New timetables for all Merseyrail Northern line services will be launched on June 2 2018 ready for the opening of the new Maghull North station.

A 15 minute frequency will continue to run on all lines, however the calling times at stations will change. The new timetable has been launched to coincide with the start of the Lime Street upgrade for passenger convenience, including those connecting on to the Merseyrail network from mainline services at Liverpool South Parkway.


Services on the Ormskirk and Kirkby lines will run to the new timetable from June 2. Services on the Southport and Hunts Cross line will run to a temporary timetable between June 2 and July 29 while the Lime Street upgrade works take place, with the new Northern line timetable coming in to effect permanently from July 30.


The introduction of a new station on the Ormskirk line will slightly increase journey times by 4
minutes from Ormskirk to Liverpool and by 1 minute from Liverpool to Ormskirk. All Northern line timetables will change as the extended journey time will affect other trains running in to Liverpool city centre.


Trains will not call at Maghull North until the station opens on June 18 and trains will instead be held at Town Green station for a few minutes from June 2 so that services on the rest of the line run to the new timetable.


Andy Heath, Managing Director at Merseyrail said:


“We have ensured that passengers still receive a 15 minute service with the new timetable, which is necessary for us to welcome our 67th station, Maghull North, on to the Merseyrail network. We have tried to keep things as simple as possible for our passengers, and those connecting on to our services at Liverpool South Parkway, by changing the timetables just once at the start of the Lime Street upgrade.


Maghull North is a great example of the significant investment that is being made to improve our local railway and will shortly be followed by the introduction of our new state-of-the-art trains. I am looking forward to seeing Maghull North open on June 18th and the improved connectivity that it will provide for local people”.


The new Maghull North station is a £13m Merseytravel scheme which has been built by Network Rail. It has been jointly funded by the Government's Local Growth Fund (LGF), Merseytravel and the Homes and Communities Association, which previously owned the land on which the station will be built.


Wirral line passengers are advised that there will be changes to both the Chester and Ellesmere Port line timetables between June 2 – July 29 while the Lime Street upgrade works take place.