Great Western Coffee Shop

No trains will run in or out of Liverpool Lime Street station "for several days" after a wall collapsed on to the railway.

A section of trackside wall "loaded with concrete and cabins by a third party" fell, blocking all four lines into the station, Network Rail said.

The collapse on Tuesday evening left rubble strewn across the tracks and overhead wires damaged.

Commuters and travellers are being urged to seek alternative routes.

Northern Rail said a limited service is now running on trains between Manchester and some Liverpool stations, including Huyton and Liverpool South Parkway.

Services between Liverpool and London will start and terminate at Runcorn with rail replacement buses between the town and the city centre, a statement from Virgin Trains said.

It is estimated more than 40 tonnes of debris fell on the lines, Network Rail infrastructure manager for Liverpool, Alan Gibbs Monaghan, said.

A company spokesman said no trains will be running in or out of the station "for several days" and earlier indicated the line might not reopen until Monday.

"Five large containers, each holding many tonnes of material have been stacked by a third party on elevated land beside the collapsed section of wall.

"With part of this land having given way, these containers need removing to make the cutting safe and prevent further slips.

"Only then can we get safe access to the tracks below and develop a plan for the clear-up and repairs," he said.

Simon Evans, from Network Rail, said: "It was extremely wet yesterday as there was a lot of rain and we've established that the person who occupies the property on the other side of the wall appears to have put a lot of concrete and cabins on top of this wall.

"At this stage it's unclear as to why it collapsed but it does appear that may have had something to do with it."

Northern, London Midlands and TransPennine Express trains are terminating at Liverpool South Parkway.

People travelling to and from the city centre are being advised to use Merseyrail Northern line services between Central Station and Liverpool South Parkway, where they can join connecting trains.

Merseyrail is not directly affected by the incident but is currently running no services through Lime Street because of track renewal work on its Wirral loop line.

Train was 'seconds away' from colliding with rubble - union

http://news.sky.com/story/train-was-seconds-away-from-colliding-with-rubble-union-10788033 (http://news.sky.com/story/train-was-seconds-away-from-colliding-with-rubble-union-10788033)

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said it understands "at least one train was seconds away from colliding with the collapse".

It also praised the "magnificent response" of railway staff during what it says could have been a "major disaster".
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RMT general secretary Mike Cash said: "Without guards to keep passengers calm and lead safe evacuations we would have had the potentially lethal prospect of passengers de-training themselves in cold, dark tunnels and stumbling towards tons of debris and damaged 25,000-volt overhead power lines."

Mr Cash added the incident served as a warning that the driver-only trains planned by Arriva Rail North would be a "fundamental attack on safety for passengers and rail workers alike.

Liverpool faces days of being cut off from the rest of the country after the city's main railway station was forced to close due to a wall collapse.

http://news.sky.com/story/liverpool-lime-street-will-not-reopen-for-several-days-after-wall-collapse-10786211 (http://news.sky.com/story/liverpool-lime-street-will-not-reopen-for-several-days-after-wall-collapse-10786211)

That's a little melodramatic IMHO. There are other ways of getting to Liverpool other than by train, so the city is not "cut off from the rest of the country".

To be clear - it's  quote from the article being repeated by our member, and not necessary our member's view.

You can of course reach Liverpool by Merseyrail, change at Liverpool South Parkway (aka Allerton but still short platforms) and enjoy the squeeze at Central. You could also follow the GW route via Chester as far as James Street, the Loop being closed for track renewal. You could even get in to Moorfields via Wigan or Preston with a change. They've promised 6-car sets as far as possible.

Better than Ry*n*ir.

OTC

The last time I was in Liverpool the ferries were suspended for technical reasons

Someone probably pinched the anchor.

Scousers having a chuckle about a couple of things despite Lime St being closed.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/hilarious-letter-sent-guardian-only-12687109

Other versions are available.   Fratton and Manors that I've heard of, there must be a few others...

Paul

Hmm.  I'm now not sure whether this particular topic should be in 'The Wider Picture' or 'The Lighter Side'.  :P

pendant off