The Liverpool City Region is set to take back control of its trains under proposals from Mayor Steve Rotheram
New Merseyrail trains were rolled out in January 2023(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
The Liverpool City Region is poised to bring its trains back under public control following groundbreaking proposals unveiled by Mayor Steve Rotheram. A report due before the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority next week recommends that rail services currently run under the Merseyrail concession be returned to public ownership when the existing contract expires in 2028.
The decision would mark another significant milestone towards the mayor’s longstanding commitment to establish a transport system where trains, buses, ferries, active travel and future rapid transit services operate as one unified network.
The proposals represent part of the most substantial overhaul of public transport in the Liverpool City Region for generations. The city region is presently bringing its bus network back under public control — with the first franchised services due to commence later this year.
It is anticipated that the landmark shift to bring Merseyrail services into public ownership would facilitate the creation of a single, integrated network alongside buses and ferries — simplifying journeys, enhancing connections between different transport modes and affording the Liverpool City Region greater autonomy to determine its own transport destiny.
The proposals would also unlock opportunities to channel more funding back into services and future improvements, helping to guarantee that the advantages of the network are experienced by passengers and communities throughout the city region. Should the proposal receive approval, detailed planning work will progress before the existing concession expires in 2028, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Mr Rotheram said: “Since becoming mayor, I’ve been determined to build a transport network that works better for the people who rely on it every day – one that’s easier to use, better connected and designed around passengers.
“We’ve already introduced the country’s first publicly owned train fleet in a generation, delivered new rail stations, taken back control of our buses, rolled out tap-and-go ticketing and started laying the foundations for a rapid transit network.
“Now we have the opportunity to take back control of our trains too.
“Merseyrail is already one of the best-performing rail networks in the country and that’s a credit to the people who run it every day. But the challenge now isn’t simply running a successful railway – it’s bringing together all the different parts of our transport network so they work as one.
“People don’t obsess about whether they are getting on a bus, a train or a ferry – they just want to get where they’re going as quickly and cheaply as possible. My ambition is simple: one network, one vision, working in the interests of the 1.6 million people who call our city region home.
“Taking back control of our trains will help us do exactly that. It will give us greater freedom to join up services, improve connections, reinvest more money back into the network and make decisions based on what works for passengers.
“We’ve been pioneers before. Nearly 200 years ago, the world’s first inter-city railway ran between Liverpool and Manchester. Today, we have another chance to lead the way – building a modern integrated public transport system fit for a globally renowned city region like ours.”
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