common with most Merseyrail stations, it is staffed throughout the day; the street-level ticket office opens 15 minutes prior to start of service and closes at 00:25 each evening (including Sundays). At platform level, there are digital display screens, timetable posters and shelters on each side; a PA system also provides automated train running information. The ticket office is linked to the platforms via a footbridge; this has a lift installed on each side to provide step-free access. There are racks for four bicycles and secure storage for twenty.[13]

Services

The station is generally served by four trains per hour in each direction off-peak. In late evenings and on Sundays, services are reduced to two trains per hour in each direction.[14]

Services are operated using Class 777 battery electric multiple units.

Preceding station National Rail Following station
Kirkby
  Merseyrail
  Rice Lane

References

Citations

  1. ^ Marshall 1969, p. 129.
  2. ^ Marshall 1969, p. 130.
  3. ^ Marshall 1969, p. 65.
  4. ^ Marshall 1969, p. 132.
  5. ^ Butt 1995, p. 212.
  6. ^ a b c Marshall 1969, p. 133.
  7. ^ Butt 1995, pp. 212, 14.
  8. ^ Butt 1995, pp. 14, 95.
  9. ^ Butt 1995, p. 14.
  10. ^ a b c Yonge 2005, map 41A.
  11. ^ Marshall 1969, p. 160.
  12. ^ Graham, Tony; Wright, Paul (22 May 2017). "Rainford Junction Signal Box". Disused Stations. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
  13. ^ "Fazakerley | Facilities". Merseyrail.org. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  14. ^ "Plan your journey: Timetables". Merseyrail. 14 December 2025. Retrieved 5 January 2026.

Sources