New images have been released showing how large-scale plans could transform Liverpool Central Station.
Today, Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram, together with his Greater Manchester counterpart Andy Burnham, set out a vision for a ‘transformational investment’ in the North West’s two largest city regions. Mayors are setting up a new Liverpool-Manchester Railway Board in a bid to maximize the economic and social benefits of a proposed new high-speed line between the two cities.
Speaking in Leeds, the mayors set out their preferred options for government investment, which follow positive talks with railway minister Huw Merriman. The vision includes investment in city center stations, including plans for a tube station at Manchester Piccadilly and a rebuilt Liverpool Central station.
MORE: Vision for a new transport hub in Liverpool city center with extended Central Station and Lime Street underground link
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The mayors have previously spoken of their optimism over a new high-speed line between Manchester and Liverpool, via Warrington and Manchester Airport. The government has committed £12 billion to the project.
Speaking today, Mr Burnham said he believes there is a total of £17 billion on the government’s table for this, following the demolition of the northern leg of HS2. But he said more money will be needed to realize the full vision of regeneration at Manchester Piccadilly and Liverpool Central.
It is hoped that under the new plans, journeys between the new Liverpool Central Station and Manchester Airport could take just 25 minutes.
ECHO has previously reported on ambitions for a major new transport hub in Liverpool city center as part of plans for the new high-speed line between the two cities.
City region leaders are keen to redesign current city center junctions to accommodate new high-speed lines and resolve network capacity issues, both at Liverpool Lime Street and Liverpool Central Merseyrail station – one of the busiest rail junctions in the country.
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (CA) has already advertised for a strategic partner to work on a regeneration plan for the Liverpool Central area, with two clear demands. Today we saw for the first time what that regeneration plan could look like.
The CA wants to tackle capacity issues in the hugely busy Liverpool Central, while creating a ‘once-in-a-generation’ opportunity to redefine the wider area around the station and deliver ‘transformational, place-based regeneration’.
The area, including Renshaw Street and Ranelagh Street, is seen as a potential key gateway between the city center and the growing Knowledge Quarter, which includes the city’s universities, the new Royal Liverpool Hospital and the historic Knowledge Quarter development.
The ECHO understands that the so-called ‘dream’ vision for city region leaders is to create an expanded Liverpool Central Station and associated wider gateway development, but linking this to Lime Street, possibly via an underground tunnel.
Leaders have looked to stations such as King’s Cross St. Pancras Transport and Euston Hub in London for inspiration in terms of connecting underground services to an above-ground station, locally and nationally.
There is also a belief that an expanded exchange could potentially take some regional services out of Lime Street, freeing up the mainline station for the Northern Powerhouse high-speed lines promised by the government.
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