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100m investment in Liverpool to Manchester line

Merseytravel has heralded government plans to invest £100million in the region's rail network.

Transport Minister Sadiq Khan with Louise Ellman and
Councillor Mark Dowd at Lime Street Station.

Transport Minister Sadiq Khan visited Lime Street Station in the heart of the city of Liverpool to share the news that the Liverpool to Manchester line will be upgraded and electrified, slashing travel times between the conurbation's two major economic drivers.

The Minister today (Tuesday 23rd July) met the team that has lobbied hard for this investment in the halls of Westminster and every level of power, including Louise Ellman MP, Councillor Mark Dowd, Chair of Merseytravel, Councillor Chris Blakeley, Chair of Merseytravel's Rail Committee and Neil Scales, Merseytravel's Chief Executive.

The announcement will mean electrification of the route and a fleet of new electric trains, with work beginning immediately and taking around four years to complete.

Councillor Mark Dowd, Chair of Merseytravel, said; "This is something we have been pushing for, for a very long time and we are delighted that the government has listened. This investment is absolutely vital to the region; to the public, to business and to the economy.

"Electrification of the line will mean shorter travel times, more regular services, less breakdowns and cleaner, greener trains. The benefits for the millions of passengers on this line will be tremendous."

Councillor Chris Blakeley said: "The benefits to Merseyside and the wider region cannot be underestimated.

"It is a key economic and arterial route into two major regional economies so the case is for electrification was always a strong one. This investment makes commercial and environmental sense and comes at a time when the economy is in difficulty and investment in public services is essential."

Neil Scales, Chief Executive and Director General of Merseytravel added: "This investment is fantastic news for our region and we can only praise the Minister and the government for taking the right steps, during challenging times, to make a real difference to transport in our region.

"Electrification of the line and a fleet of new electric trains will ensure that these services are clean and green at the point of use; the investment will cut CO2 emissions drastically and ensure these services are much more reliable, comfortable and capable of carrying more passengers. It will also ensure that travel times between the cities are cut to around 30 minutes."

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