Sefton Council’s Library Service have been helping people remember one of the country’s worst rail crashes which took on Thursday 27th July 1905 near Blundellsands.

Collided

On that day, 120 years ago, the 16:30 express train from Liverpool to Southport was approaching Blundellsands’ Hall Road station, when it collided with an empty stationary train parked on a siding.

According to the official report, the points failed to close properly leading the express to collide with an empty local train that had been shunted into a siding to allow the express to pass.

Both drivers survived

Twenty people in the first coach of the express were killed and a further 47 passengers were injured. Both drivers survived, having jumped clear prior to the impact. Another passenger, Henry Potter, was severely injured in the crash and died three months later, bringing the total killed to 21.

Sefton libraries have created a new poster about the crash.

You can find out more about it including photographs of the aftermath and details of those who sadly were killed, here.

Ceremony

At a ceremony at the station on Sunday at 1pm, Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside, Mr. Mark Blundell will unveil a plaque to commemorate the 120^th anniversary of the accident.

Invited guests will include Sefton Central MP Bill Esterson, Cllr June Burns, Mayor of Sefton, Council Leader Marion Atkinson, Bernard Nevins of the Crosby & District Historical Society and local historian Peter McGoldrick. They will be welcomed by Merseyrail’s Laura Turnbull and station manager Paul Draper,

Fateful day

Blundellsands ward councillor and Sefton Council cabinet member Diane Roscoe said: “Although now forgotten by many, this was a terrible accident 120 years ago and I am pleased the Council has been able to work with local historians and Merseyrail to put this permanent memorial in place to remember those so sadly killed on that fateful day.”

The Hall Road Rail Disaster was the second train crash in the area to happen in the space of two years. In 1903, a train crashed at Waterloo station killing eight passengers.

That’s not the end of the drama at Hall Road. Another train crash happened at Hall Road Station on Monday 9th October 1961, in very similar circumstances. Fortunately, no-one was killed, although over 40 people were injured.