Fazakerley railway station
{{Short description|Railway station on the Headbolt Lane Branch of the Northern Line in Liverpool, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}
{{Infobox station
| name = Fazakerley
| symbol_location = gb
| symbol = liverpool
| image = Class 777-0049 at Fazakerley station 20230123.jpg
| caption = Fazakerley railway station in 2023
| borough = Fazakerley, Liverpool
| country = England
| coordinates = {{coord|53.4690|-2.9368|type:railwaystation_region:GB_scale:10000|display=inline,title}}
| grid_name = Grid reference
| grid_position = {{gbmapscaled|SJ379974|25|SJ379974}}
| manager = Merseyrail
| platforms = 2
| code = FAZ
| zone = C1
| classification = DfT category E
| transit_authority = Merseytravel
| original = Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
| pregroup = Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
| postgroup = London, Midland and Scottish Railway
| years = 20 November 1848
| events = Station opens as Simonswood
| years1 = by 1850
| events1 = Renamed Aintree
| years2 = March 1860
| events2 = Renamed Fazakerley
| mpassengers =
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2019/20 |passengers={{increase}} 1.465 million}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2020/21 |passengers={{decrease}} 0.414 million}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2021/22 |passengers={{increase}} 0.920 million}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2022/23 |passengers={{decrease}} 0.899 million}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2023/24 |passengers={{increase}} 0.900 million}}
| footnotes = Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road
}}
{{Aintree Stations}}
Fazakerley railway station is a railway station in Fazakerley, Liverpool, England. It is situated on the Headbolt Lane branch of the Northern Line of the Merseyrail network.
History
The Liverpool and Bury Railway (L&BR) was authorised in 1845,{{sfn|Marshall|1969|p=129}} but while it was under construction, the L&BR amalgamated with the Manchester and Leeds Railway (M&LR) in 1846,{{sfn|Marshall|1969|p=130}} and the M&LR in turn was renamed the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1847.{{sfn|Marshall|1969|p=65}} The line opened on 20 November 1848;{{sfn|Marshall|1969|p=132}} one of the original stations was Simonswood.{{sfn|Butt|1995|p=212}}{{sfn|Marshall|1969|p=133}} This station was renamed twice: it had become Aintree by 1850,{{sfn|Butt|1995|pp=212, 14}} and in March 1860 it took its present name Fazakerley{{sfn|Butt|1995|pp=14, 95}} to avoid confusion with the nearby {{stnlnk|Aintree}} station on a different line,{{sfn|Marshall|1969|p=133}} which had opened in 1849.{{sfn|Butt|1995|p=14}}
At the time of opening, the mileage of the station was {{convert|29+1/2|mi|km}} from Bury,{{sfn|Marshall|1969|p=133}} but this has since been amended to {{convert|31|mi|31|chain|km|lk=in}} from {{stnlnk|Manchester Victoria}} via Wigan.{{sfn|Yonge|2005|loc=map 41A}}
To the north-east of the station is Fazakerley Junction, {{convert|30|mi|72|chain|km}} from Manchester Victoria,{{sfn|Yonge|2005|loc=map 41A}} which is where the North Mersey Branch once headed westwards towards {{stnlnk|Gladstone Dock}}.{{sfn|Marshall|1969|p=160}} 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 {{stnlnk|Kirkby}}.{{sfn|Yonge|2005|loc=map 41A}} The line eastwards was singled in May 1970, though through running beyond Kirkby (to Wigan Wallgate and {{rws|Bolton}}) continued until the inauguration of electric operation in May 1977.[http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/r/rainford_junction/index3a.shtml "Disused Stations - Rainford Junction Signal Box"] Disused Stations; Retrieved 25 March 2016
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 P.A 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 cycle racks for 4 cycles and secure cycle storage for 20 cycles.{{cite web|title=Fazakerley train station {{!}} timetable {{!}} ticket prices & facilities|url=http://www.merseyrail.org/plan-your-journey/stations/fazakerley.aspx|website=www.merseyrail.org|access-date=9 February 2017|language=en}}
Services
The station is currently served by four trains per hour in each direction during the day time Monday - Saturday. In late evenings and on Sundays services are reduced to two trains per hour in each direction. Services are operated using {{brc|777}} BEMUs.{{cite web|url=https://www.merseyrail.org/journey-planning/plan-your-journey/more-services-between-headbolt-lane-via-kirkby-and-liverpool-central/|title=Increased services between Headbolt Lane and Liverpool Central|work=Merseyrail|access-date=12 October 2023}}{{Dead link|date=March 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{NRtimes|May 2023|83}}
In the future, the service will be increased to up to four trains per hour in each direction as more battery operated Class 777 trains become available.{{cite web|url=https://www.merseyrail.org/news/station-and-service-updates/headbolt-lane-station-in-kirkby-opens-to-merseyrail-services/|title=Headbolt Lane Station In Kirkby Opens To Merseyrail Services|work=Merseyrail|access-date=12 October 2023}}
{{rail start}}
{{rail line|previous={{stnlnk|Kirkby}}
{{smalldiv|towards {{stnlnk|Headbolt Lane}}}}|next={{stnlnk|Rice Lane}}
{{smalldiv|towards {{stnlnk|Liverpool Central}}}}|route=Merseyrail
{{smalldiv|Northern Line}}|col={{Merseyrail colour|Northern}} }}
{{end}}
Notes
{{reflist|colwidth=20em}}
References
- {{Butt-Stations}}
- {{Jowett-Nationalised}}
- {{cite book |last=Marshall |first=John |author-link=John Marshall (railway historian) |title=The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, volume 1 |year=1969 |publisher=David & Charles |location=Newton Abbot |isbn=0-7153-4352-1 }}
- {{cite book |last=Yonge |first=John |editor-last=Jacobs |editor-first=Gerald |title=Railway Track Diagrams 4: Midlands & North West |edition=2nd |date=March 2005 |orig-year=1990 |publisher=Trackmaps |location=Bradford on Avon |isbn=0-9549866-0-1 }}
External links
{{commons category|Fazakerley railway station}}
{{stn art lnk|FAZ|L99EW}}
{{Merseyrail info lnk|25}}
{{Merseyside railway stations}}
{{Merseyrail Northern Line}}
{{Railway stations served by Merseyrail}}
Category:Railway stations in Liverpool
Category:DfT Category E stations
Category:Former Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway stations