A new Merseyrail train (left) and old at Sandhills Station
A new Merseyrail train (left) and old at Sandhills Station(Image: Andrew Teebay/Liverpool Echo)
A number of projects in the Liverpool City Region will benefit from transport funding announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves today. Ms Reeves delivered a speech in Rochdale this morning, in which she said the Labour government would invest £15.6bn in public transport projects, largely across the Midlands and North of England.
Within this investment, the Liverpool City Region's five-year-settlement allocation from 2027/28 to 2031/32 will represent a total of £1.6bn. The Chancellor said this will include "the largest ever investment" in our region's stations as she cited the construction of three new Merseyrail stops - a key part of Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram's successful 2024 re-election manifesto.
Ms Reeves said: "Investment in the Liverpool City Region, backing the mayor Steve Rotheram to deliver three new rapid bus routes, linking up the city centre, John Lennon Airport, Anfield, the new Everton stadium on Bramley-Moore Dock and new homes built on the Central Docks redevelopment alongside the largest ever investment in Merseyside railway stations to serve Halton (Cheshire), St Helens and Woodchurch."
The stations will be Woodchurch in Wirral, Carr Mill in St Helens and Daresbury in Halton. When he made the policy pledge last year, the mayor said he wanted to build the stations by the end of this decade.
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority said today that work will now progress on the three new stations. They will join committed schemes at Liverpool Baltic and a redeveloped Runcorn station.
It added that the projects are central to its ambition to expand the reach of the Merseyrail network, including new connections to Sci-Tech Daresbury – where a direct rail link is expected to create 8,000 new jobs – and, in the future, Wrexham, deepening economic ties with North Wales.
The announcement also means that £100m will be spent on three new dedicated rapid transport routes to and from the city centre.
Announced as a major pledge in Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram's election manifesto last May, the rapid transit system - similar to the Glider system in Belfast - would provide dedicated routes to Liverpool John Lennon Airport, to Anfield Stadium, and to Everton's new ground, Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The Glider Future Rapid Transit Bus on display at Anfield
The Glider Future Rapid Transit Bus on display at Anfield
Last summer, a first glance at what the new rapid transit vehicles could look like was offered when a Belfast Glider was loaned to the Liverpool City Region and wrapped in the yellow and black Metro branding associated with the Liverpool City Region transport authority. The vehicles look like trams but have wheels and are designed to operate on roads, running in dedicated lanes at times.
About this, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority said today it will move forward with its commitment to introduce the rapid transport network. It said this will offer: "Fast, modern, and reliable services between Liverpool city centre, John Lennon Airport, and key locations in North Liverpool."
It added: "Inspired by successful models like the Belfast Glider, this system will support wider regeneration, linking existing communities with opportunity and improving access to major destinations including Bramley Moore Dock."
As well as the rapid transit investment, the Liverpool City Region cash will also be spent on a new fleet of buses that will form part of the region's soon-to-be franchised bus network.
As part of this process, the newly purchased fleet will begin running in St Helens and the Wirral in 2026, followed by Sefton, Knowsley, and North and South Liverpool in 2027.
Responding to the announcement, Mayor Rotheram said: “This is a really big win for our area and for the 1.6m people who call it home.
"It means new train stations where they’re needed most, better buses that actually turn up, and a new rapid transit system to help people get where they need to be - whether that’s for work, education, socialising or care.
"For too long, too many of our communities have had to put up with second-rate services. This is our chance to put that right.
"With buses coming back under public control for the first time in a generation, this funding gives us the tools to shape a transport system that puts people first.
"And while the headline projects are important, the real value lies in the flexibility it gives us to keep investing in the infrastructure our communities need now and into the future."
The Combined Authority said that, alongside the transport schemes, the money would help unlock a new city-scale regeneration project in North Liverpool and South Sefton, centred on the new Everton stadium. The scheme is expected to deliver more than 10,000 new homes, generate thousands of jobs, and transform public space through investment in active travel, upgraded highways and enhanced connectivity.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves delivers a speech during a visit to Mellor Bus in Rochdale, Greater Manchester
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves delivers a speech during a visit to Mellor Bus in Rochdale, Greater Manchester
Explaining her decision to invest in transport projects in England's city regions, Ms Reeves said: "I have heard from mayors across the country, from Andy (Burnham), but also from Steve Rotheram, the mayor of Liverpool (City Region), that previous governments have wielded the green book against them as an excuse to deny important investments in their areas and their people.
"That is why, in January, I ordered a review of the green book and how it is being used to make sure that this government gives every region a fair hearing when it comes to investments.
"I will publish the full conclusions of that review next week. However, I can tell you now that it will mark a new approach to decision making in government, and an end to siloed Whitehall thinking, making sure that government is taking account of the reinforcing economic effects of infrastructure investment in housing, in skills, and in jobs."