The first of the brand new Class 777 trains has been welcomed by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram. The new trains will be rolled out into the Merseyrail Liverpool City region later this year.

Having travelled from the Stadler factory in Switzerland, the train was unveiled at a newly redeveloped Stadler rail depot in Kirkdale.

This is the first of 52 Class 777 Merseyrail trains which will arrive over the next year. Testing will begin on the train to make sure they are ready for passenger service and then they will be introduced across the Merseyrail Network on the Northern and Wirral lines.

Replacing the current fleet, which is almost 40 years old, the new trains are part of a half a billion-pound investment in the Merseyrail Network. This will create 1000 new jobs ad provide a boost to the local economy of over £70m per year.

The new trains can carry up to 50% more passengers and have CCTV, free Wi-Fi, wider seats and more cycle storage. In addition, they feature sliding step technology to allow unassisted access for wheelchair users.

Funding has also been approved to fit batteries to the new trains.

In the future, they could then travel outside the network to places such as Widnes, Skelmersdale and Warrington.

If you spot the new train out and about on testing, then why not share a picture on LocoStop, the RailAdvent social network.

What did the officials say?

Metro Mayor for the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram said:

“I’m delighted to welcome the first of our brand-new trains – owned by us the public – to the Liverpool City Region – owned by us the public

These state-of-the-art-trains are the most accessible anywhere in the country and they will help make our rail network fit for the 21st century.

They form a key part of my ambitions to build a London-style integrated transport system for our area, along with a 600km network of walking and cycling routes and improvements to our bus service, which we’ll be making further announcements on next month.”

Andy Heath, Managing Director at Merseyrail, said:

“The arrival of the first of these innovative new trains is a significant moment for the Liverpool City Region.

These trains, purchased by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, and fitted with pioneering technology and features throughout, will transform the rail offering in the region and we look forward to being able to welcome passengers aboard later this year.”

Neil Heaton, head of fleet maintenance at Stadler Rail Service UK, said:

“We are very pleased to see the arrival of this first train in Liverpool. It’s a highly significant moment for Stadler in the UK, and particularly for our team in Liverpool, who will support the fleet throughout its life.

“Over the next few months, we will carry out a programme of comprehensive testing on this train to ensure that from day one, it is safe and reliable. Our colleagues at Merseyrail and Network Rail will support us in this process.”

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