NEW services connecting Liverpool to North Wales including a direct link between the city centre and Wrexham will form part of a plan to overhaul rail services over the next decade and beyond. For many, the commute from the north west of England to north east Wales is a well-trodden path.
With its rich and historic links, Liverpool has often been referred to as the capital of North Wales. Now, leaders hope those ties can be strengthened with the development of additional lines between Liverpool city centre and Wales’ newest city as part of a massive investment by the Welsh Government.
Among the raft of improvements earmarked over the next decade include the renaming of the Borderlands line to the Wrexham to Liverpool line, which takes in a number of key locations on this side of the border, including Birkenhead and Bidston. There are also hopes of connecting services to a proposed Liverpool to Manchester rail line as put forward by the Metro Mayors in both cities last week.
Ken Skates, Welsh Government cabinet secretary for transport and North Wales, unveiled the plans during a summit in Wrexham today. This would include a new, direct rail link between Wrexham and Liverpool.
Immediate changes are being delivered, with a raft of improvements planned for the next twelve months, three years and through to 2035 with the Liverpool City Region seen as a key partner in the development. Work is expected to begin to unlock key pinch points between the two cities to bring about a metro service between both sides.
The Welsh Government is keen to bring forward the introduction of 50% more services across the North Wales mainline from December 2026 to next May – resulting in a new service from Llandudno to Liverpool. Upon completion of crucial rail line works, increased train services between Wrexham and Bidston to two trains per hour could be introduced within the next three years, ahead of the introduction of four trains per hour that will run direct between Wrexham and Liverpool by 2035.
Alongside the renaming, key stations along the Wrexham to Liverpool line would also receive upgrades in the next 12 months.
Mr Skates said: “UK Government, local government, Transport for Wales and English local authorities are working with us to deliver this bold programme of work to better connect communities, with more rail and bus services and greater integration, new stations, new transport routes, new trains, new buses, new technology.
“A network of public transport services that will include cross-border turn-up and go bus and rail services, extending the Northern Arc from Hull to Holyhead.”
