New CGI images for a proposed Liverpool Baltic station have been revealed.
The £100 million scheme will provide a new rail link for the Baltic Triangle, which has become one of the most bustling and fastest-growing areas in the city centre.
Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram plans to make the station one of four to be built in the Liverpool City Region and is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
He said: “Since I have been Mayor, I have worked around the clock to ensure our area has better connectivity so that people get to enjoy a reliable, accessible, affordable and integrated public transport network that helps, rather than hinders people getting around.
“There are some unique challenges with the design of the site given that the station platform is subterranean.
“However, these plans for Liverpool Baltic further demonstrate our ambitions for the future of public transport in our area – a modern, fully accessible network with state-of-the-art infrastructure that unlocks opportunities for people and businesses.
“Liverpool Baltic is just the first in a pipeline of new stations we will be delivering over the next few years to ensure we are connecting local people to each other and to the opportunities we are creating.”
Plans for Liverpool Baltic station include step-free access from street to train, passenger waiting facilities, fully accessible passenger toilets, secured monitored cycle parking and links to an enhanced local active travel network.
The new station is part of Mayor Rotheram’s “Merseyrail for All” commitment to reach communities that are currently not connected to the local rail network by utilising the region’s new pioneering battery powered technology, which has made it possible to extend the lines beyond current boundaries.
It is also hoped that it will encourage more residents to travel by public transport instead of car, supporting the Mayor’s target to reach net zero by 2035 – the most ambitious target for a city region in the country.
The images have been unveiled ahead of a public consultation in June and July over plans for the new station that will serve the UK’s ‘coolest neighbourhood’ – and the world’s 11th coolest – according to Time Out magazine.
As part of the consultation, a new virtual reality (VR) walkthrough will allow members of public to place themselves within the station and view its facilities and points of interest.
The engagement period will begin on June 3 and close at 5pm on July 26, with those interested invited to submit their views via an online survey and two drop-in events.
Local businesses and residents will also be able to submit their feedback via postcard.
Information gathered from this will be used to finalise the designs ahead of the planning application. Subject to approval, it is expected work will begin on site in 2025, with the station planned for opening by the end of 2027.
Cllr Nick Small, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet member for Growth and Economy, believes that the new travel hub will boost the growth of the Baltic Triangle area.
He added: “The new Liverpool Baltic station has huge potential to help drive the economic growth of this part of the city centre and will act as a vital service for the long-standing residential community.
“Its development will also complement the council’s plans to improve the public realm in the area for both residents and visitors alike.
“The next few years should define the future of the Baltic Triangle for decades to come and these new images and the pending public consultation is an exciting chapter in this unfolding story.”