All aboard for the next stage of transport revolution

The changes arriving in 2026 as Mayor oversees his vision of a modern network

- By LIAM THORP

WHEN Steve Rotheram made his pitch to become the first elected mayor of the Liverpool City Region, there was one key theme he was keen to stress.

The year was 2017, and the prospective mayoral candidate wanted to sell the dream of Liverpool enjoying a public transport revolution.

It was clear, he said, that this part of the country was being sold short in this department and major, sweeping changes were needed.

For inspiration, he said we must look to London. Having been a Member of Parliament for the previous seven years, the would-be mayor had seen firsthand the benefits of using the capital's integrated and publicly managed transport networks.

Promises of a London-style public transport system were a key feature of Mayor Rotheram's ultimately successful mayoral campaign in 2017.

He has since been reelected twice and served in office for eight years, and while other priorities have come and gone, transport remains central to the city region leader's agenda.

So as 2025 draws to a close, we have taken a look at how that promised public transport revolution is shaping up and what big developments we can expect in 2026.

TRAINS

We begin with Merseyrail, where we have seen a vast amount of change in recent years.

The new £500 million fleet of Class 777 trains are now operational across the entire Merseyrail network, having replaced the ageing Class 507 and 508 models. It's fair to say the new trains had a stuttering start to life, with lots of breakdowns, disruption and delays, but things feel much smoother across the network for most passengers these days.

There is still the remaining issue of the roll-out of eight-car carriages across the network that is expected to pick up in 2026 and should make those packed rush-hour services far more bearable.