Combined Authorities (England): Rotheram firms up £1.6bn transport programme for Liverpool City Region

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EXTERNAL NEWS

Date posted

December 5, 2025

Source: Combined Authorities (England)
Author: Julia Hatmaker
Date published: 2025-12-05
[original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end]

Liverpool City Region will use its Transport for City Regions settlement to support the delivery of rail stations at the Baltic Triangle in Liverpool, Daresbury in Halton, Carr Mill in St Helens, and Woodchurch in Wirral – as well to introduce multimodal smart ticketing and a rapid transport network.

The government had pledged to award a £1.6bn TCR to the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority in June.

At that point, Mayor Steve Rotheram and his team at the combined authority had already envisioned using the money to support ambitions to increase the number of railway stations, franchising the bus network, and creating a rapid bus transit scheme – all of which were manifesto promises from Rotheram’s 2024 election campaign.

Now, the combined authority has firmed up its case for the best way to spend the settlement fund over the course of the five years between 2027 and 2032. Rotheram will be seeking approval of the programme at the LCRCA meeting next week.

If implemented as planned, the LCRCA said that the programme would result in a 20% increase in the number of residents able to access Liverpool city centre within 30 minutes by public transport. It would also deliver a 20% increase in the number of residents living within 800 metres of a step-free rail station.

“This £1.6bn settlement is the largest transport investment in our region’s history and a massive statement of intent towards delivering the greener, more accessible, more affordable and better-connected public transport system our 1.6m residents deserve,” said Rotheram.

“Fundamentally, this long-term plan is about inclusive growth,” he continued.

“That means new, step-free rail stations, rapid transit links, and smart ticketing that connects communities directly to jobs, new homes, cultural attractions, and of course major regeneration projects.”

During the same meeting that the TCR programme is approved, the combined authority is set to sign off on a final draft of its local transport plan, which builds upon the TCR to outline a strategy for between now and 2040. This plan will be going to consultation in January and is due to be finalised in the spring.

Here’s how the TCR programme breaks down:

Across the city region

  • £60m for rollout of smart, multimodal ticketing
  • Support the full roll out of a franchised bus system by autumn 2027
  • Support the continued decarbonisation and upgrades of the buses and their depots
  • Support for continued roll out of battery-powered trains
  • Exploration of potential Merseyrail extensions to Wrexham via Bidston and Daresbury via Ellesmere Port
  • Introduction of step-free access to all railway station
  • £300m to upgrade road infrastructure and install walking and cycling links with an aim to have zero road traffic deaths or injuries in the city region by 2040

Halton

  • Development of railway station in Daresbury
  • Refurb of Runcorn station
  • Improvements to active travel
  • Introduction of a direct cycle link from Widnes to St Helens

Knowsley

  • Improvements to rail, bus, active travel links to Huyton town centre
  • Bus priority improvements to M57 at Prescot
  • Enhancement and introduction of walking and cycling links in Kirkby and Prescot

Liverpool

  • Support for completion of Baltic railway station
  • £100m for a rapid transit system inspired by the Belfast Glider, which would link up Liverpool city centre, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Anfield Stadium, Hill Dickinson Stadium, and North Liverpool
  • Introduction of active travel routes connecting Childwall to city centre, as well as at Vauxhall and Greatie Market regeneration areas and around Knowledge Quarter

Sefton

  • Improvements to bus, rail, active travel links for Bootle town centre
  • Upgrades to connectivity and public space around Southport town centre
  • Introduction of walking and cycling links from Crosby to Bootle to Southport

St Helens

Wirral

  • Development of Woodchurch station
  • Improvements to active travel and highways in Birkenhead town centre and Borough Yard
  • Support for the delivery of Dock Branch Park

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Rotheram firms up £1.6bn transport programme for Liverpool City Region

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