Liverpool City Region transport leaders will consider progress on four proposed railway stations on 6 November, with the Liverpool Baltic project approaching a decision that could allow construction to begin in 2027. The other proposed stations — Carr Mill in St Helens, Daresbury in Halton, and Woodchurch on the Wirral — are at earlier feasibility and design stages.
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is being asked to approve the Full Business Case for Liverpool Baltic. That would be a significant step towards construction, subject to the further approvals and practical arrangements needed to deliver the project. It is not a decision that all four stations are ready for building work.
Liverpool Baltic would occupy the site of the former St James station between Liverpool Central and Brunswick. Its location would provide a direct Merseyrail connection to the Baltic Triangle, a district that has seen residential, commercial, and cultural development. The station is the most advanced element of the four-site programme.
Work at Daresbury is at the feasibility and initial business case stage. The Combined Authority expects the findings in early 2027 before deciding how the proposal should advance. At Carr Mill, initial plans and designs have been completed, with further work planned alongside Network Rail, Northern, and St Helens Council.
Woodchurch remains at an early development stage, with feasibility findings also anticipated in early 2027. These projects therefore have different technical and decision-making timetables. The mayor’s commitment is to begin work on four new stations by 2030, not an assurance that all four will open simultaneously or in the immediate future.
The new stations form part of Mayor Steve Rotheram’s Merseyrail for All programme, aimed at increasing the reach of the rail network and access to employment and education. Local rail connectivity can influence how people reach business districts and other work locations, particularly where direct rail service is currently unavailable.
The authority is also progressing improvements at existing stations. Step-free access work is taking place at Aigburth and Rock Ferry, while schemes involving Port Sunlight and Walton are being developed. An upgrade for Runcorn station is under consideration, including changes to passenger facilities and commercial space.
Another element is a £26m programme to improve wayfinding and real-time information across the transport network. Better signs and passenger information are intended to help people navigate journeys that involve different services, alongside the physical construction and upgrading of stations.
The plans build on the opening of Headbolt Lane and Maghull North and the introduction of a publicly owned Merseyrail train fleet costing approximately £500m. The Combined Authority also plans to bring Merseyrail services under public ownership in 2028 when the existing operating contract ends.
The immediate decision is confined to Liverpool Baltic’s business case, while the three other proposed stations continue through preliminary work. Liverpool Baltic is the only one of the four currently approaching approval of a full business case and a near-term construction pathway.
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