Golf club meet Mulligan, the Guide Dogs puppy they named

STUNNING new images of the £100m Liverpool Baltic station scheme have been revealed; showing how the new rail link will look in the heart of 1 of the City Region's fastest growing areas.

The new station is 1 of 4 planned by recently re-elected Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram, who has committed to completing the project by the end of 2027; a year ahead of its current schedule.

Mayor Rotheram has also pledged to build 3 new stations at:- Daresbury, in Halton, Woodchurch, on the Wirral and Carr Mill, in St Helens, with work to develop all 3 underway by the end of the decade.

It means that every borough of the City Region will have had a brand-new station since Mayor Rotheram took office in 2017.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:- "Since I have been Mayor, I have worked around the clock to ensure our area has better connectivity so that people get to enjoy a reliable, accessible, affordable and integrated public transport network that helps, rather than hinders people getting around. There are some unique challenges with the design of the site given that the station platform is subterranean. However, these plans for Liverpool Baltic further demonstrate our ambitions for the future of public transport in our area; a modern, fully accessible network with state of the art infrastructure that unlocks opportunities for people and businesses. Liverpool Baltic is just the 1st in a pipeline of new stations we will be delivering over the next few years to ensure we are connecting local people to each other and to the opportunities we are creating."

Plans for Liverpool Baltic station include step-free access from street to train, passenger waiting facilities, fully accessible passenger toilets, secured monitored cycle parking and links to an enhanced local active travel network.

The new station is part of Mayor Rotheram's:- "Merseyrail for All" commitment to reach communities that are currently not connected to the local rail network by utilising the Region's new pioneering battery powered technology, which has made it possible to extend the lines beyond current boundaries.

It is also hoped that it will encourage more residents to travel by public transport instead of car, supporting the Mayor's target to reach net zero by 2035; the most ambitious target for a City Region in the country.

The images have been unveiled ahead of a public consultation in June and July over plans for the new station that will serve the UK's:- ‘coolest neighbourhood' and the world's 11th coolest; according to Time Out magazine.

As part of the consultation, a new virtual reality (VR) walkthrough will allow members of public to place themselves within the station and view its facilities and points of interest.

The engagement period will begin on:- Monday, 3 June 2024, and close at:- 5pm on:- Friday 26 July 2024, with those interested invited to submit their views via the options below:-

• An online survey (launching 3 June)
  

• 2 drop in events (which will include the VR walkthrough)
  

• Feedback postcard for local residents and businesses.

Information gathered from this will be used to finalise the designs ahead of the planning application. Subject to approval, it is expected work will begin on site in 2025, with the station planned for opening by the end of 2027.

Councillor Nick Small, Liverpool City Council's Cabinet member for Growth and Economy, said:- "The new Liverpool Baltic station has huge potential to help drive the economic growth of this part of the City centre and will act as a vital service for the long-standing residential community. Its development will also complement the Council's plans to improve the public realm in the area for both residents and visitors alike. The next few years should define the future of the Baltic Triangle for decades to come and these new images and the pending public consultation is an exciting chapter in this unfolding story."

Maisie Hogan, Network Rail sponsor, said:- "We are pleased to see the CGI images bring the exciting plans for Liverpool Baltic station to life. We welcome the investment in the rail network and we're delighted to be working with Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and other stakeholders to deliver the design of this project."

Neil Grabham, Managing Director of Merseyrail, said:- "These images reveal for the 1st time the fantastic new Merseyrail station that our customers will be enjoying in the near future. This is an incredibly complex project, but the end result will be something that will make a massive difference - not just to the Liverpool Baltic area, but to the whole of the City Region. I would encourage everyone to visit the drop-in events to judge for themselves how the new station will look and work for customers. We're really proud to be collaborating with our stakeholders in making the Merseyrail network even more integral to the lives of people who live in Liverpool, as well as visitors to our great City Region."

Let us know your thoughts on this news topic... Email our Newsroom at:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com or send us a message on:-  Mastodon, Facebook or Twitter.