OREANDA-NEWS. The station, which is operated by Merseyrail, is the latest on Merseyside to be redeveloped as part of a ?40m investment by Network Rail to provide a better railway for the increasing number of people travelling by train.

Work will start on 13 April and improvements will be made to platforms, walkways, and the upper and lower concourse areas. There will be new flooring, fresh enamel cladding on the walls and brighter lighting, which will give a cleaner, more airy and less cluttered environment.

To minimise disruption to passengers as much as possible the station will remain open throughout, but platforms will close temporarily at different times for three to four months to allow work to be carried out. The entire project will be completed in spring 2016.  

Chris Littler, area manager for Network Rail, said: “This is the latest phase of our investment in the railway on Merseyside to provide passengers with modern stations and a railway they can rely on and be proud of.

“The work has been carefully planned with Merseyrail to limit disruption to passengers as much as possible and, by closing one platform at a time, we are able to keep the station open and keep the majority of trains running – particularly during some of the high profile events that are happening in Liverpool and the surrounding area over the coming months.”

The dates for the phased closure of the three platforms have been chosen to accommodate major events in Liverpool, such as the Grand National and the Three Queens, as well as the extra passengers who come into town for Christmas.

The dates are:

  • Wirral line, platform 3: closed 13 April till 2 August 2015
  • Northern line, platform 2(towards Sandhills): closed 3 August till 15 November 2015
  • Northern line, platform 1(towards Liverpool Central and Hunts Cross): closed 3 January till April 2016

Andy Heath, deputy managing director of Merseyrail, commented: “Moorfields has been crying out for a makeover for some years now, and it’s great that the work is finally about to start. We are sure that customers will be delighted with the end result, and we ask people to bear with us while it’s taking place. It’s important to us that information about alternative travel arrangements is communicated effectively, and we have worked hard to provide it through a variety of channels.”

Councillor Liam Robinson, chair of Merseytravel, concluded: ‘Moorfields is an important station, serving the business, retail and leisure areas of the city. The improvements represent the next phase of a major refurbishment across Liverpool’s loop line, helping us to develop the rail network which will in turn support the growth of the Liverpool city region economy.’ 

Moorfields is the last of the five underground stations to be refurbished as part of Network Rail’s ?40 million investment to upgrade the loop line. The other stations were Liverpool Central, James Street, Lime Street and Hamilton Square, which is due to open on 27 March.

Merseyrail and Network Rail will run a comprehensive communication campaign, advising passengers how to travel throughout the phased closure of Moorfields station. An information booklet has been produced, which outlines the different travel options available to passengers during each phase of the refurbishment. The booklet will be available at all Merseyrail ticket offices and through businesses in the Moorfields area.