Liverpool Baltic Station expected to secure £96m funding
The highly anticipated project will provide an artery into “one of the coolest, most vibrant areas in the country”, according to Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram.
With the land already purchased, a decision on whether to draw down £96m to fund the project will be made by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority at a meeting on 20 September.
Funds for the scheme will be derived from the £710m City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement, allocated from Westminster.
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- Scroll down for more images of the project
A planning application will be submitted to Liverpool City Council next month once funding is secured. Architect Owen Ellis is leading on the design.
The Baltic Triangle is seen as an area with strong socio-economic potential, a hotspot for creatives, entrepreneurs, and local entertainment. Building a station there will plug a gap in the city’s transport network.
On the project, Mayor Steve Rotheram said: “It is about more than just getting from A to B – it’s about connecting people with jobs, education, and each other while cutting down on car journeys to help us hit our net zero targets.”
Liverpool Baltic Station’s planned opening towards the end of 2027 will form a critical part of Rotheram’s 2035 net zero target for the city and his “Merseyrail for all” commitment.
The platform will have step-free access. Credit: Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
The station will be on the Northern Line, between Liverpool Central and Brunswick Station.
Rail infrastructure is already in place – St James station opened in 1874 on the same site but was closed during the First World War as a way of trimming public finances.
Liverpool Baltic Station will provide step-free access from street to train, passenger waiting facilities, fully accessible passenger toilets, and secured monitored cycle parking. Links to an improved active travel network will also be provided as part of the plans, with the aim of reducing residents’ dependence on cars.
The station will be served by standard 777 units.
The £500m new fleet of battery-powered Merseyrail trains, which entered into service in October 2023, will not be used for Liverpool Baltic.
Three other rail stations – Daresbury in Halton, Woodchurch in Wirral, and Carr Mill in St Helens – are also in the pipeline.
Mayor Steve Rotheram believes that more effective transport is the key to unlocking the region’s potential, adding that “this new station at Liverpool Baltic is just another step on the journey towards making our Merseyrail system bigger, better, and more accessible for everyone.”
The project team includes Mott MacDonald, Infinite 3D, WSP, Merseyrail Electrics 2002 and Skanska.
Click any image to launch gallery
- Credit - via LCRCA
- Credit - via LCRCA
- Credit - via LCRCA
How can it get this far yet no funding is secured it’s a great project and much needed. The other stations Steve proposes need to be brought forward and more need to be planned now.
By Anonymous
£96m on what!? It’s sound over-engineered.
They’re not even building any residential to go on top on the station. It was estimated at £25m just two years ago.
We seriously need to get a grip on construction, in particular, infrastructure costs. Britain is such an outlier compared to its European neighbours.
By Gold plated elephants
Halve the cost on this and spend the other half on remodelling the dilapidated moorfields entrance making it surface level access. This would help kick-start the development of the derelict land opposite the entrance and possibly add weight to the long stalled Pall Mall scheme. This as another post noted is ridiculously over engineered.
By Anonymous
This station is vital and needs to be constructed soon as, however surely some of it could be sold as air rights for apartments to offset the cost, likewise who owns the disused bits of land to the left of that image, if its LCC, then sell to a developer with full planning permission to pay for the station. Maximise your assets!
By GetItBuilt!
Wow £96M. I’d love to see an itemised spreadsheet of every cost. Along with an accompanying project plan for how long each subtask will take. Or is that too much to ask?
By LordLiverpool
Duh ..the cycle park got me .
By Eric
“Merseyrail for all” by 2035, better get a move on as Merseyrail doesn’t serve Liverpool East even though there are disused lines on the Outer Loop crying out for development in high residential areas and capable of taking battery powered trains.
By Anonymous
My frustration with this is 2 fold . Firstly the cost seems ridiculously high especially against the purported benefit to the area. Secondly in comparison the outrageous plan for the new Everton Stadium served by Sandhills Station. This is a game changer for the city and will no doubt be a catalyst for the surrounding area in addition to hosting football , high profile concerts etc . Yet the plan for this station is to have holding pens for travellers that will avoid big crushes . Its simply outrageous , firstly fans in holding pens how is that even contemplated especially with the tragedies previously suffered , after many years the stadium is essentially completed December 2024 and this is the only plan for train travel. £98 million on a nice to have and 98p on a critical public transport . ITS A DISGRACE .
By Paul M - Woolton
@Paul M, to be honest by the time someone has walked to Sandhills , about
12 mins, you will almost be in town which is about 20 mins away.
There will be a match about once per fortnight so if they lay on a fleet of buses and charge a flat £1 fare to get you into town that would be a big bonus , but yeah having a station at Vauxhall would help and that shouldn’t cost the earth as well as serve the residents who live in the area and be a catalyst to more future development .
By Anonymous
An inaccuracy in your article @Place, the station WILL be served by the city’s new £500 million fleet of trains, it just doesn’t need the batteries as it is served by the electric 3rd rail system. The whole of the Northern and Wirral Lines is served by the electric 3rd rail, only the new Headbolt Lane station uses the batteries.
The opening of Liverpool Baltic will be a major leap forward for Merseyrail and will cement the Baltic Triangle as one of the country’s leading innovation districts. It’s worth the cost!
By Paul Blackburn
Good morning Paul, thank you for your comment and engaging with our article. When writing this story I contacted Liverpool City Region Combined Authority who confirmed that the new station would be served by the standard 777 trains, not the new battery powered fleet, due to its location being between Brunswick and Liverpool Central stations.
By Charlie Valentine
It sems difficult to justify spending nearly £100million on re-opening one station, despite the refinements offered, when considering what else that money could be spent on. One example is that stations on Merseyrail are largely unmanned and yet there is no access for disabled customers.
By Roger Clayton
Over engineered, would prefer it if the station comprised of just 2 regular staircases from the existing bridge
A double lift shaft on each platform,
Avoid the proposed concourse buildings which streamlines the passenger experience to get from street to platform while repurposing the ticket barrier staff as revenue protection onboard, reducing need for any expensive buildings, rent out a little kiosk on each platform to a local startup business owner on the cheap with the condition they must sell tickets, which also gives the unmanned station a presence while keeping running costs minimum making 10 more new stations a more attractive option! A station should be functional not a political wow destination
By Dodd