Liverpool train delays 'frustratingly poor', Mayor Steve Rotheram says

Merseyrail's new fleet of trains, ordered in 2016, started to come on track in January

A train company has been criticised for the "frustratingly poor" roll out of a new fleet of trains.

The first of Merseyrail's new trains came on track in January, but the service has since been plagued by delays.

Mayor Steve Rotheram has criticised train manufacturer Stadler and demanded immediate improvements for passengers.

Stadler said it "fully understands" passenger frustrations and was working to address the issues.

Merseyrail ordered 52 trains in 2016, but their delivery was delayed by issues including a factory flood and Covid.

Seven of those trains came on track in January, but passengers have since told the BBC their journeys on the Kirkby line have been hit with regular delays.

Trains between Kirkby and Headbolt Lane station use battery power, rather than the electrified third rail used by most other services on the Merseyrail network.

Mayor Steve Rotheram has criticised the service delays

Mr Rotheram claimed the process had been "frustratingly poor" and said standards of service had fallen well below passenger expectations.

In a statement, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority said: "During the introduction of any new technology, such as the battery powered fleet, initial problems are to be expected.

"However, particularly since the opening of the new £80m Headbolt Lane station, the new trains servicing it have been very unreliable.

"The mayor and combined authority officers have repeatedly raised concerns about the level of performance with Stadler and also urged Merseyrail as the train operator to do everything possible to minimise disruption."

The combined authority said options were now being explored to compensate passengers who had been impacted by delays.

They said the compensation scheme could be rolled out "in the near future".

The statement added: "While we are all exceptionally proud of the investment we've made in the country's first publicly owned trains in a generation, we are aware that the standards of service specifically on the Kirkby line have fallen well below the high standards that passengers rightly expect.

"The Mayor sought assurances that the level of service and reliability would improve as initial teething problems are resolved. Promised performance improvements have not been delivered to date."

A spokesman for Stadler said the firm was "committed to improving the reliability of the battery trains" for the region.

He said: "The cutting edge technology used in these trains has meant that we have to overcome a series of challenges, including new infrastructure and new software.

"We are deploying considerable resource to overcome these challenges and are determined to quickly make them more reliable."