Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram has called on the government not to treat the people of the Liverpool City Region as "second class citizens" when it comes to transport.
Appearing at a Labour Party Conference fringe event in Liverpool today, Mayor Rotheram spoke about how London's transport system has helped to inform his vision for the city region's transport network. He commented on the frequency of trains, buses and tubes in the capital and questioned why the same quality of service shouldn't be implemented across the country.
He said: "If it’s good enough for London, why not everywhere else? We’re not second class citizens so why should we get second class transport?" Mayor Rotheram also confirmed that the first new Merseyrail trains are set to be in operation by the end of the year.
READ MORE: Andy Burnham backs Hillsborough families as Labour vow to bring in new law
He admitted it has taken "a long time" to get everything in place but said the new fleet will be made up of "the most sophisticated, cleanest and greenest trains in the whole country." It was in 2016 that a deal was first signed by the Liverpool City Region's transport body to purchase the 52-strong fleet of Class 777 trains from Swiss manufacturer Stadler, and after a host of stumbling blocks have delayed the introduction of the fleet, Mayor Rotheram expressed his delight that the trains will soon be ferrying people around Merseyside.
The Metro Mayor also spoke about the need to make the city region's rail stations accessible to complement the new transport. Currently, more than two thirds of the local rail network have step-free access to the platform, making it easier and safer for wheelchair users, people with mobility needs or those with children in prams, luggage or bicycles, to use the platforms and trains.
And as part of plans to upgrade the remaining 21 stations, the Combined Authority is now nominating a further 10 of them to be considered by the Department for Transport (DfT) for funding under the next round of its Access for All scheme. Mayor Rotheram said: “We’ve got to start investing in stations as well and we need proper accessibility at all of our stations."
Today's fringe event was also attended by the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, who praised Merseyrail's success in the performance tables and urged a Labour government to bring in an ongoing revenue subsidy to allow local government to have more power over their region's transport systems.
Mayor Burnham said: "I look at rail performance tables on a regular basis and its awful in the North of England but there's always one service at the top of the tables and its called Merseyrail."
Speaking about his decision to bring Greater Manchester's bus network back under public control, he said: "Local public control delivers a better service, so when you bring the buses into that mix, it will be an expanded better service.
"So when Steve can unite bus and Merseyrail services together, and when I can unite bus and tram and hire bike together in one London-style system, all of a sudden all of it will get better very quickly.”
Mayor Burnham also explained how world class transport networks are the missing puzzle piece for Liverpool and Manchester. He said: "Both Liverpool and Manchester are brilliant places to live and yet we’re not world class in transport.
"These are two cities that I think are the best places in England. Give us world class transport and there’ll be no holding us back."
READ NEXT:
Woman sexually assaulted on Ryanair flight from Liverpool to Spain
Flight attendant shares 'best way' passengers can get upgraded to first class for free
Plea to help bring 'beautiful' woman's body home after she fell to her death in Ibiza
Wanted drug dealer finally jailed after ten years on the run
Man shot with Glock used by Olivia Pratt-Korbel killer 'owed debt' to murder suspect
