Lime Street station closed ‘until Monday’ to clear collapsed wall

Network Rail will inspect the site this morning to try and gauge how many days Liverpool’s mainline train station will be out of action. Network Rail blamed a third party company which it said had placed concrete and cabins on top of the embankment.

The wall partially collapsed at 5.45pm during rush hour and several trains were trapped for hours before passengers were escorted on foot to safety. No trains were hit and no one was injured.

Initial estimates are that all four lines into the station could be closed until Monday 6 March.

Network Rail said in a statement released shortly after midnight:

“Network Rail is advising passengers to check their journeys and plan accordingly after a section of trackside wall collapsed onto the railway blocking all four lines into the station and damaging overhead wiring equipment.”

A spokesperson for Network Rail said: “No trains are running in or out of Liverpool Lime Street station after a section of trackside wall, loaded with concrete and cabins by a third party, collapsed sending rubble across all four lines and taking overhead wires with it.

“Early indications suggest train services will not resume for several days while extensive clear-up and repairs take place to make the location safe. More precise forecasts on how long the repairs will take will be made after daybreak tomorrow.”

Services operated by Virgin Trains, Northern, East Midlands, London Midland are all affect. Some are stopping at Liverpool South Parkway, others as far away as Manchester Oxford. Virgin Trains is bussing people to Runcorn to begin their journey. Local rail operator Merseyrail, whilst not directly affected as it does not use any of the four overground lines at Lime Street, is helping by running extra cars on services through Hunt Cross to offer extra capacity for diverted passengers and additional buses from Liverpool South Parkway to the city centre.

A full breakdown of the advice for passengers on each service can be found at National Rail Enquiries.