View source for Edge Hill railway station

{{Short description|Station serving the district of Edge Hill in Liverpool, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2017}}
{{redirect|Edge Hill station|the station in Pennsylvania|North Hills station}}
{{for|the 1830 station|Edge Hill railway station (1830)}}
{{Infobox station
| name                = Edge Hill
| symbol_location     = gb
| symbol              = rail
| image               = The London train passing through Edge Hill Station - geograph.org.uk - 1527481.jpg
| borough             = [[Edge Hill, Liverpool|Edge Hill]], [[Liverpool]]
| country             = England
| grid_name           = [[Ordnance Survey National Grid|Grid reference]]
| grid_position       = {{gbmapscaled|SJ371899|25|SJ371899}}
| manager             = [[Northern Trains]]
| platforms           = 4
| code                = EDG
| zone                = C1
| classification      = [[United Kingdom railway station categories|DfT category]] E
| transit_authority   = [[Merseytravel]]
| years               = 1836
| events              = Opened
| mpassengers =
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2019/20 |passengers={{increase}} 0.162 million |interchange={{pad|1em}}{{decrease}} 9,313}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2020/21 |passengers={{decrease}} 80,692 |interchange={{pad|1em}}{{decrease}} 3,038}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2021/22 |passengers={{increase}} 0.162 million |interchange={{pad|1em}}{{increase}} 6,299}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2022/23 |passengers={{increase}} 0.176 million |interchange={{pad|1em}}{{decrease}} 5,970}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2023/24 |passengers={{increase}} 0.180 million |interchange={{pad|1em}}{{increase}} 6,089}}
| footnotes           = Passenger statistics from the [[Office of Rail and Road]]
}}

'''Edge Hill railway station''' is a [[Train station|railway station]] that serves the district of [[Edge Hill, Liverpool]], England and is one of the oldest railway stations in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Edge Hill Archive {{!}} Edge Hill Station |url=http://www.edgehillstation.co.uk/ |access-date=2022-03-05 |website=www.edgehillstation.co.uk}}</ref>

There have been two stations of that name. The first stood a short distance south-west of the present station and its remains are still visible, although the site is not open to the public.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About {{!}} Edge Hill Station |url=http://www.edgehillstation.co.uk/about/ |access-date=2022-03-05 |website=www.edgehillstation.co.uk}}</ref>

Edge Hill is the first station after departure from {{stnlink|Liverpool Lime Street}}. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by [[Northern Trains]]. Other services by [[Avanti West Coast]], [[East Midlands Railway]], [[TransPennine Express]] and [[West Midlands Trains]] pass through the station, although they are [[Express train|non-stop]].

== Early history ==
{{see|Edge Hill railway station (1830)}}
The first station opened on 15 September 1830 as part of the [[Liverpool and Manchester Railway]].<ref name="MR201012">{{cite news |title= Promoting Edge Hill |work=Modern Railways |location =London |issue=747 |date=December 2010 |page=35}}</ref> It was located in a {{convert|22|yd|m|abbr=on}} wide by {{convert|68|yd|m|abbr=on}} long, {{convert|40|ft|m|abbr=on}} deep sandstone cutting, with three tunnels at the west end.<ref name="Thomas 1980 108">{{harvnb|Thomas|1980|p=108}}</ref>

==The new station==
{{L&NWR Lines in Liverpool (1846)}}
As early as May 1831 the directors had concluded that Crown Street station was too far removed from the centre of Liverpool so they commissioned a survey to be made with a view to finding a way of bringing the railway into the town.<ref name="Thomas 1980 116">{{harvnb|Thomas|1980|p=116}}</ref> [[George Stephenson]] produced a plan in June 1831 to provide a line, mainly in a tunnel, from Edge Hill to the cattle market at Haymarket. Liverpool Common Council approved the scheme subject to it being restricted to passengers only and plans were drawn up in October 1831 for submission to Parliament. The Bill received Royal Assent on 23 May 1832, tenders were let and work started in 1833.<ref name="Thomas 1980 116"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Local and Personal Act, 2 & 3 William IV, c. xlvi: An Act for enabling the Liverpool and Manchester Railway Company to make a Branch Railway, and for amending and enlarging the Powers and Provisions of the several Acts relating to such Railway.|url=https://www.portcullis.parliament.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=HL%2fPO%2fPB%2f1%2f1832%2f2%263W4n93&pos=1|website=Portcullis Parliamentary Archives catalogue|publisher=UK parliament|date=1832|access-date=4 February 2019}}{{Dead link|date=February 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Parliament had forbidden locomotives to run through tunnels and the railway had therefore to build stationary engines at the top of the incline up from Lime Street.<ref name="Ferneyhough 1980 37">{{harvnb|Ferneyhough|1980|p=37}}</ref> The decision to extend the railway to [[Liverpool Lime Street railway station|Lime Street station]] required the construction of a new station at Edge Hill, situated to the north of the old station so that it was on the new line at the tunnel portal. Plans were approved in December 1834, and a contract for the construction of the new station and engine houses was let in March 1835. The new station was about {{convert|500|ft|m|abbr=on}} by {{convert|100|ft|m|abbr=on}} in area with stone platforms with all the station buildings set back from the platform edges.<ref>{{harvnb|Thomas|1980|p=111}}</ref>

Trains descended to Lime Street by gravity under the control of two brakesmen riding in an open brake waggon,<ref>{{harvnb|Ferneyhough|1980|p=103}}</ref>  being rope-hauled by a winding engine back up to Edge Hill. This system, constructed by [[Mather, Dixon and Company]] under the direction of [[John Grantham]], ended in 1870.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hummedia.manchester.ac.uk/institutes/marc/research/projects/past-projects/LiverpoolReportv2.pdf|title=Liverpool's Lost Railway Heritage|first1=Angela|last1=Connelly|first2=Michael|last2=Hebbert|work=Manchester Architecture Research Centre|publisher=University of Manchester|page=18|date=March 2011|access-date=16 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216211824/http://hummedia.manchester.ac.uk/institutes/marc/research/projects/past-projects/LiverpoolReportv2.pdf|archive-date=16 February 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Whishaw|1842|p=193}}</ref>

The new Edge Hill station was opened in 1836 and has been in continuous use ever since.<ref name="MR201012"/><ref>{{harvnb|Butt|1995|p=89}}</ref>

Sidings to the north of the station (sometimes called Exhibition Road after the adjacent thoroughfare leading to the exhibition hall) served as a terminus for excursionists visiting the 1886 "[[International Exhibition of Navigation, Commerce and Industry (1886)|Shipperies]]" and 1887 [[Royal Jubilee Exhibition, Liverpool|Royal Jubilee]] Exhibitions.

The venue on Edge Lane had its own sidings to the south, including access to the building itself, for delivery of exhibits and removal of materials when the site closed.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hardie|first1=Carol|title=The Shipperies|url=http://www.victoriansociety.org.uk/regions/LI-Liverpool_newsletter_Jul_2011.pdf|website=Victorian Society|access-date=22 August 2017|archive-date=2 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151202183206/http://www.victoriansociety.org.uk/regions/LI-Liverpool_newsletter_Jul_2011.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Layout ==
Facing west there are two tunnels visible from the platforms. The northernmost tunnel is the [[Waterloo Tunnel]], and the southern tunnel leads to {{stnlink|Liverpool Lime Street}}. The station consists of two island platforms, each with an original building dating from 1836. This makes it one of the world's oldest passenger railway station still in use,<ref name="MR201012" /> although the former [[Liverpool Road railway station (Manchester)|Liverpool Road station]] in [[Manchester]] is the oldest surviving station building. Art exhibitions are held on the approach road to the Southern island platform. An arts centre called Metal now occupies part of the building on the Manchester-bound platform.

Around 400 yards<ref group="nb">Seen on signs at LE junction.</ref> from the station in the Manchester direction is a key junction, where the Merseytravel City lines separate into two: one goes towards {{rws|Mossley Hill}} (serving the southern Liverpool-Manchester line and the West Coast Main Line) and the other towards {{rws|Wavertree Technology Park}} (serving the Wigan and Manchester Victoria lines). The [[Canada Dock Branch]] line runs through the station towards Bootle Oriel Road.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/c/canada_dock_goods/|title=Goods Station Name: Canada Dock|work=Disused Stations|access-date=17 February 2017}}</ref> There is also a carriage servicing depot just to the east of the junction on the line towards Mossley Hill which is used by [[Alstom]] to maintain train operator Virgin West Coast's [[Pendolino]] fleet.<ref>[http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/liverpool-rail-depot-expands-to-meet-demand "Liverpool Rail Depot Expands to Meet Demand"] Network Rail Media Centre press release 7 October 2008; Retrieved 11 January 2017</ref>

The station buildings are Grade II listed.<ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num= 1063311|desc= South side of Edge Hill station|access-date= 4 February 2019|mode=cs2}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England|num= 1218196|desc= North side of Edge Hill station|access-date= 4 February 2019|mode=cs2}}</ref> [[Network Rail]] applied for planning permission in November 2016 to update the ticket desk and counter to make it more accessible to passengers with disabilities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/edge-hill-station-could-new-12171804 |title=Edge Hill station could get a new look |date=14 November 2016 |access-date=16 November 2016}}</ref>

The ticket office (on the northern island platform) is staffed throughout the day (05:30–00:10, Monday–Saturday). Whilst electronic ticket machines are present, in January 2021 customer information screens were installed and commissioned providing customers with train running information for all four platforms (which are linked by a subway). The buildings on platforms 3 and 4 are no longer in use by the railway, but are used by Metal Culture for Art studios. Step-free access is available to platforms 1 and 2 only, as the subway to the other platforms has stairs.<ref>[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/EDG/details.html Edge Hill station facilities] National Rail Enquiries; Retrieved 11 January 2017</ref>

== Services ==
Edge Hill lies on both routes of the [[Liverpool to Manchester Line]] from Liverpool Lime Street. On Mondays to Saturdays, there is an hourly service on the northern branch to {{rws|Manchester Airport}} via {{rws|Manchester Piccadilly}} and an hourly service on the southern branch to [[Manchester Oxford Road railway station|Manchester Oxford Road]] via [[Warrington Central railway station|Warrington Central]], and a half-hourly service to [[Wigan North Western railway station|Wigan North Western]] via [[St Helens Central railway station|St Helens Central]], with 4 trains per hour westbound to {{rws|Liverpool Lime Street}}.<ref>{{NRtimes|December 2022|84, 85 & 86}}</ref> There is no Sunday service.
{{s-rail-start}}
{{s-rail|title=National Rail}}
{{s-rail-national|toc=Northern Trains|route=[[Liverpool–Wigan line]]|previous=Liverpool Lime Street|next=Wavertree Technology Park|rows1=3|rows2=2}}
{{s-rail-national|toc=Northern Trains|route={{rws|Liverpool Lime Street}} to {{rws|Manchester Airport}} via [[Liverpool–Manchester lines#Northern route (Chat Moss|Chat Moss]]|hide1=yes|hide2=yes}}
{{s-rail-national|toc=Northern Trains|route={{rws|Liverpool Lime Street}} to {{rws|Manchester Oxford Road}} via {{rws|Warrington Central}}|hide1=yes|next=Mossley Hill}}
{{Historical Rail Insert}}
{{rail line|next={{rws|Wavertree}}<br /><small>Line open, station closed</small>|previous={{rws|Liverpool Lime Street}}<br /><small>Line and station open</small>|route=[[London and North Western Railway]]<br/><small>[[St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway]]</small>|col={{LNWR colour}} }}
{{s-end}}

== Gallery ==
<gallery class="center">
File:Station buildings, Edge Hill railway station (geograph 3795772).jpg|The station buildings.
File:Edge Hill Station Entrance.jpg|The station entrance.
File:Edge Hill railway yard 2051042 f8951fcc.jpg|Edge Hill goods yards in 1959.
File:Edge Hill Plaque.jpg|The 1979 station restoration plaque.
</gallery>

== Points of interest ==
In 2009, arts organisation Metal completed a major renovation of the Engine House, Boiler Room and Accumulator Tower at Edge Hill Station, after successfully raising capital funding from Kensington Regeneration, Merseytravel, [[Northern Rail]], Railway Heritage Trust and Network Rail. This included works by Al and Al, entitled XXX: Get Off At Edge Hill.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metalculture.com/archive/al-and-al.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206234155/http://www.metalculture.com/archive/al-and-al.html |archive-date=6 February 2010 |title=Al and Al {{!}} Archive}}</ref>

== Accidents and incidents ==

* 8 March 1906, shunt horse driver John Short, was injured after wagons being pulled by horses detached, catching him between the horses and the wagons.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Esbester |first=Mike |date=2022-09-05 |title=Listed accidents |url=https://www.railwayaccidents.port.ac.uk/listed-accidents/ |access-date=2024-04-23 |website=Railway Work, Life & Death |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=nb}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

===Sources===
*{{citation|last=Bury|first=Thomas Talbot|title=Coloured Views on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway: With Plates of the Coaches, Machines, Etc. ... with Descriptive Particulars, Serving as a Guide to Travellers on the Railway|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wFXBhjUGJTkC|year=1831|publisher=Ackerman|location=London}}
*{{Butt-Stations}}
*{{Ferneyhough-LMR}}
*{{citation|last=Freeling|first=Arthur|title=The Grand Junction Railway companion, etc. Freeling's Grand Junction Railway companion to Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham and Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham guide, etc|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_qVfAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA1|year=1838|publisher=Whittaker & Company; Liverpool: Henry Lacey}}
*{{citation|last=Thomas|first=R. H. G.|title=The Liverpool & Manchester Railway |year=1980 |publisher=Batsford |location=London |isbn=0-7134-0537-6}}
*{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/railwaysgreatbr00whisgoog|title=The Railways of Great Britain and Ireland Practically Described and Illustrated|first=Francis|last=Whishaw|edition=2nd|location=London|publisher=John Weale|year=1842|oclc=833076248}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite magazine|title=Fourteen tunnels to Lime Street|first=John C.|last=Hughes|magazine=Back Track|volume=4|issue=4|date=July 1990|publisher=Pendragon Publishing|issn=0955-5382}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Edge Hill railway station}}
{{stn art lnk|EDG|L76ND}}
*[http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/l/liverpool_edge_hill_cutting/ Subterranea Britannica]
*{{NHLE |num=1476078}}

{{coord|53|24|09|N|2|56|47|W|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=title}}
{{Merseyside railway stations}}
{{Merseytravel City Line}}

[[Category:Edge Hill, Liverpool]]
[[Category:Grade II* listed buildings in Liverpool]]
[[Category:Grade II* listed railway stations]]
[[Category:Scheduled monuments in Merseyside]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Liverpool]]
[[Category:DfT Category E stations]]
[[Category:Former London and North Western Railway stations]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1836]]
[[Category:Railway stations served by Northern]]