Steve Rotheram wants to open three new Merseyrail stations by the end of the decade. The Metro Mayor has announced his intention to build new stations at Woodchurch on the Wirral, Carr Mill in St Helens and Daresbury in Halton by 2030. Two new stations have opened on the network in the last six years.
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00:00 Steve Rotherham wants to open three new Mersey Rail stations by the end of the decade.
00:08 In May, people will have the chance to cast their ballot in this year's Liverpool City
00:12 Region Mayoral elections.
00:15 In his first policy pledge of the campaign for re-election for a third term, the Metro
00:20 Mayor has announced his intention to build new stations at Woodchurch, on the Wirral,
00:26 Carmill and St Helens and Dursbury in Halton by 2030.
00:31 Should the plans go ahead, it would represent each area of the city region having a brand
00:37 new station under Mr Rotherham's tenure.
00:40 We've been on the streets of Liverpool to ask where you'd like a new station and what
00:44 you think of the network.
00:46 Certainly for the outlying areas of Liverpool, you know, just on the outskirts of that, people
00:54 can get access into the city centre readily, easily and at an affordable price.
01:02 I think that location, I mean you can go further and feel like Skelmersdale and have a railway
01:08 station.
01:09 There's not many places in Wallasey.
01:11 There's only New Brighton, Leeside Station, Biscurby Station, Birkhead, that's basically
01:24 the nearest ones.
01:27 I think local trains are okay and they are reliable.
01:32 You know, yeah, I've got no problems with that.
01:35 There should be more stops, yeah, more stops, yeah.
01:40 And the trains aren't very well run, are they?
01:44 Like, because you get gobbles putting the feet on the seats and everything and messing
01:49 around and all that.
01:50 Air trains are, they do need updating and they were second hand in the beginning anyway.
01:57 I think just pinpoint places that are easily accessible and don't take long to get into
02:04 Liverpool, maybe that may attract more people because they've got a transport network then
02:10 that's up and running in place and it works.
02:14 Two new stations have opened on the Merseyrail network in the last six years, with Magul
02:18 North opening in 2018.
02:21 Last year, the £80 million Headbolt Lane site welcomed passengers for the first time
02:25 in Kirby.
02:26 However, commuters have reported repeated issues of delays and cancellations on services
02:32 after the rollout of new battery-powered trains.
02:36 Planning for a new station, the Baltic Triangle, on the site of the former James Street station
02:40 which closed in 1917, is already underway.
02:44 It's hoped that Liverpool Baltic station will be opened by 2027.
02:49 As well as regenerating Moorfield station and upgrading the entrances, other proposals
02:54 include plans to deliver a seven-day network with increased timetable provision at weekends
03:00 and evenings by 2028.