Station Name: LIVERPOOL CENTRAL HIGH LEVEL

[Source: Paul Wright]
Date opened: 2.3.1874
Location: At the junction of Ranelagh Place & Bold Street
Company on opening: Cheshire Lines Committee
Date closed to passengers: 17.4.1972
Date closed completely: 17.4.1972
Company on closing: British Rail (London Midland Region)
Present state: Extensive sections of the stations walls can still be seen behind the present Central station. The former station Parcels office on Bold Street is still extant and in use as a coffee bar.
County: Lancashire
OS Grid Ref: SJ350902
Date of visit: June 1968, 2005 & 1.3.2009

Notes: Liverpool Central Station opened as part of the Cheshire Lines Railway's extension of their Liverpool and Manchester line into Liverpool's city centre, it had previously terminated at the inconveniently located Brunswick station.. The line which ran from Brunswick was entirely in tunnels or cuttings until it reached Central Station.

Being a relative latecomer to Liverpool, the CLC had to make do with a very camped site. Nevertheless they built an imposing station that had a grand three story station façade behind which was a single arched trainshed that reached a height of 65 feet. The station had three island platforms giving six platform faces. By 1880 the CLC was offering the fastest journey times
between Liverpool and Manchester at 45 minutes for a 34 mile journey. By 1883 this was reduced to 40 minutes. Within a few years of its opening Central Station offered services to Manchester, Stockport, Southport and shorter all stations workings along these routes. It also offered journeys further afield through the constituent parts of the CLC. The GNR ran services to Hull, Harwich and London Marylebone whilst the Midland ran services to London St. Pancreas.

On the 11.1.1892 the Mersey Railway opened Low Level platforms at Central Station which catered for its services that ran deep beneath the River Mersey to Rock Ferry and Birkenhead. This made Liverpool Central Station an even busier place as interchange opportunities were very good.

In 1923 at the time of the grouping the CLC was left as an independent company but its shares became split between the LNER (two thirds) and the LMS (one third). The CLC had never owned any locomotives they had always been provided by the parent companies. After 1923 LNER types were the most dominant.

Services still ran to both London Marylebone (LNER) and London St. Pancreas (LMS) but the LMS tended to concentrate its London services on its route from nearby Liverpool Lime Street.

The station remained busy throughout the period from 1923 and well into the nationalisation period. In 1960 daily departures are listed to Aintree Central, Gateacre, Harwich Parkeston Quay, Hull, Hunts Cross, Leicester Central, London Marylebone, Manchester Central, Nottingham Victoria, Stockport Tiviot Dale, Tanhouse Lane, and Warrington Central. However despite this level of traffic Liverpool Central was listed for closure under the Beeching
report as most of its services could be rerouted into Liverpool Lime Street Station via the Allerton Curve. This happened in September 1966 but it was not to be the end of the station. It was kept open to serve the hourly Gateacre Service.

In its later years the high level platforms at Central made for a sad spectacle. Only two running lines were left in situ straddling one of the island platforms. Other than the concourse which provided access to the low level platforms and remained busy the rest of the station took on a derelict air.
By the early 1970's the station site was needed as a construction base for the planned Merseyrail Loop and Link underground system. On the 17.4.1972 the Gateacre service ended and the high level platforms at Central closed for good. On 28.7.1975 the Low Level Platforms also closed but for them it was only a temporary measure as they re-opened on 9.5.1977 as part of the new Link Line which formed the cross city section of the Merseyrail Northern Line. New Deep Level platforms also opened to cater for the former Mersey Railway Service by then the Merseyrail Wirral Line.


In January 1978 the original route east out of Liverpool Central High Level also re-opened but it was excavated out a few hundred metres from the end of the original platforms to allow trains to drop down to the low level platforms.

Today various parts of the High Level station can still be seen as much of the site is a public car park. This will not last for long though as the whole site is earmarked for a shopping development. The name Central station still lives on through the Merseyrail Station that occupies the same site although trains are now relegated to below the streets. On a brighter note though the modern Central Station is probably as busy as it ever was.

For other stations on the Liverpool to Manchester CLC line click on the station name: Liverpool St. James, Brunswick, Otterspool, Garston, Halewood & Manchester Central.

Liverpool Central Station in 1953




Liverpool Central (High Level) Station in June 1969
Photo by Nick Catford


Liverpool Central (High Level) Station in June 1969
Photo by Nick Catford


In the weeks leading up to final closure the lines into Liverpool Central station were cut back to the very end of the stations remaining platform. Only enough platform was left to accommodate a two car DMU. This allowed demolition work to commence even before the station closed. In this view looking south east in March 1972 demolition is well progressed. The room has been stripped of its glazing and the stations main building has been demolished and cleared. At this time an hourly train service to Gateacre was still operating. The temporary platform was located at the furthest point from the photographer outside of the trainshed.
Photo by John Wraithmell


Liverpool Central (High Level) Station on ther last day of public service
Photo by K G Rose


Site of Liverpool Central (High Level) Station in January 2005 taken from the same viewpoint as the picture above
Photo by Paul Wright

Last updated: Tuesday, 20-Apr-2010 16:11:57 BST
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