Steve Rotheram, the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, has announced that its new fleet of publicly owned trains could be in service as soon as next Monday, 23rd January.

The new high-tech trains are part of a £500m investment, and have phone charging and more space for bicycles, prams, and wheelchairs, than the existing trains. They will first see use on the Kirkby line, followed by a phased rollout with the Ormskirk line next and the rest of the network across both the Northern and Wirral lines later this year.

Built by Stadler in Switzerland, the trains are designed to meet the needs of a 21st-century transport network and will replace the current fleet, which will then be withdrawn after more than 40 years of service.

The new trains set a new standard for accessibility, and feature a pioneering sliding step technology that meets the platform edge and provides level boarding for everyone at all doorways and on all platforms. That makes it easier and safer for passengers with wheelchairs, bikes, pushchairs, and luggage to get on and off the trains.

Local people were consulted in their design, and come with a wide range of customer-focused features and functions including:

• USB charging points;
• digital passenger information screens;
• extra space for wheelchairs, bicycles, and prams;
• larger and more comfortable seats with increased legroom;
• on-board Wi-Fi;
• air conditioning;
• CCTV, which is visible to passengers, the driver (if safe to do so), Merseyrail‘s control room, and British Transport Police;
• on-board Train Managers to provide reassurance and support to passengers.

They are three times more powerful than the existing fleet, and can start and stop more quickly to give greater service reliability and resilience, as well as up to a 10% shorter journey time, and are greener and cleaner.

Regenerative braking delivers energy back into the electrical supply network, and as they are lightweight, they are 25% more energy efficient than the current fleet, helping to cut carbon emissions dramatically.

A revolutionary feature is on board battery technology that could also allow the new trains to reach parts of the region not currently electrified or served by Merseyrail services, such as operating as far afield as Wrexham and Warrington.

They are an integral feature of the Mayor’s plan for a London-style integrated transport system and a ‘Merseyrail for all’ system that serves communities throughout the Liverpool City Region.

Further information about the new trains and details about the rollout of the fleet is available online at www.merseytravel.gov.uk/newtrains

Announcing the news, Mayor Steve Rotheram said: “Our passengers have all been waiting patiently and the time has finally arrived – our new trains are now just days away! This is a massive moment not just for our region, but for the entire country, as we prepare to launch the UK’s first publicly owned trains in decades into service, putting the ‘public’ back into public transport.

“We’ve invested half a billion pounds in our new fleet, which are packed with great new features like sliding step technology, free phone charging and Wi-Fi and more room for bikes and wheelchairs – and I cannot wait to see people’s reactions as they step on board for the first time in just a few days.

“Designed in consultation with local people, they’re some of the most accessible and sophisticated in the entire country. But more than that, they’re a big part of my vision to build a network that’s faster, cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable, and a region where no one is left behind. This is just the beginning of a local transport revolution.”