Getting the metro at Liverpool Lime Street
5
5
Date of visit: November 2025
I am a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: accessing toilets and moving around.
I use or have experience of: disabled toilet, wheelchair
Overall Rating
Excellent
The metro line loops around the centre of Liverpool meaning that there is only one metro platform at Liverpool Lime Street Station because all the metro trains are going in the same direction. This metro station is categorised as an ‘A’ station on the access map, meaning there is step-free access to the platform and the train pulls in level to the platform with a sliding-step to bridge the gap between the train and the platform. There is a lift that takes you from the main ticket hall of the railway station down to the metro platform. The other routes to the metro all have stairs to navigate. The lifts have tactile buttons that also have Braille on them, a hearing loop, and two alarm buttons, one closer to the floor so it can be reached if someone falls. Once on the platform, there are digital displays overhead to show which trains are coming and how long they will be. There is some seating up and down the platform and some of the seats have armrests. There are tactile markers at the edge of the platform as well as a yellow line about a foot from the edge, followed by a white line on the very edge. The metro trains themselves were one of the best parts about the metro. They stopped level with the platforms and had a sliding-step to bridge the gap between the train at the platform. The accessible boarding point was really clearly signposted and the wheelchair space had been well thought out, in my opinion. This is mainly because I think the design accommodates people with lots of access needs. It seemed that as well as the driver there was always an additional member of staff on the train who would be checking to make sure people had got on safely before closing the doors. This made me feel safer knowing that someone was there if I ended up needing assistance.
Disabled Access In and Around
Excellent
The metro system in Liverpool has an accessibility map where each stop has been given a letter, A, B, or C, which provides information about whether or not there is step-free access to the train platforms. A means there is step-free access to all the platforms B means there is step-free access but it might only be in one direction C means there is no step-free access at the station The new metro trains are level with the platform and also have a sliding-step which bridges the gap between the train and the platform. Like I mentioned above, there is a large wheelchair symbol next to one set of the train doors, which shows where the most accessible boarding spot is. This part of the train has a large wheelchair space with a plug socket, two USB cable ports, an emergency call point with Braille, a small shelf with two circular dips for cups, and two fold-up seats at one end of the space. The way this space has been designed means it works well for someone in a wheelchair, like me, but the fold-up seats at the end of the space means it is also a great option for someone with a walker, someone who cannot bend their legs much, someone with an assistance dog, and lots of other scenarios that often get overlooked. The station platform had clear signage and a lot of aspects had good colour contrast as a lot of yellow is used on the metro system. For example, the billboard displays had yellow frames against dark backgrounds, the digital train arrivals board had a yellow edge with a dark centre. There were tactile markings at the edge of the platform and there were two painted lines: a yellow one about a foot from the platform edge and the edge of the platform itself was painted white. There were seats up and down the platform with some also having armrests. A lift travelled from the metro platform up into the main railway station.
Accessible facilities: Lift to all areas, Step-free entrance, Seating at regular intervals, Step-free access to most areas
Parking & Transport
Good
I travelled to this place by train
The metro trains available from this station are often those towards Chester, New Brighton, West Kirby, and Ellesmere Port. For other destinations, you may need to change at the next station from Lime Street, Liverpool Central, or the one after that, James Street. The metro station is connected to the main railway station by a lift. From the railway station, there are a number of train lines operating, including East Midlands Railway, Transpennine Express, London Northwestern Railway, Northern, Avanti West Coast, and Transport for Wales. Between all these operators there are trains to Norwich, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria, Manchester Airport, Manchester Oxford Road, Sheffield, Nottingham, Peterborough, Glasgow Central, Birmingham New Street, Runcorn, Crewe, Warrington Central, Wigan North Western, Blackpool North, London Euston, Chester, and other stations along the way. There is a drop-off and pick-up point at the station which is located by the taxi rank on Skelhorne Street. According to the station website, there is a short-stay car park and a long-stay car park. These are both paid, 24/7 car parks. The short stay car park is on Skelhorne Street and has four accessible parking spaces. The long stay car park is on Lord Nelson Street and has 13 accessible parking spaces and there is a lift from this car park to the station concourse. Outside the station on Lord Nelson Street is a bus stop where the buses 10A, 14A, 14C, and 17 are available. There are ramps down to the street or a lift.
Accessible facilities: Dedicated on-site parking, Drop-off or pick up point
Accessible Toilets
Good
The metro platform doesn’t have a toilet, but there is a toilet in the main railway station. It is located by the Lord Nelson Street entrance. There was signage throughout the railway station showing where the toilets were located and there was also a very large sign directly above the accessible toilet which was easy to see. There was a sign on the door that said ‘left hand transfer “Accessible WC” located in the ladies toilets’. This accessible toilet was a right-side transfer so it was good to see the other option was also available. The ladies toilets were just to the left of this toilet. The door required a RADAR key to get inside and there was also a vertical grab rail to make it easier to open the door. The door opened outwards and was slightly heavy but not too bad. On the inside of the door there was a horizontal grab rail to assist with closing the door from the inside. The lock required the handle to be pushed upwards. Like with all RADAR key locks, it had a large handle which could be operated with a fist or elbow. The toilet had space for a right-side transfer but it was quite small and there were two sanitary bins located in the back right corner, which could get in the way. On the same side as the transfer space, there was a height-adjustable grab rail and a fixed, vertical grab rail. On the other side of the toilet was a small lip which was tiled like the walls and could function as a low shelf. There was a horizontal grab rail just above this. There was no toilet paper dispenser, just a large roll of toilet paper that had been left on the tiled shelf. The toilet didn’t have a lid and it had a plastic backrest to provide support. The flush was a lever-style flush with a rounded end that could be operated with a fist or elbow, and it was mounted on the cistern. It was placed on the same side as the transfer area so you did not have to reach across the toilet to use it. In front of the toilet was a small sink with a single tap on the left-hand side. The tap was manually operated and had a short lever which seemed like it would be able to be operated with a fist or elbow. The tap twisted to control the temperature of the water and lifted to control the flow. On either side of the sink was a vertical grab rail and between them was a manual soap dispenser. To the left of the sink was an automatic hand dryer and to the left of that was a tall mirror. Another small shelf, at a higher height than the one by the toilet, was to the left of the mirror, and there was a large bin beneath it to dispose of any waste. There was an ADi RoomMate® on the right as soon as you entered the toilet. However, I believe it is meant to make an audio announcement when anyone enters and it didn’t do this when I entered. The red cord hung to the floor and I put a Euan’s Guide Red Cord Card on it too.
Facilities: Accessible toilet
Staff
I didn’t interact with the staff, but it was nice to see that there was someone on every train. It made me feel reassured that there was someone monitoring everyone boarding and disembarking, just in case I had any issues and needed assistance.
