MEMBERS of the public and a local councillor have criticised the fact a number of escalators on the Wirral Line are currently out of service.

Escalators are currently out at Hamilton Square, James Street, Moorfields, and Lime Street station.

Network Rail have now pledged to invest £12.5m to replace all 14 escalators across the central Merseyrail network over the next three years. The escalators on the Merseyrail network are managed by the rail company which owns and manages most railway infrastructure across the country.

Each escalator at each of the four stations will take around 20 weeks to replace and one escalator per station will be done at a time. Work is already taking place at Lime Street with work to start at Moorfields in August with work finished by early 2025. The whole project across the network is expected to be done by 2027

At Moorfields station, passengers currently face a climb of dozens of steps after escalators were damaged by heavy rain. Health and safety signs have been placed at points along the way up warning passengers to “TAKE CARE. STEP HEIGHTS VARY. TAKE YOUR TIME AT THE TOP OF THE ESCALATOR” and it’s not the only escalator out at the station with one exit from the station being closed off since September.

Granddad Michael Hunter from Upton who previously tried to raise the issue at James Street with rail bosses said: “It’s a disgrace and people are struggling,” adding: “Why are they taking so long? What is going on because it’s not just the escalators at James Street?”

He said he was worried that escalators at all the Liverpool stations on the Wirral line could soon be out, calling the current situation ridiculous, adding: “There are older people and people with disabilities who might not know how to navigate that.”

He added: “If you’re running these fantastic trains, you have to be able to use them properly. You need to provide the full service. Sorry it should be an all-round service, not just the punctuality of the trains. It should also be the support around those trains to get from A to B.”

It’s not just the public who are inconvenienced. Bebington councillor Ed Lamb said: “It is troubling that Network Rail has allowed this issue to persist without timely resolution and with repairs not expected until after Christmas. The delay reflects poorly on the management of our rail infrastructure. The same applies for other escalators and lifts across the Merseyrail network.

“The lack of functioning escalators poses a serious barrier to passengers with mobility issues, contradicting the principles of inclusivity and equal access. What good are our new accessible trains with stations that aren’t functioning?

“I’m personally getting quite sick of lugging my bike up ‘Mount Moorfield’ to catch a connecting train. It is imperative that Network Rail, in collaboration with Merseyrail, addresses this issue urgently to restore the functionality and reputation of our rail network.”

Rebecca Rathore, Network Rail’s North West route strategy director, apologised to passengers for the issues, adding: “We’re investing £12.5m into the Merseyrail escalator network to give passengers a smoother and more reliable journey experience.

“Replacing escalators takes a long time as it requires specialist engineers and equipment. We’re doing one escalator at a time per station to keep passengers on the move as much as possible.

“Passengers who would usually rely on escalators to travel are advised to use the station lifts.”