In this next ‘Every Station’ post, I’ll be visiting stations on the line from Liverpool to Southport, which I consider the last line in Liverpool. There are four primary lines in Liverpool: from Liverpool to Hunts Cross, Headbolt Lane, and Ormskirk. However, today we’re focusing on Southport, finally catching up on stations I’ve already visited and bringing back the series that people really enjoyed. So, once again, let’s start from Liverpool Central and head to our first station, Moorfields.

Leaving Moorfields, I decided to bypass Sandhills Station and head to the next stop along the line, Bank Hall. This is a rather intriguing station with a rich history. It once had four platforms, including two island platforms, with connections to Aintree, Ormskirk, and possibly even Preston. Today, the station has only one platform but retains many of its original features, such as the station building. From Bank Hall Station, I then make my way to Sandhills before leaving the city centre and slowly heading towards Southport.

Leaving Sandhills, we depart from the city and enter the suburbs of Liverpool and Southport. I proceed to the first of two Bootle stations in the area: Bootle Oriel Road and Bootle New Strand. I skip Oriel Road and head to New Strand before returning to Bootle Oriel Road. With the stations being quite close together along this section of the line, it’s easy to walk or catch a bus between them to officially tick them off. However, I choose to catch the train one stop to Oriel Road. From Oriel Road, I continue up the line towards Blundellsands & Crosby before heading back to Waterloo.

I enjoy exploring this railway line, originally built by the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway in partnership with what I believe was the Southport Railway. The station buildings, such as Bank Hall Station and Seaforth & Litherland, are distinctly designed in the L&YR style. Most of the line opened in the 1840s, with a terminus just outside Southport, while Southport Station itself was opened later. There were also multiple lines into Southport, including routes from Aintree to Lord Street and from Preston to Southport, with Meols Cop as the final station before reaching Southport.

We are nearing our 100th station visit here in the United Kingdom. I will be documenting these stations on my TikTok page, Every Single Station, with my name in the heading. Let’s continue along this line: from Blundellsands & Crosby, we head down to Waterloo Station. This is a rather cool station with a wide island platform. The other Waterloo Station is in London, and London Waterloo is one of the busiest stations in the UK. From Waterloo, I head up the line to Hightown station.

From Hightown, the next station for me is Seaforth & Litherland, which serves Aintree & Ormskirk and was also the terminus for the Liverpool Overhead Railway that ended in Dingle. Unfortunately, the line no longer exists, and there is little evidence of it remaining in the city. Seaforth station features a wide island platform similar to that of Waterloo Station, but it has a rather steep ramp instead of steps and a lift. From Seaforth, we continue up the line to our next station, Freshfield, where I then walk to Formby Station, as it’s only about a 20-minute walk.

This section of the line evokes fond childhood memories of visiting my Grandma in Formby, though she sadly passed away in 2019. I used to go to the foot crossing near Formby station to watch the Class 507 and 508 trains speeding towards Southport. With the 777s now in operation, it’s a world apart from the past. From Formby station, I would then make my way towards Hall Road, where I spent time during the fantastic 507 farewell tour.

From Formby Station, I head to the next station, Hall Road. As I mentioned earlier, we stop here on the 507 and 508 Tours because there is a short siding at the north end of the station. It would be quite interesting if the Branch Line Society ever organised a rail tour of the Class 777 trains. If this were to happen, the price would be £77.70 to raise money for various charities. However, I don’t think many people will join the tour, considering it is a rather modern train compared to the 507 and 508 we had before.

Starting from Hall Road station, we head towards Southport, marking off the final few stations on our journey. Our next stop is Hillside, which became a step-free station in 2022 with the installation of lifts. I’ve visited the stations on this line numerous times; I originally explored every station during the 2019/20 period when my YouTube presence was rapidly growing, with a few hundred subscribers. From Hillside, I proceed to my second-to-last station, Ainsdale, where I catch a bus to Birkdale Station, the penultimate stop on the line.

From Birkdale, I take what will be my final train of the trip to Southport, the end of the line. You can change here for services towards Wigan, Manchester, Bolton, and Stalybridge. The least used station in Lancashire, Hoscar, is also on this line. I am looking forward to sharing my trip on the line from Southport to Wigan and Stalybridge with you. Unfortunately, Southport being the end of the line means this is the end of my journey and this post. I hope you’re enjoying reading about these stations again and please visit my TikTok page.

A trip along the line from Liverpool Central to Southport really shows just how varied the Merseyrail network can be, with every station bringing something slightly different to the journey. From busy city platforms to quieter suburban stops and the coastal feel as you get closer to Southport, it’s a route that offers plenty to take in along the way. Whether you’re travelling for the scenery, the stations themselves, or simply for the experience of exploring somewhere new, this line is one that’s always worth the trip.