Liverpool city centre 'trackless' tram vision revealed

The Paddington line would link an area on the east of the city centre close to Lime Street station

Businesses and people in Liverpool are being asked for their views on a proposed new trackless tram system.

The Paddington Line could take passengers from the new Royal Liverpool Hospital close to Lime Street station in under four minutes, it is claimed.

The route would connect Paddington Village, a new area for scientific and medical research, with the city centre.

A city council spokesman said: "It is very much the first stop on the journey before a business plan is developed."

The battery-powered trams have a chassis which runs on rubber wheels guided by sensors along roads.

The system does not need overhead cables or track which makes it cheaper than a conventional tramway, said the group behind the plans.

The trams do not need tracks or overhead cables

The plans have been devised by the Knowledge Quarter, a consortium of Liverpool City Council, the two universities and the NHS.

The group estimates that 1,000 journeys could be made per hour by people living, working and studying in the area.

Feedback from the consultation will be presented to the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority who will have to decide whether a business plan can be drawn up.

The project, formerly known as the Lime Line, was first mooted in 2017 by city Mayor Joe Anderson.

Other plans for a £170m tram network from Kirkby to Liverpool were dropped in 2007 when the Labour government decided it lacked public support.

Coincidentally, the area of Liverpool in New South Wales, Australia is investigating a similar system to link the area with the new Western Sydney International Airport.