Related Articles
When Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram was first elected to his position in 2017, he promised a public transport revolution.
The new city region leader said he wanted to use his position and the newly devolved powers it came with to improve the lives of commuters and passengers across the region and fix the broken public transport system that was in place.
We are now coming towards the end of 2022 and Mayor Rotheram and his city region team have had a good few years in the job, so we have taken a look at where things are up to with the public transport transformation that was promised.
READ MORE: Merseyrail could expand to more destinations after new trains tested
Buses
Let’s start with the most positive news. Reforming the region’s bus network was one of Mayor Rotheram’s main priorities as part of his plan for a London-style public transport network in the Liverpool City Region – and it’s fair to say there has been a good amount of progress in this area.
Earlier this year all six local authority leaders voted in favour of franchising as the preferred model for the future of the region’s bus network. This move, if completed, will essentially bring the local bus networks back under public control.
It will mean local leaders have control over fares, routes, timetables and ticketing and private bus operators will no longer get to decide on where they run services based purely on profits. Work is now being carried out to complete the bus franchise business case and an independent assessment before a public consultation is launched.
Another big bus moment arrived this year when the combined authority announced that all single bus fares across the region would be capped at £2. The new price means bus passengers are now saving up to 13% on what they were paying before the September change.
And finally on buses, the city region has also invested in a new fleet of publicly owned, hydrogen-powered buses that are due to arrive in the region in early 2023, with an expected launch date in spring. Designed in consultation with the public, the new buses are packed with new features such as more space for wheelchairs and prams, larger, more comfortable seats, USB phone charging ports, free Wi-Fi, and audio and visual announcements.
Boats
The Mersey Ferries have been a big part of Merseyside life for generations and an announcement in November means they will continue to be.
It was confirmed that Mayor Rotheram has commissioned a multimillion project to “ensure that the iconic Ferry Cross the Mersey will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come”, with a new state-of-the-art vessel to be constructed. As well as the new vessel, extensive upgrade works will be carried out to one of the existing ferries.
While the announcement went down well in some quarters, there was criticism from the Unite union who said the plan was a “betrayal of local workers.” They are concerned that only some of the work will be carried out at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead, with a large proportion undertaken by Dutch firm Damen.
Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram and the region’s six city leaders insist they have “tried at every turn to ensure that we use the powers we do have to squeeze as much local value” for the local economy out of the project, but said they understand the union’s frustrations regarding the government’s “restrictive procurement laws.”
Trains
So this is the disappointing one.
It had been hoped that 2022 would have seen the roll out of the first new Merseyrail trains – eight years after a deal was first signed to purchase them. That deal, signed in 2016, saw the Liverpool City Region purchase the new state-of-the-art fleet of Class 777 trains from Swiss manufacturer Stadler.
There have been many bumps in the road – or on the track – including a long-running industrial dispute with the RMT union over the guard roles on the new trains, although that was finally settled earlier this year. Other factors blamed by the city region for the continued delays include the pandemic and factory flooding, but despite this it was still hoped we may have seen passengers boarding the first train before the year was out.
Sadly it was confirmed earlier in December that this would not be happening, with Mayor Rotheram stating he was “devastated” by the news. It is hoped the first trains will start to accept local passengers early in 2023.
READ NEXT:
Masked men storm Royal Mail depot and steal parcels days before Christmas
Merseyrail could expand to more destinations after new trains tested
‘Caring’ woman, 32, dies after house fire as fiancé fights for life
CCTV appeal after brazen burglar broke into house and went upstairs in broad daylight
