Government joins forces with Liverpool to transform City's rail network

PASSENGERS in Liverpool could soon benefit from a simpler, more affordable and integrated transport network thanks to an agreement signed by Transport Secretary Mark Harper and Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram.

The Memorandum of Understanding commits to the Government working in closer collaboration with the City to deliver plans for a fully integrated public transport system in Merseyside. Signatories included:- the Transport Secretary, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Network Rail and the Great British Railways Transition Team.

The agreement could pave the way for easier, cheaper and more accessible journeys across the City, providing better connectivity to jobs, education and business opportunities in Liverpool. It also supports the Government's commitment to empower Local Authorities and ensure the needs of local communities are at the heart of decision making.

This comes alongside £12 billion announced by the Government as part of its Network North plan to better connect Manchester and Liverpool. The funding will allow the delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail as previously planned, including high-speed lines.

The agreement will be signed at the official opening of Headbolt Lane; the country's newest Train Station in Kirkby, funded by £80 million of Government funding.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:- "Today's agreement demonstrates this Government's commitment to transforming public transport across the country and empowering elected leaders to make decisions based on the priorities of local people. This agreement follows over a billion pounds of funding committed to the City through our Network North plans and will kickstart transport improvements for people across the City, making journeys affordable and accessible for all."

Headbolt Lane Station is the new terminus for Merseyrail and Northern services. Passengers are already benefiting from the Station, which offers improved connections to the centre of Liverpool, Wigan and Manchester, as well as better connectivity to the Region's bus services.

It will be served by new state of the art trains equipped with innovative battery technology, which are currently being developed and rolled out across the entire Merseyrail fleet, as part of plans to double capacity on the network and deliver greener, more reliable services.

Thanks to Government funding, it will soon become the 1st battery powered fleet in the UK, opening up the possibility for further expansion of the Merseyrail network.

Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said:- "This deal signifies not only a massive moment for our Region - but the start of a new wave of devolution for the country. It puts us on track to open up the right conversations around how we can improve our rail network for the better and run it in the best interests of passengers. It's the Liverpool City Region once again blazing a trail in the revolution of our railways - and I'll be fighting our area's corner every step of the way to make sure we capitalise on this opportunity."

As part of the Government's Network North plan, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority also received a further £1 billion from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements, plus a further £600m made possible through the decision on Phase 2 of HS2. This is more than double the City's previous allocation.

New £2m competition launched to help decarbonise local transport

A new £2 million competition is launching today to encourage businesses and Local Authorities to work together to develop and trial transport schemes that cut emissions in the long term.

The Transport Decarbonization Demonstrators programme, funded by the Department for Transport, will also help to grow local economies by supporting businesses to bring new solutions closer to market.

Any UK business can apply for up to £500,000 to run innovative trials that tackle local transport challenges on the ground. Half of this £2 million fund will be reserved for rural areas, supporting them in unlocking the benefits of technology and innovation to tackle challenges, such as access to jobs and reducing loneliness.

The trials will help to develop the green transport systems of the future, whilst improving choice and availability of transport options for passengers.

The competitive grants will be awarded and delivered by Innovate UK; part of UK Research and Innovation and the UK's national innovation agency which helps businesses grow and develop new technologies. The competition will open on:- 27 November 2023, and close on:- 8 January 2024, and businesses can apply online.

Mike Biddle, Executive Director Net Zero at Innovate UK said:- "Taking a place based approach to decarbonise our transport systems is critical if we are to reach our net zero targets both locally and nationally and prosper from the transition to net zero. Innovate UK are delighted to be working with the Department for Transport to invest £2 million in innovation projects aimed at not only reducing emissions, but also building key partnerships between Local Authorities and businesses which will ensure maximum impact."

As part of the Government's Transport Decarbonisation Plan, today's announcement delivers on driving decarbonisation at the local level, and will contribute to making our villages, Towns and Cities greener.

It builds on the success of last year's Transport Research Innovation Grants (TRIG) local decarbonisation call, which funded 20 innovators to develop early-stage solutions to local decarbonisation challenges. The latest round of TRIG funding closes for applications on:- 27 November 2023.

This Government is leading the way with green transport having recently set out its world leading path to reaching zero emission vehicles by 2035, which will require 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans sold in Great Britain to be zero emission by 2030.