Transport Secretary gives seal of approval to £140m Lime Street upgrade
Faster, more frequent and more reliable services should ensure better journeys for passengers, thanks to the completion of £140m of upgrades at Liverpool Lime Street station.
Delivered on time and on budget by Network Rail, the extended platforms, new tracks and upgraded signalling and overhead line equipment were inspected by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling on a visit to the station today, October 15.
The work, which has been completed in stages over the past 18 months, is part of the wider £1bn-plus Great North Rail Project.
The Transport Secretary also saw one of the 98 state-of-the-art Northern trains sets to be rolled out across the network over the coming months.
Replacing outdated Pacer trains, the brand new diesel and electric trains will run across the Northern network, delivering more seats and space and comfortable.
Mr Grayling said: “When Concourse House was demolished it opened up Lime Street’s Grade II-listed façade to the city again, and made it a much more fitting neighbour for the magnificent St George’s Hall and the other historic buildings of Liverpool’s World Heritage site.
“Now these improvements mean the interior of the station matches the exterior.
“Work on the platforms, tracks and signalling equipment of the station will deliver longer trains, more reliable services, more seats and faster journeys.
“Working closely with Network Rail and train operators, they will ensure people see significant benefits from the £1bn Great North Rail Project. They are part of the Government’s determination to put better journeys for passengers at the heart of everything we do.”
The station is served by Northern, TransPennine Express, Virgin, London North Western Railway, East Midlands Trains and, in its underground station, Merseyrail.
On a tour of the new works Mr Grayling was joined by Martin Frobisher, managing director for Network Rail’s London North Western route, and Chris Nutton, major projects director at TransPennine Express.
His visit coincides with the first Green GB Week – an annual event aimed at highlighting the opportunities clean growth offers the UK and at raising understanding of how businesses and the public can contribute to tackling climate change.
To mark Green Great Britain Week Mr Grayling welcomed the announcement from rolling stock leasing company Porterbrook that their latest battery technology would enable class 350 electric multiple unit trains to match the performance of diesel trains on existing non-electrified routes on key corridors across the North of England.
The UK has led the world, to date, in cutting emissions while creating wealth.
Between 1990 and 2016, the UK reduced its emissions by more than 40%, while growing the economy by more than two-thirds – the best performance in the G7 on a per person basis.
