Train operator Merseyrail publishes new timetable following the launch of the new £500m class 777 train fleet into public service. Tony McDonough reports
Merseyrail has unveiled a new timetable on the Kirkby line following the successful introduction of the new train fleet.
On Monday, January 23, the first of the 52-strong class 777 train fleet came into operation on the line between Liverpool Central and Kirkby. Liverpool City Region Combined Authority purchased the trains from Swiss manufacturer Stadler at a cost of £500m.
Over the next 12 to 15 months the units will be rolled out across all services on the Northern and Wirral Line.
The Ormskirk line will be next to see their introduction. Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram told LBN he wants to see them running in time for the three-day Grand National meeting in April.
For now, there will be a mix of old trains and new trains operating on the Kirkby Line. The line was chosen to be first because the Stadler maintenance depot sits on the route at Kirkdale.
Starting from Monday, January 30, the new trains will be in service on the Kirkby line from 6.13am and will continue until 7.35pm. The Class 777s will be in service from Monday to Saturday but will not yet be used on Sundays.
Passengers need to be aware that this means there will be cancellations of some services on Monday to Saturday for the foreseeable future.
There will be three trains per hour running from 7am until the normal half-hourly evening schedule which runs from 7.13pm to the end of service.
A full timetable of trains from Kirkby to Liverpool Central, and from Liverpool Central to Kirkby, can be found on the Merseyrail website, at www.merseyrail.org.
Zoe Hands, chief operating officer at Merseyrail, said: “We have been delighted with the successful launch of the new trains on the Kirkby line this week and the overwhelmingly positive reaction from our passengers.
“However, we want to crack on with the roll out to get as many new trains into passenger service as soon as possible. To do this our driver training programme will ramp up across the coming weeks.
“This does mean a reduction in the frequency of services on the Kirkby line while this happens, but we will ensure that a full timetable can be restored as soon as possible.
“Merseyrail apologises for any inconvenience that this temporary reduction in frequency will cause passengers.”
At the launch Mr Rotheram also told LBN that he was keen to extend the network to other areas of Liverpool city region and beyond. However, he added that would mean the purchase of more trains from Stadler.
In December LBN revealed that a test run of one of the new class 777 trains saw it travel 135km using just a battery. This offers the opportunity to extend the network without the expense of electrification.
Mr Rotheram added: “Can we find the money? I am confident we can and then we need to work with the agencies. Network Rail are part of this, Merseyrail and other rail operators because we will want to go to some of the places they currently run to.”