A Liverpool fire near the tracks in Winsford closed all lines through the station on Saturday, July 11 evening and triggered major disruption to trains to and from Liverpool Lime Street. National Rail said the impact was expected to last until the end of the day.
The affected services included Avanti West Coast trains between London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street and London Northwestern Railway services between Birmingham New Street and Liverpool Lime Street. Trains between Crewe and Runcorn or Warrington Bank Quay could be cancelled, delayed by up to 60-minutes, revised or diverted.
Winsford lines closed
The fire broke out near the track in the Winsford area, leaving no route through the station for trains to pass. INRIX reported: "Delays and some cancellations on Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern between Crewe and Runcorn, and at Crewe due to lineside fire."
That left the disruption spread across more than one corridor, not just the Liverpool Lime Street route. The practical effect for passengers was a mixture of cancellations, delays, and altered running patterns rather than a single fixed timetable.
Crewe and Liverpool South Parkway
Rail replacement shuttle services were due to run between Crewe and Liverpool South Parkway in both directions, and tickets could be used at no extra cost on Northern and Merseyrail services between Liverpool South Parkway and Liverpool Lime Street. Trains could also be diverted to avoid the affected area, which gave operators another way to keep some journeys moving.
Luke Hartley Describes Mellock Lane Fire Hours After Move-In — Liverpool Fire showed how quickly a fire can disrupt travel plans when services depend on one blocked section of track. For passengers bound for Liverpool Lime Street, the clearest option was to use the replacement shuttle or the ticket acceptance arrangements while the lines through Winsford remained shut.
National Rail Enquiries
National Rail warned that major disruption was expected until the end of the day, so passengers faced a live decision between waiting for revised services, changing route, or using the replacement links. The remaining question was how quickly the lines through Winsford could be reopened once the fire damage was dealt with.
