Merseyside Route Utilisation Strategy

The Merseyside Route Utilisation Strategy is a <a href="/facts/Route_Utilisation_Strategy/7rGglEEa">Route Utilisation Strategy</a> published by <a href="/facts/Network_Rail/B7RcLTwY">Network Rail</a> in March 2009. It was the eleventh RUS to be produced. By default, RUSs are <a href="/facts/Route_Utilisation_Strategy/7rGglEEa">established</a> by the <a href="/facts/Office_of_Rail_Regulation/LUHFXHF3">Office of Rail Regulation</a> (ORR) unless the latter objects within 60 days. The RUS is included in Network Rail's map as established.
The geographic scope is described as encompassing the <a href="/facts/Merseyside/44wxA8Bd">Merseyside</a> "<a href="/facts/Journey_to_work/Nts7LaIM">journey to work</a>" area. As such it includes all the passenger lines in Strategic Route 21 - Merseyrail, where the main operator on these routes is the similarly named <a href="/facts/Merseyrail/sdeG1eRb">Merseyrail</a>; also considered are adjacent parts of the network: parts of Route 20 (North West Urban), Route 23 (North West Rural) and Route 22 (North Wales and Borders). 
The Merseyrail routes can be divided into the following two self-contained subnetworks:

<ul><li>the <a href="/facts/Northern_Line_(Merseyrail)/SaV0WYE8">Northern Line</a> from <a href="/facts/Hunts_Cross_railway_station/ES3xSKGY">Hunts Cross</a> in the south-east of the urban area, across Liverpool (serving <a href="/facts/Liverpool_Central_railway_station/4pfBn9Uj">Liverpool Central</a>, <a href="/facts/Moorfields_railway_station/dyt89nzm">Moorfields</a> and <a href="/facts/Sandhills_railway_station/TdNNfYLE">Sandhills</a>), with northern branches to <a href="/facts/Southport_railway_station/bhU773ph">Southport</a>, <a href="/facts/Ormskirk_railway_station/eTejlPv1">Ormskirk</a> and <a href="/facts/Kirby_railway_station/jFQsWW2l">Kirby</a></li>
<li>the <a href="/facts/Wirral_line/5odJSATk">Wirral line</a>, including the loop line connecting Moorfields, <a href="/facts/Liverpool_Lime_Street_railway_station/7uN7ETWq">Liverpool Lime Street</a>, Liverpool Central and <a href="/facts/James_Street_railway_station_(England)/wd2CfDld">James Street</a>, the <a href="/facts/Mersey_Railway/fnFyVgwC">Mersey Rail Tunnel</a>, and branches on the <a href="/facts/Wirral_Peninsula/AmhW04d1">Wirral Peninsula</a> to <a href="/facts/New_Brighton_railway_station/Ifp7MHNB">New Brighton</a>, <a href="/facts/West_Kirby_railway_station/BLA5QPsQ">West Kirby</a>, <a href="/facts/Chester_railway_station/UaUuGfLy">Chester</a> and <a href="/facts/Ellesmere_Port_railway_station/jAP2Uj1B">Ellesmere Port</a>.</li></ul>
The <a href="/facts/City_Line_(Merseyrail)/fwnXJmHR">City Line</a> east of Liverpool Lime Street was explicitly covered in the <a href="/facts/Network_Rail_North_West_Route_Utilisation_Strategy/PyEn7V3C">North West RUS</a>, but this RUS also makes recommendations affecting this line.
As with other RUSs, the Merseyside RUS took into account a number of responses, including the ORR.

Merseyside Route Utilisation Strategy open-in-new

Merseyside Route Utilisation Strategy