Robert Hampton

Merseyrail 1977

In 2006 I found an eBay seller offering an original route diagram for the Merseyrail network, dating from 1977 when the Loop and Link opened. I have scanned it in and reproduce it for your viewing pleasure below. It is a trifolded card map and is in good condition for its age, although there are a few marks here and there.

The Liverpool Central to Garston line, shown as a future extension on this map, opened in January 1978. It would be a further 5 years before the line was extended to the present terminus at Hunts Cross.

Rice Lane is shown under its old name, Preston Road. Similarly, St Helens Central still carries the name Shaw Street. The map also shows the now closed stations at Ditton and Upton-by-Chester (the latter being replaced by Bache in January 1984).

Note that the Wrexham line services terminate at Birkenhead North rather than Bidston as they do today, and that passengers travelling to Chester will have to change to a DMU service at Rock Ferry.

On the back is a map of Liverpool city centre showing the main stations and explaining how the Loop and Link interconnect with main line services at Lime Street, for passengers unfamiliar with the new system.

Click on the thumbnails below to open the full size pictures.

[Side 1 thumbnail] Side 1 showing map and list of stations
[Side 2 thumbnail] Side 2 showing Liverpool City Centre and useful telephone numbers