Steve Rotheram unveils details of how £1.6bn public transport budget will be spent across Liverpool city region including three new Merseyrail stations and £100m for rapid transport. Tony McDonough reports
Liverpool city region will get three new Merseyrail stations and a new rapid transport system as party of a huge £1.6bn investment into transport projects.
In June Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram revealed he had secured the cash from the Government as part of its five-year-settlement allocation, running from 2027/28 to 2031/32.
Now the Mayor has revealed more details of how the money will be spent. Top of the list is three new station that will expand the current Merseyrail network. The Combined Authority has already built one new station – Headbolt Lane.
It has also committed funding to Liverpool Baltic and a redeveloped Runcorn station. In this new investment work will start on new stations at Carr Mill (St Helens), Woodchurch (Wirral), and Daresbury (Halton).
Also key to the Mayor’s plans is the £100m Glider, a £100m project that will see battery-powered vehicles link the city centre with Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Liverpool and Everton FC stadiums.
They can carry around 30% more passengers than an average double decker bus. They look like trams but have wheels and are designed to operate on roads, running in dedicated lanes.
Network improvements are expected to result in a 20% increase in residents able to access Liverpool city centre by public transport within 30 minutes as well as a marked increase in the number of residents being directly linked to town centres.
This funding will also lead to a 20% increase in residents living within 800 meters of a step-free rail station – while ensuring fairer access to public transport across the city region’s six boroughs of Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, Knowsley, St Helens and Halton.
Money will also be used to accelerate plans to transform the bus network, supporting the introduction of a brand-new fleet, new depot infrastructure, and the rollout of franchising—returning buses to public control for the first time in nearly 40 years.
It includes further funding for infrastructure projects such as the new St Helens transport interchange and more than £60m to support the rollout of multimodal smart ticketing across the region.
More than £300m will be invested in highways to enhance asset management and support the region’s commitment to targeting zero road traffic deaths or injuries. A programme of major upgrades to key corridors will improve road infrastructure for cars as well as buses and create new walking and cycling links.
Mr Rotheram said: “This £1.6 billion settlement is the largest transport investment in our region’s history and a massive statement of intent towards delivering the greener, more accessible, more affordable and better-connected public transport system.
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“Fundamentally, this long-term plan is about inclusive growth. That means new, step-free rail stations, rapid transit links, and smart ticketing that connects communities directly to jobs, new homes, cultural attractions, and of course major regeneration projects.”
The funding will help to unlock large-scale regeneration projects in Bootle, Huyton, Birkenhead and other town centres across the region – including supporting the planned residential and commercial development in Liverpool North, comprising 10,000 homes.
Full list of schemes for each of the six boroughs:
Liverpool
- New rail station to serve the Baltic Triangle district.
- Rapid transit system linking Liverpool city centre, Liverpool John Lennon airport and Liverpool FC and Everton FC football stadiums.
- New active travel routes connecting Childwall to the city centre and supporting regeneration around Vauxhall and Greatie Market, as well as around key education and employment sites in Knowledge Quarter.
Wirral
- New station development at Woodchurch.
- Active travel and highways improvements to serve a regenerated Birkenhead town centre and the Borough Yard urban village at Hind Street supporting 1,600 new homes.
- Funding for Dock Branch Park, which will see a disused rail line in Birkenhead transformed into a welcoming green space and active travel corridor.
Sefton
- Improvements to bus, rail and active travel links for Bootle town centre to support the regeneration of the Strand.
- Upgrades to connectivity and public space r Southport town centre to support regeneration, and the development of the Marine Lake Events Centre.
- New walking and cycling links across the borough – from Crosby to Bootle to Southport.
Knowsley
- Better links for rail, bus and active travel to support regeneration in Huyton town centre.
- Bus priority improvements to M57 at Prescot reducing journey times.
- New walking and cycling links to serve Kirkby and Prescot town centres.
St Helens
- New station development in Carr Mill.
- Further funding to support major regeneration in St Helens town centre, complementing the new transport interchange.
- Repurposing of the former Sutton Oak Line as a people-focused movement corridor that connects existing and new communities.
Halton
- New railway station development in Daresbury.
- Refurbishment of Runcorn Station, creating a gateway for the city region.
- Active travel improvements to support key residential and commercial developments, as well as a direct cycle link from Widnes to St Helens.