Mayor sets out plan to take back public control of Merseyrail
Publish date
Thursday, July 9, 2026
Landmark move would bring Merseyrail services into public ownership and help create a simpler, more joined-up local transport network.
The Liverpool City Region is set to take back control of its trains under plans unveiled today by Mayor Steve Rotheram.
A report going before the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority next week recommends that rail services currently operated under the Merseyrail concession are taken back into public control when the existing contract comes to an end in 2028.
The move would be another major step towards the Mayor's ambition of creating a transport system where trains, buses, ferries, active travel and future rapid transit services work together as one network - making it easier and more convenient for people to get around the city region.
"Since becoming Mayor, I’ve been determined to build a transport network that works better for the people who rely on it every day - one that's easier to use, better connected and designed around passengers.
"We've already introduced the country's first publicly owned train fleet in a generation, delivered new rail stations, taken back control of our buses, rolled out tap-and-go ticketing and started laying the foundations for a rapid transit network.
"Now we have the opportunity to take back control of our trains too.
"Merseyrail is already one of the best-performing rail networks in the country and that's a credit to the people who run it every day. But the challenge now isn't simply running a successful railway - it's bringing together all the different parts of our transport network so they work as one.
"People don't obsess about whether they are getting on a bus, a train or a ferry - they just want to get where they're going as quickly and cheaply as possible. My ambition is simple: one network, one vision, working in the interests of the 1.6 million people who call our city region home.
"Taking back control of our trains will help us do exactly that. It will give us greater freedom to join up services, improve connections, reinvest more money back into the network and make decisions based on what works for passengers.
"We've been pioneers before. Nearly 200 years ago, the world's first inter-city railway ran between Liverpool and Manchester. Today, we have another chance to lead the way - building a modern integrated public transport system fit for a globally renowned city region like ours.”Mayor of the Liverpool City Region
The plans form part of the biggest transformation of public transport in the Liverpool City Region for decades.
Since the mayor was first elected, the Combined Authority has invested more than £500m in a new fleet of publicly owned trains, delivered new stations at Maghull North and Headbolt Lane, and is progressing plans for four more stations across the Merseyrail network.
Hundreds of new buses are also being introduced as part of the region's move to a publicly controlled bus network, while tap-and-go ticketing is making it easier for passengers to travel across the city region.
Major investment is also being made in walking and cycling infrastructure, a new Mersey Ferry and plans for a rapid transit system that will better connect communities to jobs, education and opportunities.
Bringing Merseyrail services into public ownership would help ensure those investments work together as part of a single, integrated network - making journeys simpler, improving connections between different modes of transport and giving the Liverpool City Region greater freedom to shape its own transport future.
The proposals would also create opportunities to reinvest more money back into services and future improvements, helping to ensure that the benefits of the network are felt by passengers and communities across the city region.
If approved, work will continue on detailed plans ahead of the current concession ending in 2028.