- Transport Secretary signs agreement to support the city’s
plans for a simpler, more affordable transport network
- Comes as officially opens Liverpool’s
new, Government-funded rail station, served by UK’s first
battery powered trains
- Follows the Government investing over a billion pounds in the
city as part of Network North
Passengers in Liverpool could soon benefit from a simpler, more
affordable and integrated transport network thanks to an
agreement signed by Transport Secretary and Metro Mayor today (16 November).
The Memorandum of Understanding commits to the Government working
in closer collaboration with the city to deliver plans for a
fully integrated public transport system in Merseyside.
Signatories included the Transport Secretary, Liverpool City
Region Combined Authority, Network Rail and the Great British
Railways Transition Team.
The agreement could pave the way for easier, cheaper and more
accessible journeys across the city, providing better
connectivity to jobs, education and business opportunities in
Liverpool. It also supports the Government’s commitment to
empower local authorities and ensure the needs of local
communities are at the heart of decision making.
This comes alongside £12 billion announced by the Government as
part of its Network North plan to better connect Manchester and
Liverpool. The funding will allow the delivery of Northern
Powerhouse Rail as previously planned, including high-speed
lines.
The agreement will be signed at the official opening of Headbolt
Lane - the country’s newest train station in Kirkby, funded by
£80 million of Government funding.
Transport Secretary said: “Today’s
agreement demonstrates this Government’s commitment to
transforming public transport across the country and empowering
elected leaders to make decisions based on the priorities of
local people.
“This agreement follows over a billion pounds of funding
committed to the city through our Network North plans and will
kickstart transport improvements for people across the city,
making journeys affordable and accessible for all.”
Headbolt Lane station is the new terminus for Merseyrail and
Northern services. Passengers are already benefiting from the
station, which offers improved connections to the centre of
Liverpool, Wigan and Manchester, as well as better connectivity
to the region’s bus services.
It will be served by new state-of-the-art trains equipped with
innovative battery technology, which are currently being
developed and rolled out across the entire Merseyrail fleet, as
part of plans to double capacity on the network and deliver
greener, more reliable services.
Thanks to Government funding, it will soon become the first
battery powered fleet in the UK, opening up the possibility for
further expansion of the Merseyrail network.
Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said: “This deal
signifies not only a massive moment for our region – but the
start of a new wave of devolution for the country. It puts us on
track to open up the right conversations around how we can
improve our rail network for the better and run it in the best
interests of passengers.
“It’s the Liverpool City Region once again blazing a trail in the
revolution of our railways – and I’ll be fighting our area’s
corner every step of the way to make sure we capitalise on this
opportunity.”
As part of the Government’s Network North plan, the Liverpool
City Region Combined Authority also received a further £1 billion
from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements, plus a
further £600m made possible through the decision on Phase 2 of
HS2. This is more than double the city’s previous allocation.
