Station escalator repairs took nearly two years

Anti-social behaviour and misuse led to escalators at a Liverpool railway station being out of action for nearly two years, a city council report has revealed.

The escalators outside Moorfields station on the Merseyrail line were only initially meant to be out of action for a month in 2023 to allow for repairs.

But a series of delays, caused by additional damage and water ingress, meant they were only brought back into use in February.

Maintenance of the escalators, which lead to the station's entrance, has been the responsibility of Liverpool City Council since 1971.

A £37,202 contract was initially awarded to KONE Ltd – an escalator and lift company – in September 2023 on the basis that a number of components had failed, leaving one escalator out of service.

A canopy above the escalators then encountered a leak and had to be replaced.

Following further investigation, engineers also advised additional work was required due to "significant damage" to the main chains that move the escalators, as well as the electrics.

New chains had to be procured from Germany, being built to an exact specification for each escalator.

The station and its surrounding area is managed in parts by the local authority, Network Rail, Merseytravel and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

Phil James, route managing director for Network Rail, previously said escalators serving the Wirral Line at the station would not be fully functional until May 2026.

Network Rail has pledged to invest £12.5m to replace all 14 escalators across the central Merseyrail network over the next three years.

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