Liverpool City Region's new trains could be running from next week

THE Liverpool City Region's new fleet of publicly owned trains could be in service as soon as:- Monday, 23 January 2023, Mayor Steve Rotheram has announced. This means that passengers travelling on the Kirkby line will be the 1st to enjoy the high tech new trains, which are part of a £500m investment, complete with phone charging and plenty more room for bikes, prams and wheelchairs. A phased rollout will then take place, with the Ormskirk line next to be introduced. The rest of the network across both the Northern and Wirral lines will follow later in the year.

Announcing the news, Mayor Steve Rotheram said:- "Our passengers have all been waiting patiently and the time has finally arrived; our new trains are now just days away! This is a massive moment not just for our Region, but for the entire country, as we prepare to launch the UK's 1st publicly owned trains in decades into service, putting the 'public' back into public transport. We've invested half a billion pounds in our new fleet, which are packed with great new features like sliding step technology, free phone charging and Wi-Fi and more room for bikes and wheelchairs- and I cannot wait to see people's reactions as they step on board for the 1st time in just a few days. Designed in consultation with local people, they're some of the most accessible and sophisticated in the entire country., but more than that, they're a big part of my vision to build a network that's faster, cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable, and a Region where no 1 is left behind. This is just the beginning of a local transport revolution."

The new trains webpage is full of information and will be kept up to date during the roll out of the fleet; you can find out more at Merseytravel.Gov.UK.

Award winning Group delivers carbon reduction project

CONSTRUCTION property, and facilities company, The Sovini Group, are investing in their net zero carbon reduction commitment as they seek to facilitate a better future.

The award winning Group provide quality construction, property and facilities services to the public, not for profit and private sectors, and have successfully delivered a carbon reduction retrofit project, the latest initiative in a long line of carbon efficiency and biodiverse plans for their North West properties.

Their most recent project, which was undertaken thanks to support from Sefton Council's Green Homes Grant via the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), sees a 1 Vision Housing apartment block, Thackeray and Galsworthy Gardens, undergo a carbon efficiency renovation.

In line with the Group's net zero carbon commitment and the Future Buildings Standard (2021), the project takes a 'fabric first' decarbonisation approach aimed at reducing energy consumption whilst combatting high housing costs for customers.

To facilitate the external refurbishment and achieve better thermal comfort, the Group's commercial scaffolding experts, Teal Scaffold, erected a bespoke access solution to ensure essential work was conducted in a safe and secure manner.

Environmentally efficient specifications were fitted, from low carbon heating and sustainable drainage systems, to smart meters and charging points for electric vehicles, all of which were installed by in-house property and facilities maintenance company, Sovini Property Services.

Following an in depth site consultation, the Group's reliable waste management service, Sovini Waste Solutions, ensured 100% of the project waste was recycled through their circular economy service.

Anita Harrison Carroll, Chief Business Officer at The Sovini Group said:- "Our carbon efficiency project at Thackeray and Galsworthy is the latest in a longline of The Sovini Group's ecological plans for delivering affordable housing across the North West. The Group's unique end to end supply chain supports our wider environmental strategy. The development embraces our newest shift in sustainable construction management."

As a result of this decarbonisation project, the Group's social housing organisations, 1 Vision Housing and Pine Court Housing Association have identified further eligible homes where residents will benefit from reduced energy bills as well as being warmer in winter and cooler during the summer. These future projects will be facilitated by the support from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority social housing decarbonisation fund via the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Ian Mitchell, Managing Director of Housing at The Sovini Group said:- "This latest project is a perfect example of how, with successful collaboration, we can achieve a better future for our thriving and inclusive communities through our net zero carbon commitment."

To read more about The Sovini Group's end-to-end supply chain services and Net-Zero Carbon Commitment visit:- Sovini.Co.UK.