Editing Liverpool (section)

====Trains====
[[File:777010 at Hooton Station 20210728-1.jpg|thumb|right|A [[British Rail Class 777|Class 777]] train operated by [[Merseyrail]]]]
Liverpool's [[Commuter rail in the United Kingdom|urban railway network]], known as [[Merseyrail]], is one of the busiest and most extensive in the country. The network provides approximately 30 million passenger journeys per year, across a system of 69 stations throughout Liverpool's metropolitan area, within the formal boundaries of the Liverpool city region and adjacent areas of [[Cheshire]] and [[Lancashire]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Passenger rail usage|url=https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/usage/passenger-rail-usage|access-date=8 October 2023|website=gov.uk|archive-date=5 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005095734/https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/usage/passenger-rail-usage/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Corporate Information|url=https://www.merseyrail.org/about-us/corporate-information|access-date=8 October 2023|website=merseyrail.org|archive-date=3 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003034146/https://www.merseyrail.org/about-us/corporate-information/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=New MerseyRail 'connected' trains|url=https://www.railengineer.co.uk/new-merseyrail-connected-trains|access-date=8 October 2023|website=railengineer.co.uk|date=29 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Transport Plan: Executive Summary Facilitating Inclusive Economy|url=https://liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/LCRCA_TRANSPORT_EXEC_SUMM.pdf|access-date=8 October 2023|website=liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk|archive-date=5 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605233840/https://www.liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/LCRCA_TRANSPORT_EXEC_SUMM.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The network consists of three lines: the [[Northern Line (Merseyrail)|Northern Line]], which runs to [[Southport]], [[Ormskirk]], [[Headbolt Lane railway station|Headbolt Lane]] and [[Hunts Cross]]; the [[Wirral Line]], which runs through the Mersey Railway Tunnel and has branches to [[New Brighton, Merseyside|New Brighton]], [[West Kirby]], [[Chester]] and [[Ellesmere Port]]; and the [[City Line (Merseyrail)|City Line]], which begins at [[Liverpool Lime Street railway station|Lime Street]], providing links to [[St Helens, Merseyside|St Helens]], [[Wigan]], [[Preston, Lancashire|Preston]], [[Warrington]] and [[Manchester]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Routes & Maps|url=https://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/customer-information/routes-and-maps|access-date=8 October 2023|website=merseytravel.gov.uk|archive-date=3 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203202113/https://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/customer-information/routes-and-maps/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Network Map|url=https://www.merseyrail.org/journey-planning/plan-your-journey/network-map|access-date=8 October 2023|website=merseyrail.org|archive-date=1 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231201031545/https://www.merseyrail.org/journey-planning/plan-your-journey/network-map/|url-status=live}}</ref>
The network is predominantly electric and covers {{convert|75|mi|km|abbr=off|round=5}} of track.<ref name="Who are Merseyrail">{{cite web|title=Who are Merseyrail|publisher=[[Merseyrail]]|url=http://www.merseyrail.org/about/?sGUID=2a45e2d07d59c0d621570a918cb62195|access-date=23 July 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090626073949/http://www.merseyrail.org/about/?sGUID=2a45e2d07d59c0d621570a918cb62195|archive-date=26 June 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Merseyrail reports record levels of performance|url=https://www.merseyrail.org/media/162040/Performance.pdf|website=Merseyrail|access-date=7 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305172221/http://www.merseyrail.org/media/162040/Performance.pdf|archive-date=5 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Trains are owned and operated by the [[Merseyrail]] franchise and managed by [[Merseytravel]] under the direction of the [[Liverpool City Region Combined Authority]]. Local services on the City Line are operated by [[Northern (train operating company)|Northern]] rather than Merseyrail, although the line itself remains part of the Merseyrail network. Within [[Liverpool city centre]], four stations and over {{convert|6+1/2|mi|km|abbr=off|round=0.5}} of tunnels are underground.<ref name="Who are Merseyrail"/> [[Birkenhead Hamilton Square railway station|Hamilton Square]] and [[Liverpool James Street railway station|Liverpool James Street]] are the oldest deep level underground stations in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|title=RCHS NW Group 2017 Rail Tour, Thursday 30th March 2017: A Circular Tour from Manchester around Cheshire, The Wirral & The Mersey|url=https://www.rchs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/2017RailTourNotesfinal.pdf|access-date=8 October 2023|website=rchs.org.uk|archive-date=4 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604181152/https://www.rchs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/2017RailTourNotesfinal.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2023, for the first time in UK history, [[Battery electric multiple unit|battery-powered passenger trains]] launched on Merseyrail tracks from the newly opened [[Headbolt Lane railway station|Headbolt Lane]] station in Kirkby. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority's long term "Merseyrail for All" plan is to reduce dependency on [[Third rail|live third rail]] and promote battery power in order to further expand Merseyrail to previously inaccessible places across the city region and as far as [[Manchester]], [[Wrexham]], [[Warrington]] and [[Preston, Lancashire|Preston]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rail history made yet again as Mayor hails the launch of the UKs first battery powered trains in the Liverpool City Region|url=https://www.liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk/rail-history-made-yet-again-as-mayor-hails-the-launch-of-the-uks-first-battery-powered-trains-in-the-liverpool-city-region|access-date=8 October 2023|website=liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk}}{{Dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=UK's first battery-powered trains hit the tracks|publisher=BBC News|date=5 October 2023|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-67011369|access-date=8 October 2023|archive-date=9 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231009041755/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-67011369|url-status=live}}</ref>