Liverpool, Crosby and Southport Railway
| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railway transport |
| Founded | July 2, 1847 |
| Founder | William Blundell (chairman) |
| Defunct | June 14, 1855 |
| Fate | Absorbed by Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway |
| Headquarters | Liverpool , United Kingdom |
Area served | Liverpool, Crosby, Southport |
The Liverpool, Crosby and Southport Railway was a British railway enterprise that inaugurated a route in 1848 connecting Southport to Waterloo, with an extension reaching Liverpool by 1850. In 1855, the company was absorbed by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. This route continues to operate today.
Formation and opening
During the 1840s, Liverpool underwent significant expansion, with port activity nearly doubling between 1830 and 1840. The coastal towns north of the Mersey, such as Bootle, Crosby, and Southport, became popular destinations for wealthy residents and vacationers.
In 1846, plans were introduced for a railway linking Liverpool, Crosby, and Southport. Following detailed surveys and parliamentary procedures, the Liverpool, Crosby and Southport Railway Act 1847 (10 & 11 Vict. c. cv) received royal assent on 2 July 1847, officially establishing the company. William Blundell was appointed chairman at the inaugural directors' meeting held on 26 July 1847.
The legislation permitted the construction of a railway line extending from a junction with the Liverpool and Bury Railway to Southport.
By June 1848, the company engineer confirmed there were no significant challenges to constructing a single-track railway from Waterloo, Merseyside (located roughly north of Liverpool) to Southport. Construction commenced in March 1848 under McCormick & Holme and was finalized within three months. The track was laid quickly using light materials on a sand base.
Inspection and approval occurred on 17 July 1848, followed by an official opening on 21 July, with passenger services beginning on 24 July 1848.
Early services
At its inauguration in 1848, the railway operated three trains each way from Tuesday through Friday, four on Mondays and Saturdays, and two on Sundays. By 1849, service frequency increased to four trains each way Monday through Saturday, with two trains running on Sundays.
By February 1855, five daily services operated along the full route in both directions, supplemented by seven additional trips between Liverpool and Waterloo (including three each way on Sundays).
Stations
The original temporary terminus at Southport was located at until 22 August 1851, when the line extended approximately half a mile into the permanent station. A road bridge was constructed to carry Eastbank Street over the railway line.
The southern terminus initially stood at , then part of Lancashire; onward travel into Liverpool was provided by omnibuses operated by Mr Busby.
Stations opened concurrently with the line included (later ), , (later ), , and (later , then ). The station began operation in 1854.
On 1 October 1850, the railway extended as a double-track line from Waterloo to Liverpool, connecting with the joint line of the East Lancashire Railway and Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway at Sandhills junction. The company paid tolls to use these lines into the shared terminus at Tithebarn Street/Liverpool Exchange.
This extension originally featured one intermediate station at (later ). Shortly thereafter, additional stations opened at , , and (later , then ). The L&YR inaugurated station (later North Docks then Sandhills) on their section in 1854.
Due to heavy traffic between Liverpool and Crosby, the track from Sandhills junction to Crosby was doubled. A new Crosby station partially functioning as a suburban terminus opened on 1 June 1852; by September of that year, the remainder of the line had been doubled.
Leasing and merger
In August 1850, the Liverpool, Crosby and Southport Railway (Sale or Lease) Act 1850 (13 & 14 Vict. c. xcix) granted the LC&SR the authority to either lease or sell its railway line to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR). By October of the same year, a lease agreement was finalized, allowing the L&YR to assume control from 10 October 1850, including taking over operations along with LC&SR’s locomotives and rolling stock.
The initial lease underwent one renewal before being renegotiated in January 1854. This revision led to some locomotives being returned to LC&SR with compensation provided for their depreciation. Consequently, LC&SR resumed management in March 1854 until the L&YR completed the acquisition and full integration of the company on 14 June 1855.
Locomotives
LC&SR began with a fleet of three outside cylinder 0-4-2 locomotives manufactured by Charles Tayleur and Company in July 1848. Each unit cost £2,150 and bore the names Sefton, Formby, and Blundell.
In August 1848, two additional outside cylinder 2-2-2 engines were procured from the Norfolk Railway. These had been constructed by Robert Stephenson in 1844 and previously operated by contractor Samuel Peto. Initially named Waterloo and Southport, they were later renamed Antelope and Gazelle in 1850 following modifications.
A 2-2-2 locomotive built by Sharp Brothers, numbered 6 and called Firefly, was delivered in July 1849.
In January 1850, locomotive number 3 was sold and replaced with a Forrester-built 2-2-2 engine also named Firefly, which featured a design patented by McConachie & Claude. This new locomotive entered service shortly before L&YR commenced operations.
September 1850 saw the addition of a lightweight tank locomotive named England, purchased from George England at Hatcham Ironworks.
| Locomotive Inventory as of October 1850 (under lease) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | No | Name | Type | Manufacturer | Fate |
| 1848 | 1 | Blundell | 0-4-2 | Charles Tayleur | Transferred to L&YR as No.222 |
| 1848 | 2 | Formby | 0-4-2 | Charles Tayleur | Transferred to L&YR as No.223 |
| 1848 | 3 | Sefton | 0-4-2 | Charles Tayleur | Sold in 1850 |
| August 1848 | 4 (or 5) | Waterloo | 2-2-2 | Robert Stephenson | Transferred to L&YR as No.224 |
| August 1848 | 5 (or 4) | Southport | 2-2-2 | Robert Stephenson | Transferred to L&YR as No.225 |
| July 1849 | 6 | Firefly | 2-2-2 | Sharp Brothers | Transferred to L&YR as No.226 |
| September 1850 | - | England | 2-2-2T | George England | Transferred to L&YR as No.228 |
| October 1850 | - | Spitfire | 2-2-2 | Forrester & Co. | Transferred to L&YR as No.227 |
After the lease terms were revised in January 1854, L&YR kept three locomotives—Blundell, Formby, and Firefly—and returned four others to LC&SR; Blundell and Formby were subsequently sold by the end of that year.
Towards late 1854, LC&SR commissioned three light well-tank 2-2-2WT locomotives from William Fairbairn, which arrived in January 1855. This order was supplemented by an additional similar engine and an undelivered 2-4-0 locomotive that was sold elsewhere. In February 1855, two second-hand locomotives were acquired from the London and North Western Railway: ex-Grand Junction Railway 0-4-2 number Sirius (built in 1838) and a 2-2-2 named Wildfire (circa 1837).
When the full merger took place in June 1855, ownership of all locomotives transferred to the L&YR as detailed below:
| Locomotive Inventory at June 1855 (upon amalgamation) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | No | Name | Type | Manufacturer | Fate |
| August 1848 | 4 (or 5) | Waterloo | 2-2-2 | Robert Stephenson | |
| August 1848 | 5 (or 4) | Southport | 2-2-2 | Robert Stephenson | |
| September 1850 | - | England | 2-2-2T | George England | L&YR No.124 |
| October 1850 | - | Spitfire | 2-2-2 | Forrester & Co. | L&YR No.125 |
| January 1855 | - | 2-2-2WT | William Fairbairn | L&YR Nos.2,5,6,7 | |
| February 1855 | (LNWR 3 Sirius) | 0-4-2 | Jones, Turner and Evans | L&YR No.154 | |
| February 1855 | (LNWR 8 Wildfire) | ２－２－２ | Grand Junction Railway, Crewe | L&YR No.15 | |
Rolling stock
Details regarding the rolling stock on this line are scarce, with the only notable mention coming from a newspaper at the time of opening, which highlighted the "relative smoothness experienced by the carriages" as they traveled along the route, avoiding the typical jarring motions, even in the carriage positioned farthest from the locomotive.
Engine sheds
An engine shed was established at Waterloo in August 1848. Following the extension to Southport, a second shed was built to the west of the tracks near Chapel Street station to accommodate the increased locomotive requirements.
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The volume of traffic on the line warranted expanding to four tracks between and during the period of 1886–1887.
Later stations
Under L&YR management, several station modifications took place, including:
- relocation of in 1881.
- inauguration of in 1862, which underwent several name changes before its closure in 1929.
- opening of in 1870 situated between Sandhills and Miller's Bridge.
- establishment of in 1874.
- closure of and , replaced by in 1876.
Electrification
In 1902, the L&YR committed to electrifying this route, awarding Dick, Kerr & Co. the contract for all aspects except for carriage body construction, which was handled internally. Experimental runs commenced by late 1903, followed by a partial launch on 22 March 1904. This service faced a brief interruption due to subsidence issues at the power station but resumed fully by 13 May.
The electrification system operated initially on a 650V DC supply using a four-rail configuration: an outer power rail and an additional fourth rail positioned between the running rails for return current. The return current was conducted through the wheels without employing a return shoe. Subsequently, the fourth rail was removed, with return current redirected via the running rails.
Electric train service
The electric rolling stock introduced was based on American designs, characterized by open saloon layouts with central aisles and clerestory roofs. These trains featured gangway connections enabling passenger movement throughout but were not equipped as multiple units; therefore, they could not be coupled and controlled from a single driving cab.
Fifty-six cars were manufactured at L&YR’s Newton Heath works with electrical components supplied by Dick, Kerr & Co. This fleet comprised 28 motor coaches accommodating 69 third-class passengers on rattan-covered reversible seats and 28 first-class trailers seating 66 on tapestry upholstery. Each vehicle measured 60 feet in length and 10 feet in width, making them the widest railway cars in Britain at that time. Typical train formations included a motor coach at each end with two trailers between.
In 1905, additional rolling stock was added: two more motor coaches alongside twelve third-class trailers seating 80 passengers, standardizing five-car train sets. Growing demand led to further augmentation in 1910 with eight motor coaches and twelve trailers split evenly between first and third class. Between 1913 and 1914, six more third-class motor coaches were introduced, most measuring longer at approximately 63 feet 7 inches. As L&YR electrified other routes and shared equipment, variations in stock became more common.
Later generations of rolling stock incorporated multiple unit controls, end gangways for inter-unit passage, and dome-style roofs. These units were finished in a two-tone brown livery with gilt lining and lettering.
The introduction of electric services substantially increased line capacity: before electrification, roughly 36 through trains operated daily along with a similar number terminating at Crosby. After full electrification, through services rose to about 50 daily trains plus an additional 56 terminating at Hall Road, which replaced Crosby as the local terminus.
Electric traction became dominant for passenger operations on this corridor while steam locomotives continued to haul freight and coal traffic. Certain Barton-Wright 0-4-4 and Aspinall 2-4-2T steam engines remained active for these duties. One passenger route—the Southport to London Euston service via Bootle junction—persisted with steam haulage; through carriages were attached to other trains at Liverpool Lime Street or Edge Hill stations.
After the L&YR
On 1 January 1922, the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway combined with the London and North Western Railway, and shortly thereafter, in 1923, it was incorporated into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) as part of the Grouping.
The LMS inaugurated a station on 1 May 1926 and introduced modern rolling stock in 1940, which was later designated as British Rail Class 502. By 1942, all previous rolling stock had been completely phased out.
Post-nationalisation in 1948, this railway line was threatened with closure under the 1963 Beeching plan, but intervention by Transport Minister Ernest Marples prevented its shutdown. Starting in 1978, the outdated Class 502 units were replaced by Class 507 trains, with the former fully withdrawn from service by November 1980.
That same year, the station became integrated into the Merseyrail network’s Northern Line, remaining under British Rail management until the privatisation transition in 1995.