£1.6 billion boost for Liverpool City Region’s Transport

Major funding injection will be used to expand rail network and introduce new Rapid Transit links to airport, football stadiums and beyond.

Transcript

00:00The Liverpool City region is set to benefit from an historic £1.6 billion investment

00:08to help deliver the next stage of its transport revolution, backing major rail upgrades,

00:13a new rapid transport network and infrastructure to unlock one of the largest regeneration schemes in the country.

00:20The funding, confirmed by the Chancellor ahead of this year's spending review,

00:24represents the single largest investment in the region's transport infrastructure to date.

00:30Secured through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement,

00:34this funding will accelerate Metro Mayor Steve Rotherham's plans for a London-style public transport system.

00:40I'm delighted to announce that the Government have awarded us £1.6 billion

00:45for transformational transport projects, which will happen right the way across

00:51Noseley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton, The Wirral and Halton.

00:56And that means that all of those things now that we had in the pipeline,

01:00those projects that we wanted to get over the line,

01:04have got every opportunity now of being fully delivered.

01:08It's, again, another one of the benefits of devolution,

01:11working with the Labour government and delivering for the 1.6 million people in the Liverpool City region.

01:16At the heart of the plans is the largest ever investment in local rail station.

01:22Infrastructure work will now progress on three new stations,

01:25Car Mill in St Helens, Woodchurch in Wirral and Daresbury in Halton.

01:29This is alongside committed schemes at Liverpool Baltic and a redeveloped Runcorn station.

01:35These projects are central to the City Region's ambition to expand the reach of the Mersey Rail network,

01:40including new connections to Cytec, Daresbury, where a direct rail link is expected to create 8,000 new jobs

01:47and, in the future, Wrexham, which could deepen the economic ties with North Wales.

01:53The region will also move forward with a commitment to deliver a new rapid transit network,

01:58offering fast, modern and reliable services to Liverpool City Centre, John Lennon Airport

02:02and key locations in North Liverpool.

02:05Inspired by successful models like the Belfast Glider, this system will support wider regeneration,

02:11linking existing communities with opportunity and improving access to major destinations,

02:17including Bramley Moor Dock.

02:19This is part of a broader programme to transform the region's bus network,

02:24supporting the introduction of a zero-emission fleet, new depot infrastructure

02:28and the rollout of franchising, returning buses to the public control for the first time in nearly 40 years.

02:34Alongside these schemes, the funding will help unlock a new city-scale regeneration project

02:40in North Liverpool and South Sefton, centred on the new Everton Stadium.

02:46Beyond the three flagship projects, the funding will also back a number of schemes

02:50aimed at revitalising and reconnecting towns across the city region,

02:54including Bootle, Heighton, Kirby and Southport.

02:57So,