Liverpool Lime Street wall collapse halts trains

No trains will run in or out of Liverpool Lime Street station "for several days" after a wall collapsed on to the railway.

A section of trackside wall "loaded with concrete and cabins by a third party" fell, blocking all four lines into the station, Network Rail said.

The collapse on Tuesday evening left rubble strewn across the tracks and overhead wires damaged.

Commuters and travellers are being urged to seek alternative routes.

Northern Rail said a limited service is now running on trains between Manchester and some Liverpool stations, including Huyton and Liverpool South Parkway.

Services between Liverpool and London will start and terminate at Runcorn with rail replacement buses between the town and the city centre, a statement from Virgin Trains said.

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It is estimated more than 200 tonnes of debris fell on the lines, Network Rail infrastructure manager for Liverpool, Alan Gibbs Monaghan, said.

A company spokesman said no trains will be running in or out of the station "for several days" and earlier indicated the line might not reopen until Monday.

"Five large containers, each holding many tonnes of material have been stacked by a third party on elevated land beside the collapsed section of wall.

"With part of this land having given way, these containers need removing to make the cutting safe and prevent further slips.

"Only then can we get safe access to the tracks below and develop a plan for the clear-up and repairs," he said.

Simon Evans, from Network Rail, said: "It was extremely wet yesterday as there was a lot of rain and we've established that the person who occupies the property on the other side of the wall appears to have put a lot of concrete and cabins on top of this wall.

"At this stage it's unclear as to why it collapsed but it does appear that may have had something to do with it."

Latest updates from National Rail.

Liverpool Lime Street is the main station serving the city centre.

Northern, London Midlands and TransPennine Express trains are terminating at Liverpool South Parkway.

People travelling to and from the city centre are being advised to use Merseyrail Northern line services between Central Station and Liverpool South Parkway, where they can join connecting trains.

Merseyrail is not directly affected by the incident but is currently running no services through Lime Street because of track renewal work on its Wirral loop line.

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