Commuters ‘still waiting’ for new station as ‘final stages’ near
An update was issued on plans for a new Merseyrail station as the project nears its "final stages."
The update from the city region's combined authority came after commuters in Kirkby complained of having "no update" on the construction of the new Headbolt Lane station. People said they were "still waiting" for news on the station, after the Buckingham Group - the construction firm working on the project, as well as plans for Liverpool FC's expanded Anfield Road stand - went into administration in August[1].
In a statement released at the time, Mayor Steve Rotheram said the "majority" of construction work was at an "advanced stage" before the news broke, and said plans to open the station "by autumn" remained on course.
In recent weeks, multiple commuters reached out to the ECHO[4] through our survey asking readers if they are happy with their local train service[5] with concerns about the opening of the station, which it is promised will greatly improve transport links for the area once open. Some commuters also spotted Northern Rail had started listing journeys from Headbolt Lane to Manchester from October 2. However, the ECHO understands making listings such as this is a regular occurrence in the industry and does not mean the station will be open for that date, which is just days away. The ECHO took these commuters' concerns to the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, which said it is in the "final stages of confirming plans for the opening of the station." A Liverpool City Region Combined Authority[6] spokesperson said: "Local residents have understandably been keeping a close watch on work at Headbolt Lane since the previous contractor, Buckingham Group, went into administration. When that news broke last month, our team worked around the clock with Network Rail, who appointed a new contractor, to restart works and provide us with the reassurance that the development would be completed safely and on schedule. "The Combined Authority is now working closely with Merseyrail and partners, including Network Rail and Knowsley Council, and we are in the final stages of confirming plans for the opening of the station and the introduction of the region's first publicly owned battery powered trains. “Our focus remains on ensuring that passengers can enjoy their new £80m, fully accessible station as soon as possible. Further details will be made available once they are confirmed and we look forward to welcoming passengers to their new train station very soon.” Don't miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the Echo Daily newsletter here[7]References