Merseyrail is alerting passengers to changes to services on the Kirkby line later this month, as major track works take place as part of the Headbolt Lane station scheme. The engineering work will see new track laid from Kirkby station all the way to the new terminus on the Kirkby line.
Funding was secured for the new station in 2020, and construction is now nearing its final stages.
There will be no rail services between Kirkby and Liverpool Central on the Northern line from Friday 28 April to Tuesday 2 May. The power to the third rail must be switched off to protect workers' safety, so it will not be possible to run trains.
Buses will replace trains between Kirkby and Moorfields on these days, calling at Fazakerley, Rice Lane, Kirkdale, Sandhills and Moorfields. Merseyrail recommends that passengers use the journey planner on its website to see the impact on their travel plans. Rail replacement bus times are listed in the journey planner.
The Kirkby line will return to operation on Wednesday 3 May, from the start of service at 05:43.
Jane English, acting Managing Director of Merseyrail, said: “We apologise for the disruption to Kirkby services across these five days, but the work is an essential part of readying the network for the launch of the new station at Headbolt Lane.
“The new station will be a fantastic addition to the Kirkby line, giving thousands of residents in Tower Hill and Northwood far greater and easier access to the Merseyrail network than ever before.”
Now, if only they had some class 777 IPEMU (Independent Powered Electrical Multiple Unit) trains that could run on the de-energised track, instead of using replacement buses!