Liverpool–Manchester lines
There once were four direct railway routes between Liverpool and Manchester in the North West of England; only two remain, the two centre routes of the four. The most northerly and the most southerly of the four routes are no longer direct lines. Of the remaining two direct routes, the northern route of the two is fully electric, while the now southern route is a diesel-only line. The most northerly of the four has been split into two routes: the western section operated by Merseyrail electric trains and the eastern section by diesel trains, requiring passengers to change trains between the two cities. The fourth route, the most southerly of the four, has been largely abandoned east of Warrington; the remaining section caters mainly for freight trains. The remaining two direct routes are: The northern route from terminus station via , and to . This line follows the route of the original 1830 Liverpool and Manchester Railway. The southern route from terminus via to Manchester Piccadilly operates on lines formerly owned by the Cheshire Lines Committee. Castlefield Junction allows crossover working between the northern route and Manchester Piccadilly. Northern route (Chat Moss) The northern route runs from Liverpool Lime Street