Liverpool City Region set to bring Merseyrail services into public ownership

Merseyrail services could be brought into public ownership under landmark plans aimed at creating a simpler and more joined-up transport network across the Liverpool City Region.

A report due to go before the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority next week recommends that services currently operated under the Merseyrail concession are taken back into public control when the existing contract ends in 2028.

The proposal has been unveiled by Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram and forms part of his ambition to create an integrated public transport system linking trains, buses, ferries, walking and cycling routes, and future rapid transit services.

Bringing Merseyrail into public ownership would give the city region greater control over how rail services are operated and developed, while helping different forms of transport work together more effectively.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, 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.”

It could also allow more money to be reinvested into services and future improvements, ensuring the benefits of the network are felt by passengers and communities across the region.

Since Mayor Rotheram was first elected, the Combined Authority has invested more than £500 million in a new fleet of publicly owned trains.

New stations have also opened at Maghull North and Headbolt Lane, while plans are progressing for four additional stations across the Merseyrail network.

The proposal comes as hundreds of new buses are introduced as part of the city region’s move towards a publicly controlled bus network.

Tap-and-go ticketing is also being rolled out to make journeys across different forms of public transport easier and more convenient.

Further investment is being made in walking and cycling infrastructure, a new Mersey Ferry and plans for a rapid transit system designed to improve connections between communities, employment, education and other opportunities.

The Combined Authority believes bringing rail services under public control would help ensure these investments form part of one integrated network, making journeys simpler and improving connections between different modes of transport.

If the recommendations are approved, work will continue on detailed plans ahead of the current Merseyrail concession ending in 2028.