You are only human and it was an error nothing intended. You do a great job and we appreciate all your time and effort you put into these videos

In 1964 the Southport to Crossens, *electric* line on the edge of the north of Southport was cut, and dug up _immediately_ before the new Labour gvmt was in power a few months later. Labour were talking of reversing much of Beeching. Talk about spite. When a line was decommissioned it would take years to start any demolition. Infrastructure of old lines is still in place all over the UK. Trains from Liverpool would terminate at Crossens, also serving a number stations between Southport and Crossens. There was also a shuttle between Southport and Crossens during the day, giving Southport its own little metro of five stations in all. It was well used. Much of the track bed is still there but new track on fields to the east of Southport would need to be laid to reuse the line. It could be terminated at Banks to the north of Crossens on the the Southport-Preston trackbed. Cost would be less of course using battery trains, precluding line electrification. Car ownership may be too high to justify the expense these days. Or that it is just not in London. London has just opened its newest station at Brent Cross West a few days ago, It serves sweet nothing except a small retail park full of car parking. It will be the least used rail station in the country..

Merseyrail is operated under a concession, not franchise, similarly to TfL and their London Overground operations. It was removed from the franchise network under the Merseyrail Electrics Network Order of 2002, effective from July 20th, 2003. That's why the 777s were built to Merseytravel specifications snd not Serco/Transport UK (formerly Abellio). It's also why Merseytravel purchased their 777 units and didn't not lease them. No matter who has the concession to operate Merseyrail services, it remains under the control of Merseytravel. The rolling stock, their branding and livey remains the same.

Yes, London is the capital, where the decision-makers hang out. It's not fair! Many thanks for your positive feedback. I enjoyed making this video. I'd been planning to present the monorail montage for 18 years and finally did it in this video!

Very true the word Northern Powerhouse is meaningless

@@AidanEyewitness I remember when the news of the vast overspend on the London Crossrail scheme was guarantee to be fully funded was announced also announced the same week were that the charges for public toilets at several major northern railway stations (including Lime St.) were to be abolished. Can't say fairer than that. Sadly if the Liverpool Overhead Railway had survived beyond 1956 it would have closed in the late 1960s. With the transition to the use of containers, all the dockers were redundant, the railway depots closed as railway waggons were phased out. The railway would have had no trade. There's no business case to recreate anything on the route of the LOR as the Merseyrail line to Southport runs within 500 yds duplicating the LOR route. It also extends a considerable distance either end of the LOR route.

Yes, monorails have some definite disadvantages. It was just an idea I wanted to put out and I wanted to do the visualisations of the monorail in Japan transposed to Liverpool. I waited 18 years to do it. A DLR-sype railway would be fantastic - also driverless? - and closer to the original LOR.

Thanks for the extra info to supplement mine in the video. Watching the people go by in Liverpool Central, in the out-of-focus section of the video, with a hand held clicker, you’d soon clock up thousands!

Yes, I think I remember getting off there one time. It is part of the original tunnel that led to Central Station, prior to the construction of the loop in the 70s. So it's mostly disused but sometimes used! I love the old adverts, it's like a time capsule.

Thanks, I must take a look at that, very interesting.

Yes Merseyrail trains operate every 15 minutes at busier times, the DART less often! Glad you liked Liverpool, partner city of Dublin.

Many thanks, I put a lot of time and effort into the videos so I'm very glad of the positive feedback. I'm glad someone else likes the idea.

The idea has met with a lot of scepticism from other commenters, but if it works in Seattle, why not in Liverpool? I once travelled on the Seattle monorail, it was great!

Many thanks, from you, that’s a great compliment! I would be very interested in seeing a video about the underground plans i would like to present my monorail idea to the decision-makers. We’ll see. Very best wishes and I look forward to your next video.

@@AidanEyewitness I hope to start that followup soon. It's not been easy to source details for what was planned. But hopefully I will have enough to get started

@@MerseywailGreat, look forward to it! :)

Well you are in the lucky position of having experienced Woodside Station. That train journey to Paddington is something I'd love to have experienced. I always feel sad when I go to the Liverpool Museum to revisit the restored LOR carriage. It would be great to feature more archive video material but it s not simple to get the usage rights. I mostly use photos from Wikipedia. Many thanks for your feedback!

Yes, an elevated light railway would be good too. Hopefully it won't be necessary to wait until the 100th anniversary of the abandonment of the Liverpool Overhead Railway for a new light railway to be built!

You should definitely visit the Museum and take a look at the restored Liverpool Overhead Railway car. In the past you could sit inside it, shame it's not open now, typical. The new trains are great - apart from the hump in the floor over the wheels.

Many thanks!

I agree but I'm not sure that it will happen! :(

Very glad to receive your positive feedback, glad you were able to see the new video! Like me you are always busy! Many thanks!

I don’t think it was an eyesore any more than the Loop in Chicago. But containerisation didn’t come in until the 1970s. The LOR was closed on 30.12.1955. However you’re right, a monorail would not be practical. I’ve not heard of any plans to build a station where you suggest. Have you?

@@AidanEyewitness The 'L' in Chicago is my usual example of an eyesore as to why the Overhead was not what it was cracked up to be. It actually constrains development as well. We differ as to aesthetic tastes, but I have practicalities on my side. There can be no justifiable case for a short transit rail/ monorail system along the Dock Road to Bramley-Moore. I suggest you look at the article I pasted a link to. The fact is that the South Docks were closing even before the Seaforth opened being eclipsed by the 'Bootle' docks, Canada etc. Yes, that suggestion is being made by Everton FC. The only issue is that it would only be for match days.

The Overhead was decommissioned in 1956 when the docks were fully used under the posts war boom. The South End Docks ceased operation fully in 1975.

Many thanks, I think Merseyrail and the Scouse accent are great!

Oh yes, it was a fantastic experience to go on the LOR, though I never experienced it myself! There are old films of the LOR in the Museum of Liverpool. They do a great job of recreating the experience.

My monorail idea isn't very practical but when I saw it and travelled on it in Japan I immediately thought 'what would it be like in Liverpool?' Some very good suggestions there. There are plenty of ways the Merseyrail network could be improved. Many thanks for your comment.

Thanks very much, I am very engaged with the subject matter and have a lot tos ay, so glad you found it interesting.

Many thanks - apart from the mistake! Merseyrail was actually privatised, though it was never branded as a private company.

The monorail idea could go very badly indeed if it isn’t financed planned and executed properly. Liverpool‘s proposed tram, never went ahead, but maybe my monorail idea will!

There would be very little to see off a monorail nowadays, all the shipping is at the north end of the docks, a long way from the Pier Head.@@AidanEyewitness

The 777's have rubbish seats - take a cushion!

I found them okay. I’ll take another look :)

Yes you were over- optimistic. In a recent video, I pointed out the site of the proposed HS2 station and I remarked “if it ever gets built!” It was ‘on the cards’ it will be a while before the new 777 class trains are on operation on the Northern Line, but I’m sure it will happen.

Plenty of new trains on the Northern line - classes 195, 331, 802 and 197

Every 15 minutes is pretty good, more frequent than many suburban services in Manchester, many hourly. Lime St station façade looks great at night, floodlit since the renovation a few years ago.

Anything more frequent than 4 trains an hour could not be handled by the tunnels under the city centre

@@updistant705 the Northern Line and Wirral Line tunnels currently each handle 12 trains an hour!

Many thanks for that observation!

I'm going to flag that work up on my next video on the Metrolink trams, they go past it!

Yes, that is a good point. That would be similar to the Metrolink system in Manchester. It's a shame that the proposed tram for Liverpool never went ahead. Liverpool needs to try to develop a new system that would incorporate part of the route of the Docker's Umbrella, as you suggest.

I know what you mean, I just like to throw out ideas. I don’t have to fund, build, operate and maintain it. I wanted to use my Japan monorail photos. However Merseyside already had its chance for a tram system but it came to nothing. But that’s another story! Many thanks for your comment! :)

I know what you mean, I just like to throw out ideas. I don’t have to fund, build, operate and maintain it. I wanted to use my Japan monorail photos. However Merseyside already had its chance for a tram system but it came to nothing. But that’s another story! Many thanks for your comment! :)

You do realise just how wide the River Mersey is between Liverpool and the Wirral penninsula don't you? It's much wider than the Thames through London.

Ita over a mile wide at this point , and across an incredibly busy shipping lane . Passengers and cycles are catered for with a frequent ferry service .

Yes, that's right, though I don't think it's quite a mile at the narrowest point. I've seen plans for bridges over the Mersey, but they never materialised. It's too wide. There is an existing railway line and ferry.

@@Mitch-Hendren Is it really frequent?

@@DaveJNoel depends if there's one ferry or two on. If its two they just run constantly dock unload set sail again . If there is only one they do what's called a triangular service which uses one boat to serve both wirral Landing stages.

Oh dear, I didn’t realise it was that many in London. I’ve always felt nervous looking down at the two electrified rails on the London underground. On the Elizabeth line, the platform is closed off from the rails with sliding doors allowing access of the trains. Once on the way into Manchester, all the trains coming into Piccadilly were halted by one silly youth climbing over the fence in Longsight. That is an advantage of monorails that I had not thought of. Many thanks!

Yes, I heard someone talking about the seats. When I sat on them I didn't notice anything untoward. I'll take a look again next time I'm riding on the new trains.

@@AidanEyewitness I never noticed anything wrong with them either. Vocal minority at it again probably.

@@Dooguk It is not a vocal minority , it is unfortunately a common complaint as has been reported by the majority . The seats are too hard and too narrow which means if someone of average build is sitting on the window seat , less than two-thirds of the inner seat is available . There are plenty of phots showing this .

@@johngaskell1467 We won't even get started on what is "average build" these days shall we? 😉

A common complaint about all new trains, even long distance inter city ones.

😀

Well they are definitely planning to expand further beyond the electrified lines, made possible by the battery powered trains, though they'll have to build a new line and station to Skelmersdale!

Very interesting. It's a shame Liverpool lost two main line stations but so did Manchester. Many thanks for the information.

@@AidanEyewitness Exchange was put underground at Moorfields with three through platforms. Central was already underground. Lime St had an added underground station. Riverside terminal was demolished as the liner trade disappeared. Woodside was removed as the new metro gave all the Wirral direct Lime St access - the Wirral loop was specifically for that. They seemed to think people in the north and south of Liverpool would go to Lime St having them change at Moorfields. Most walk from Central. Having terminal stations in inland cities like Manchester is madness. Berlin got rid of them for through stations which need fewer platforms.

Yes you are right, I made a factual error, Merseyrail entered a franchise scheme though the aspiration is for the Liverpool City Region to take back ownership at the end of the franchise period. Steve Rotherham said of the new trains “They belong to us” Thanks for pointing that out. I need to research more carefully next time. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merseyrail

Merseyrail was removed from the franchise system in July 2003, under the Merseyrail Electrics Network Order of 2002. www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/1946/contents/made

Hmmm, I don't think it's complicated in comparison to the London rail network or the one in Tokyo which looks like a jumble of multicoloured spaghetti. Despite this, it is very easy to find your way around and not too expensive. At least Merseyrail has a high operating efficiency. I always enjoy using it.

The trouble with a monorail similar to the one in Tama is that it goes rather slow. A high speed option might be better, maybe a maglev line, like in China? Oh no, I don’t think we would be able to afford that! :)

The trouble with a monorail is that it would not be part of a system or network. It is incredibly difficult to even buid a point in a monorail track. One of the main reasons they have never been a success.

@@updistant705 They were going to build one from Middleton to Wythenshawe via Central Manchester in the 60s, I believe? We need to stop allowing governments to do everything in the North, on the cheap. We unfortunately live in a country with politicians with no ambition. HS2 tells you all you need to know about this country. Run by NIMBYs and not by visionaries.

@@AidanEyewitness Maglev in the North of England? We are not even worthy of trains which actually function let alone state of the art technology. HS2 is symbolic of how this country is run for the people within the M25 and everybody else can struggle. Transport investment in this country is prejudicial. I can’t think of another word. In 2023 that clown Grant Shapps actually thought it was acceptable for a 28 mile journey between Manchester and Sheffield to take over an hour. It is beyond an explanation.

The shortest route is actually 42 miles. @@paulwild3676

Well my monorail idea was just an idle whim and an excuse for me to do the montage in Photoshop. Butbuilding a 'Liverpool Overhead Railway' Mark 2... I like that idea very much! We need more 'pie in the sky' thinking!

If your doing Mcr, though not Metrolink, maybe you could feature Oxford Road, a mini Sydney Opera House [from above]. Oxford Road itself used to be a main tram trunk route even for double decker trams. It is now termed the Corridor, and is where Mcr's main hospitals universities, Royal Northern College of Music, Whitworth Art Gallery etc are and is I believe responsible for a fifth of Mcr's GVA. Busiest bus route in Europe. The elephant in the room is why is Metrolink banned from Oxford Road? It would make eminent sense to have a direct connection into the Metrolink system and be a gold mine. Easy to construct. Re-connect from St Peter's Square. Oxford Road, like Kingsway and Princess Parkway were arteries before the orginal network was discontinued. Do you remember High Street, Market Street and Mosley Street stations? The traditional "bus-stop" style, one direction, that took little room up? When the second cross-city line was built from St. Peter's Square to Victoria it seemed a little odd to have a station planned at Exchange Square which is yards from Victoria. A long way from St. Peter's Square. By any calculation a more equidistant stop at St. Ann's Square or King Street would have looked beneficial. The reason, the official reason, is that "bus-stop" stops are now unfavourable. That's it, in a nutshell, Unfavourable. Metrolink prefers "island" format. Cross platform access, bi-directional traffic, like Piccadilly Gardens. The downside is space. Cross Street wasn't wide enough for a "island" so the passenger has to sit on the tram until it gets to Exchange Square were it is wider. The Elected Mayoral Office state the reason Oxford Road is not part of Metrolink's plans is that it is no longer wide enough, it must have shrunk. They say it cannot accomodate "Islands" - anywhere. This beggars belief in the light of it's history. It's just not wide enough! No thought of reverting back to "bus-stop" format. Transport planning is not just a bete-noir of the government seems it's a bete-noir of the Elected Mayoral Office who seem to want people to bus Oxford Road.

Thanks as ever, I think because many buses use Oxford Road, the 'island' Metrolink stops would take up too much space. Maybe they should have simply lowered the platforms on the Altrincham and Bury lines in the first place, then no raised platforms would be needed. Thanks for all the tips and info, fascinating reading.

Fair point, though the Overhead Railway passed directly in front of the architecture. An elevated light rail line might appear there in the future.

Thanks for this clarification and sorry about the factual mix up, I should have been more careful. If it’s okay I will post your comment in the description. Many thanks.

It's a 25 year franchise which, I understand, is due for renewal in 2024 or 2025.

@@williamwatson228 Liverpool city region is hoping to be awarded the next franchise. It is looking likely that it will be awarded to the combined authority.

It's a concession, not a franchise. Similar to how TfL operates London Overground. That's why it's Merseytravel specifying and purchasing the 777s, and not Serco/Transport UK. Unlike a franchise, where say First Group for example, speciy their rolling stock and lease them through a ROSCO. Merseyrail was removed from the franchise framework in 2003. Look up the Merseyrail Electrics Network Order of 2002

Looking at the map, the channel between Gosport and Portsmouth is about 500m but it’s more like 1000m across the Mersey and there is already a rail tunnel (since 1886). Bridges have been planned but never went ahead. There are ocean-going ships going back and forth and the Mersey is not shallow. Still, there’s no harm in dreaming and it’s an exciting idea.

You don't need a monorail, there are 14 trains an hour eacch way plus plenty of buses under the river.

There is a lower deck on the 1st Mersey road tunnel, dedicated for trams. It was never used. It can still be used, even for 777s, but will need work at the tunnel portals. Each end of the tunnel has two entrances so easy to spread out side of the river. One portal emerges at Wirral Waters. It is well worth getting the lower deck operational.

At least they rebranded to the Liverpool City Region. There were plans to expand Liverpool Airport but councillors voted against it, a decision I disagree with. the Liverpool City Region is still a big urban area with a big influence and great potential. I hope to interview Steve Rotherham at some point.

I think it's a pity that both Liverpool and Manchester were removed from their historic county and identity [ Lancashire]. Can you imagine Yorkshire folk puttng up with Leeds and Sheffield being taken out of that great county? But i do agree that Greater Liverpool or Liverpool City Region is a better name than Merseyside. Places like Southport and St. Helens are not really on Merseyside, but Liverpool is their local city.

Redcliffe-Maud cut Merseyside by around a third from its original envisaged size making it smaller than Gtr Manchester. The resulting Merseyside does not even cover all of the banks of the Mersey estuary. They also insisted _Liverpool_ not to be used in the name. Managed decline by stealth.

@@johnburns4017 This is what upsets me they are always Belittling Liverpool but it's actually still a bigger city than Manchester if you just include the city of manchester itself not including "Greater Manchester" and just Liverpool the city itself Liverpool is bigger in size and Population but that is denied and played down whereas they are Promoting Manchester at every opportunity

@@garyrigby21 Manchester rightly promotes itself - overdoing at times that when people go there they are underwhelmed. Liverpool does nowhere near the job they do for itself, allowing word of mouth. Cruise ships full of foreign tourists speak highly of the city. Yes Liverpool within its borders is bigger than Manchester city on size and population. Liverpool's footprint is even bigger than Paris. While the UKs population has risen over the past 40 years Liverpool's city population has not. The outers have though. This can be attributed to Merseyrail giving ease of access to the Wirral and the outers. Incidentally North Wirral is bigger than Newcastle. The Georgian Quarter was most likely the richest part if the UK at one time, but after WW2 the large houses ended up as multiple occupation. The fast electric lines to the Wirral meat the rich moved from the smoky inner district to the likes of the clear air and rural Wirral & north and south Liverpool causing its decline. Rapid transit acting in the reverse of its intention. Liverpool needs to increase density in the central core. What will attract that is getting the metro fully serving the inner cities, as a means of getting around and workers into the centre (commuter rail). New, or reused, underground stations will attract investment and commerce. HMG looks at the issue 180 degrees around. They want to see investment before they spend. Except when looking at London...and Manchester to a lesser degree. Liverpool has to justify every penny of HMG infrastructure spending or they get none. Transport infrastructure projects are assessed on a DfT _"good value for money"_ calculation. Value for money category - Benefit to Cost Ratio - Prospects For the Projects *1)* Value for money *Poor* - Benefit to Cost Ratio less than 1 - Prospects For the Projects, None; *2)* Value for money *Low* - Benefit to Cost Ratio 1.5 - Prospects For the Projects, None; *3)* Value for money *Medium* - Benefit to Cost Ratio between 1.5 - 2 - Prospects For the Projects, Some but by no means at all; *4)* Value for money *High* - Benefit to Cost Ratio over 2 - Prospects For the Projects, most if not all; Even a *1 to 1.5* would be considered for London When the value for money calculations were introduced in 2004, the SLA's head Richard Bowker stated that all outside the M25 will get little. Boy he was right.

I'm tempted to say 'there isn't a home industry to support' but that's not true. The non-UK-owned companies have operations in the UK that are quite successful. I think it must be similar to the car industry. Many thanks!

St.Helens has fast electric trains direct to Liverool. St.Helens is in the socio-economic sphere of Liverpool. You may not think it but it is. The aim is to have the new 777 Merseyrail trains run to Wigan via St.Helens. Hopefully from Central via the reused Wapping tunnel. A new station at Car Mill is proposed.

@@johnburns4017 You don't have a clue what you're talking about. I've tried to get work for 8:45am from St Helens Jnc. Working and commuting into Liverpool is 100% harder than using the Wirral or Northern line.

@@rumourhats There is a timetable it tells you everything. The time it leaves, the time it arrives, the lot. You must be late a lot. The service would be better once Merseyrail get hold of it.

If you think one train per hour is acceptable, then you must be unemployed. To get in work at 8:45am, I'd need to catch the 7:24am train and get there at 7:52 am. As the next train at 8:24am would be too late. Thanks for your understanding as to why the UK suffers from low productivity.

@@rumourhats One per hour is not acceptable at all. Rotheram wants all the Liverpool, City Region at 15 min frequencies on Merseyrail trains. The current service is run by Northern. But you know the times.

Ah yes, that's right, there are patterns in the exterior livery. But on the Berlin rail network, they have engraved illustrations of Berlin landmarks into the glass in order to deter those 'scratch the glass' graffiti vandals. It seems to work.

@@AidanEyewitness Interesting, sounds like a good idea, so long as it doesn't overly obscure the windows. I'll be honest, I have a high tolerance for (artistic) graffiti; but moreso on shabby dilapidated buildings and rolling stock, rather than where they are new or well maintained, on the basis that, like money, more makes more! I will say this though, at the risk of irritating many - I wasn't entirely joking with that part of my comment. There's something about those 'abstract design' decals/paint jobs, or worse, end to end exterior advertising (notwithstanding the need for networks to supplement the income they get from fares) that they put on trains to deter graffiti that just rubs my "Corporate l8o[[ox~ology" sensors the wrong way! I realise transit companies can't really overlook, let alone condone graffiti, but personally I'd sooner the teenagers' efforts than that of some commercial design team! That said, I think 'Scratchitti' on windows, or the use of those dribbling corrosive substances on metal or finished surfaces for 'tagging' purposes is basically unredeemed vandalism. As far as the monorail goes, you actually make a good case for one - too good, almost; on that basis, though I hate to say it, I can't see it catching on with the city fathers (or, indeed, mothers)! Certainly not in the bean counting dept, anyway. Like you, I think it's a very said thing that they tore down the Liverpool 'El' (another feature of that city that I should think contributed to its sometimes having an almost American feel about the place). I believe they assessed the line as being corroded almost to the point of being dangerous, but also to the point of it being beyond financially feasible repair, especially in those lean years. With the decline of the docks, they were probably had a case but still (sigh...) But who knows -- stick a monorail in there, who knows what good things might happen! Just lastly, by the by, you did a video about my hometown of Cork, a year or two back, where you asked me if you might use a 'bon mot' of mine (I thank yeww...) in the comments on a video you were preparing about Dublin. Unfortunately, I was a bit tardy in getting back to you with my assent! You made an editorial decision and went ahead and put it in. _As such, you can be expecting to hear from my copyright lawyers_ 😜 -- I'm joking mate, I'm joking! (as you will, of course, know!) Far too much of that kind of thing going around these days, as despicable as _real_ plagiarism and piracy is. Anyway, probably silly to bring it up so long after the fact: I was honoured and flattered that you used my modest little witticism, but it was more the case that it troubled me that you may have thought I left you kinda 'hanging in the wind'. Anyway, sorry for rambling on so; I always do enjoy your videos -- Rock On, Guy!

I don't think so. Unlike private construction projects, you can't separate politics from railway infrastructure plans and failures. Upcoming videos are going to be even more political.

Thanks for your comment.