The Merseyrail network is set to get brand new trains after Liverpool City Region leaders gave the green light to the £460m project.
The state-of-the-art trains that will come into service by the end of 2020 will replace the near 40-year-old fleet that currently runs on the network – the oldest in the UK.
The trains will be built and maintained by Swiss manufacturer, Stadler, subject to a final legal process and the signing of the contracts in the New Year.
The new trains will be safer – most notably in the ease in which everyone can get on and off, and will also make Merseyrail the most accessible traditional network in the country.
The trains will be able to carry 60% more passengers while retaining the same number of seats, will cut journey times by 10% – equivalent of up to nine minutes on some end-to-end routes, and will have the capabilities to eventually run beyond the current Merseyrail boundaries to places like Skelmersdale, Wrexham and Warrington.
The trains, which will not result in any additional fare increases or council tax rises, will be publically owned by Merseytravel, meaning that they can be designed specifically to suit our network, with features local people have said they want to see.
The new trains’ project also includes infrastructure upgrades to power supplies, platforms and track, as well as refurbishment of the depots at Kirkdale and Birkenhead North and the ongoing maintenance of the trains.
The new trains will be operated differently, with the driver – assisted by cameras along the length of the train – responsible for the opening and closing of the doors and the dispatch, rather than the guard.
This mode of operation, Driver Controlled Operation (DCO), was put forward by all bidders in meeting the recommendations of the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report into the fatal incident at James St in 2011.
Many suburban ‘commuter’ networks and all Metro networks in the UK are DCO, including the Tyne & Wear Metro and London Underground – which has been DCO for 30 years. In terms of ‘light rail’ the Manchester Metrolink is also DCO. Between 60 and 70% of all rail passenger journeys in the UK are on DCO networks. It is also used extensively across Europe.