Liverpool metro mayor pledges three new railway stations for city

Headbolt Lane station opened in Kirkby last year

Three new railway stations have been promised for the Liverpool city region's Merseyrail train network by metro mayor Steve Rotheram.

The stations in Wirral, St Helens and Halton are part of Mr Rotheram's bid to win a third term as mayor in May.

The Labour candidate said they would be built by 2030 if he gets re-elected.

Jade Marsden, the Conservative mayor candidate, said problems around existing battery powered trains needed to be addressed first.

Passengers on the network's Kirby line were hit by widespread delays following the introduction of a new £500m battery-powered fleet last year.

The problems led to Mr Rotheram offering refunds to passengers a "gesture of goodwill" for the "teething issues".

Mr Rotheram's latest plan is for stations at Woodchurch, Carr Mill and Daresbury.

If these plans come to fruition, and Mr Rotheram is re-elected in May, it would mean each area of the city region could see a new station under his tenure.

Labour Mayor Steve Rotheram said any "modern, thriving region" is only as good as its public transport

In the last six years two new stations have opened on the Merseyrail network. In 2018, Maghull North opened and last year the £80m Headbolt Lane station welcomed passengers for the first time in Kirkby.

Labour Mayor Mr Rotheram said any "modern, thriving region" is only as good as its public transport.

"Since I've been mayor, I've worked around the clock to give our region what Londoners get to enjoy every day: a reliable, accessible, affordable and integrated network that helps rather than hinders people getting about," he said.

"But I know that in some parts of our region, Liverpool can feel as distant and inaccessible as London. I'm working to put that right, bringing local people closer to each other and to the opportunities we're creating.

"My record is in stark contrast to the Conservatives in government. While they've stripped back investment in decent rail infrastructure, such as HS2, I've opened two new stations already - with one more under construction and three more about to join them."

Also on Mr Rotheram's agenda is completing a Liverpool Baltic station by 2027, improving Moorfields station and increased services at weekends and evenings.

Jade Marsden, who will stand against Mr Rotheram in the Liverpool City Region mayoral election on 2 May, said while Mr Rotheram's pledge would be "great news for the city region" problems on the Merseyrail network, such as issues with new battery powered trains, needed to be addressed first.

"Mr Rotheram needs to confirm or deny the trains are powerful enough to keep moving," she said.

"Whether the new battery powered trains are fit for purpose needs to be addressed before opening new stations."

Analysis by BBC political reporter Claire Hamilton

With transport the biggest power the LCR Metro Mayor has, it will inevitably be the focus of this election campaign.

Steve Rotheram's pledge would see bits of the Liverpool City Region - which literally and figuratively sometimes feel disconnected - get their own station.

Daresbury hasn't had a train station since the 1950s. The village is close to Warrington but falls under Halton borough council, part of the Liverpool city region.

It's home to Sci-Tech, a science and innovation campus which is currently hard to reach by public transport.

How a new station there would connect to the Merseyrail network is unclear. New stations and train infrastructure takes years to build.

Maghull North was approved in 2016 and opened in 2018. Headbolt Lane in Kirkby opened in 2023; welcomed by commuters - but the roll out of battery powered trains on that part of the line has been plagued with technical problems.

Work has yet to begin on a new station planned for Liverpool's Baltic Triangle area.