Merseyrail is the name given to the electric commuter train network centred on Liverpool and Birkenhead. The name was originally used as the official brand for the network in the days of British Rail, and has stuck colloquially through numerous franchise holders.

Merseyrail is one of the most frequent British commuter systems outside London, with services running (on average) every 15 minutes during weekday daytime, and 30 minutes at evenings and weekends. Services run on two lines covering the Liverpool suburban area and greater Merseyside, with a total track length of 120 km and 67 stations. The Wirral Line, extending under the River Mersey, links Liverpool with West Kirby, Ellesmere Port, New Brighton and Chester. The Northern Line links Liverpool with Ormskirk, Kirkby, Southport and Hunts Cross. A third line, the City Line, runs from Liverpool Lime Street and Hunts Cross, serving eastern Merseyside. It formed part of the franchise until 2003, but is now considered separately by the Strategic Rail Authority as it forms part of the West Coast Main Line and north-western regional services, and runs services outside the isolated network region.

The Merseyrail network is entirely electrified using third-rail electrification.

Following the privatisation of the UK rail network, the Merseyrail service was run first by Merseyside Transport Ltd (MTL) under the name Merseyrail Electrics, then Arriva Trains Merseyside, before its award to a consortium of Serco and NedRailways (a division of Nederlandse Spoorwegen) in 2003. The current franchise is contracted to the consortium for an initial 25-year period.

Uniquely in the UK, the Merseyrail franchise (referred to officially as a 'contract') is awarded by the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive rather than the SRA, because the franchise is self-contained and totally separate from the rest of the British rail network.

Network stations

• Liverpool Loop
  • James Street (Wirral line only)
  • Moorfields (Northern and Wirral lines)
  • Lime Street (Wirral line only - connections to mainline services)
  • Liverpool Central (Northern and Wirral lines - network hub)
• Hunts Cross (Northern line)

External link

• Merseyrail.org
• Class 507 and 508 Online - site dedicated to the class 507 and 508 trains that run on the network