MERSEYRAIL stations will face closures on Liverpool’s busiest day of the year when the three Cunard Queens sail into town.
The biggest crowds are expected on Bank Holiday Monday, May 25, when Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria follow Cunard’s flagship, the Queen Mary 2 into the Mersey.
From 1pm the nearest station to the waterfront, James Street, will be completely closed, meaning visitors from Wirral heading to the city centre will have to leave their trains up town at either Lime Street underground station or Liverpool Central.
As refurbishment work on the Wirral platforms at Moorfields is currently under way, they won’t be able to alight there either.
Also, from 1pm, none of the trains on the Northern Line – from Southport, Kirkby, Ormskirk or Hunts Cross – will stop at Liverpool Central. Passengers on that line will have to join or leave trains at Moorfields.
However there will be a 20 minute service on the Northern Line, with six-carriage trains to cope with demand.
Today Merseyrail insisted the station closures are being introduced on safety grounds, backed up by the experience of other major events such as last year’s second visit by the Giants.
Restrictions will also be in place at Liverpool Lime Street where a one-way system will be in place to control the flow of people entering or leaving the station.
Paramount to all of this is the safety of our customers. Over the weekend we could be looking at a million and a half people
Asked why, on a day when people will be eager to use public transport, a spokeswoman for Merseyrail told Liverpool Confidential: “There will be so many people the stations wouldn’t be able to cope with demand.
“Similar arrangements worked well in previous events, such as the Giants, and lessons have been learned. Paramount to all of this is the safety of our customers. Over the weekend we could be looking at a million and a half people wanting to watch the Three Queens event, and on balance we felt the arrangements we have agreed will be better for everyone, and we feel sure people will understand our reasons.
“We have been discussing public transport arrangements for a long period ahead of what will be a really busy time for public transport. Liverpool is fortunate in having four Merseyrail stations all within a square mile.”
Given that the Cunard event has been known about for more than a year, wouldn’t it have been better to delay the work on the Wirral platforms at Moorfields, given the decision to close James Street from 1pm?
Merseyrail repliedl: “The work is being carried out by Network Rail and was timed to start after the end of the recent Grand National meeting at Aintree.”
Liverpool One bus station, closed during the Giant’s event, will stay open with buses using Hanover Street to gain access.
The area’s travel and transport executive, Merseytravel, has urged as many people as possible to stay local and to walk or cycle to vantage points along the river, saying it "may be the quickest and easiest way to get to and from the event".
People coming from Manchester, Wigan and Crewe into Lime Street have been warned the routes, and the station will be busy and a one-way queuing system will be in place. The advice for out-of-towners is to consider using buses to reach the city (except there are no buses between Crewe and Liverpool).
“Be prepared and be patient. It will be extremely bust and there will be queues. Leave plenty of time to get where you want to go,” is the advice today from Merseytravel.
A special transport control centre will be operational in Bootle to keep a watchful eye via CCTV on how the city is coping with the event.
