£340m improvements to city region’s rail services

RAIL users in Merseyside are to benefit from a £340m upgrade to services.

Network Rail and Merseytravel say they are to invest in new stations and new rolling stock and increase the frequency of services and improve reliability.

They will also invest in major improvements to Liverpool’s Lime Street Station and re-launch the Halton Curve, which links the city to North Wales.

Other measures will include longer platforms at Lime Street with improved signaling equipment, allowing longer trains and more frequent services; renewing tracks on the Merseyrail underground loop; laying additional track between Huyton and Roby – enabling faster services between Liverpool and the east; a new station at Maghull North – between the existing Maghull and Town Green stations; improvements to Newton-le-Willows station and a new Liverpool to Chester service facilitated by the re-opening of the Halton Curve.

The improvements are part of Network Rail’s nationwide Railway Upgrade Plan and will pave the way for additional services, such as planned new First Transpennine Express services from Liverpool to Glasgow in 2019, and new Liverpool to Chester services.

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