Station on track for opening day
THE newest addition to Merseyrail’s network will officially open tomorrow (Friday).
The new Maghull North, which is the 68th train station in Merseyside, will be declared open by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram.
But its first service left for Liverpool Central just before 6am on Monday, June 18.
The new station features on the Ormskirk branch of Merseyrail’s Northern Line, between Maghull and Town Green, and will see hundreds of services pass through it each week.
With two platforms, services running through the line will terminate at Ormskirk or Liverpool Central, and run every 15 minutes during peak periods.
Merseytravel said that the station would support local people by improving access to training, education and employment, and that the transport authority was responding to future transport demand incurred by a development of 370 homes, with a further 1,700 planned.
The new station consists of a staffed station building with ticket office and passenger toilet, a 150-space car park with blue badge spaces, motor cycle parking and cycle storage, and lifts to each platform.
Plans for the station were started a decade ago, but it was not until October 2016 that a business case was approved by the combined authority.
Sefton Council then approved planning permission for the station in January last year, with work commencing the following September.
Funding has come from a government contribution, Merseytravel and money from the housing and communities agency.
Mr Rotheram said: “I am delighted that the first services will be in place from Monday and look forward to marking the official opening on Friday.
“Through schemes like Maghull North, we are directly investing in our public transport system to deliver an improved service to the people of the city region, enabling better access to a host of opportunities for work, education and leisure.”
Cllr Liam Robinson, transport portfolio holder at the combined authority, said: “This station is a prime example of our long term rail strategy being put into practice.
“The new station will be of huge benefit to local residents, giving more travel options while playing a big part in helping the on-going development of Maghull in the coming years.”