Rice Lane railway station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rice Lane
A view of the ticket office, from the footbridge.
Location	Walton, Liverpool England
Coordinates	53°27′27″N 2°57′46″W / 53.4576°N 2.9628°W / 53.4576; -2.9628
Platforms	2
Other information
Station code	RIL
Fare zone	C1
Key dates
20 November 1848 (1848-11-20)	Opened as Preston Road
14 May 1984	Renamed Rice Lane
Traffic
Passengers (2018/19)	0.581 million
Passengers (2019/20)	0.724 million
Passengers (2021/22)	0.417 million
Passengers (2022/23)	0.504 million

Rice Lane railway station is a train station in Liverpool, England. It is located north of the city centre in the Walton area. This station is part of the Merseyrail network's Northern Line. It serves the Kirkby branch of this line.

The station first opened on November 20, 1848. Back then, it was called Preston Road. On May 14, 1984, its name was changed to Rice Lane. It is very close to Walton Junction. This is where the Kirkby and Ormskirk branches of the Northern Line split off. Another station, Walton (Merseyside), is only a five-minute walk away.

What Can You Find at Rice Lane Station?

Rice Lane station has staff working there all day. This is normal for most Merseyrail stations. The ticket office is on the platform where trains go towards Liverpool. Both platforms have shelters to keep you dry.

You will also find digital screens showing train times. There are also posters with timetables. Automated announcements tell you when trains are coming.

Getting Around the Station

It's important to know that there are no ramps or lifts for easy access. To reach the platforms, you need to use stairs from the road. The two platforms are connected by a footbridge, which also has stairs.

Train Services at Rice Lane

During the day, from Monday to Saturday, four trains arrive and leave every hour in each direction. This means a train comes about every 15 minutes. In the late evenings and on Sundays, there are fewer trains. Services are reduced to two trains per hour in each direction.

These trains are operated using modern Class 777 BEMUs. These are special trains that can run on electricity from overhead lines or from batteries.

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Fazakerley towards Headbolt Lane		Merseyrail Northern Line		Kirkdale towards Liverpool Central

Images for kids

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  This picture shows the A59 road bridge near the platform.

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  Here is the footbridge at the station.

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  A Merseyrail Class 508 train arriving at the station.

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  A view of the station from the footbridge.