Liverpool Central High Level railway station

Liverpool Central High Level opened on 2nd March 1874, at the end of the Cheshire Lines Committee line to Manchester Central. It replaced Brunswick as the CLC's terminus, and became the headquarters of the committee. The 3 story building fronted Ranelagh Street in Liverpool city centre, with a convert|65|ft|m high, arched shed behind. There were 6 platforms within the station, offering journeys to Manchester Central (in 45 mins; making the route the quickest and most direct than those of the competing Lancashire & Yorkshire railway & London & North Western Railway), London St. Pancras, Hull, Harwich, Stockport Tiviot Dale, Southport Lord Street and an alternative route to that of the Midland Railway terminating at London Marylebone. On 11th January 1892 Liverpool Central Low Level opened, at the end of the Mersey Railway's route, via the Mersey Railway Tunnel from Birkenhead, when their route was extended from James Street. The Mersey Railway platforms were underground, accessed from stairs within the station (They were situated in roughly the same position as the escalators accessing the Merseyrail Northern Line today.

The station was always busy, up until nationalisation, but as with many other stations in the UK, fell victim to the Beeching Axe, as the routes served could be taken from nearby Liverpool Lime Street. In 1966, most services on the CLC route were diverted to Liverpool Lime Street via the Allerton Curve, leaving only a dozen trains per day to and from Gateacre. These final services were withdrawn on the 17th April 1972 and the High Level part of station was later demolished, after having served little time as a car park. However, the Low Level platforms remained open. The station's demolition was unfortunate, as the large trainshed could have possibly have been developed into something of similar use, to that of Manchester Central (renamed from GMEX very recently) in Manchester, which had been the Cheshire Lines Committee's Manchester Central up until 1969.