1977: Merseyrail Underground
By the 1970s, Merseyside had two electric train networks: the former Mersey Railway system, and the lines out of Liverpool Exchange to Southport and Ormskirk. These systems operated independently, with separate termini in Liverpool City Centre, making interchange somewhat awkward.
In response to this, the Merseyside Area Land Transport Study recommended an extensive set of upgrade works to create a new rapid transit network. As a result of the study, the now-familiar “Merseyrail” name was rolled out from 1971 onwards, unifying the region's railway services under a single brand.
Throughout the 1970s, new tunnels were dug beneath Liverpool City Centre: the “loop” extended the Mersey Railway tunnel in a circular route linking James Street, Moorfields, Lime Street and Central. The “link” was a new north-south route, connecting the Southport and Ormskirk lines to a new station at Moorfields and onwards to Central and then to Garston in the south of the city.
Opened in stages throughout 1977 and 1978, the new system transformed rail travel on Merseyside, with a dramatic increase in passenger numbers.
The culmination of the project was the introduction of the Class 507 trains in Autumn 1978, replacing the life-expired class 502 trains. The late Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the network on 25th October 1978, travelling on a brand new class 507 train to the newly electrified terminus at Kirkby.
