24.10.16
Business case for Maghull North station in Liverpool approved
A new railway station in Liverpool has come a step closer as the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) approved the business case.
The Maghull North station will be situated between the existing Maghull and Town Green stations on the Ormskirk branch of Merseyrail’s Northern Line.
The LCRCA agreed to provide an additional £4.5m from the Local Growth Fund to meet the cost of the project, which increased following the Hendy and Shaw reviews. The total cost is now £13m.
Cllr Rob Polhill, portfolio lead for transport and connectivity for the LCRCA, said: “This is a fantastic example of ensuring we have effective transport systems to reflect our growing residential communities, enabling greater connectivity around the Liverpool City Region and beyond.”
Maghull North is intended to relieve pressures on the other stations, and serve a new 370 home housing development in the area.
It will feature 132m platforms, a 156-space car park, step-free access and provision for electric vehicle charging points, as well as connections to pedestrian, bus and cycle routes.
In total, the LCRCA will contribute £10.7m to the project. Merseytravel will provide £1.84m, while the Homes and Communities Agency, which currently owns the land on which the station will be built, will provide £0.48m.
Merseytravel is also considering applying for funding through the New Stations Fund to meet some of the cost.
The station now needs planning approval from Sefton council. If it is granted, work will begin on site in August 2017 and the station will open in May 2018.
In total, Network Rail and Liverpool authorities are investing £340m in improving the city’s rail network over the next three years.
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