The government has announced that final works on the £8.3 million Bootle branch rail line upgrade have been completed, delivering a doubling of freight train capacity to and from the Port of Liverpool.

Funded by the Department for Transport, the upgrade allows up to 2 freight trains an hour in each direction, meaning more trains will be able to deliver vital goods to and from the port for import and export, meeting predicted demand for rail freight for the coming decades.

Work on the track along the Bootle line has been a long-term project and it reopened to freight traffic in September 2021. 

The upgrade is now alleviating pressure on the pinch point between the West Coast Main Line and the Port of Liverpool by doubling the previous 400 metre section of single track.

Chris Heaton-Harris Rail Minister said: “I am delighted that the upgraded Bootle line has opened, offering more opportunities for reliable, greener rail freight to transport goods to and from the thriving Port of Liverpool.

“Rail freight is one of the most sustainable ways to move goods and it is exciting to see our investments in the North boosting the economy and levelling up the region.”