Merseyrail Public Ownership Proposed When Contract Ends

Merseyrail public ownership could begin when the current concession expires in 2028 under proposals announced by Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram.

Public control proposal for Merseyrail

A ⁠report due to be considered by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority next week recommends bringing Merseyrail services into public control once the existing contract ends.

The proposal is designed to support a single local transport network linking rail services with buses, ferries, walking and cycling infrastructure, and the planned rapid transit system. The aim is to simplify journeys and improve connections between different forms of transport across the city region.

Rotheram said the proposal would give the region more scope to coordinate services, make passenger-focused decisions and reinvest more money in the network.

“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.”

Steve Rotheram
Mayor of the Liverpool City Region

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Merseyrail public ownership and investment

The Merseyrail proposal forms part of a wider programme to transform public transport throughout the Liverpool City Region.

Since Rotheram was first elected mayor, the Combined Authority has invested more than £500m in a ⁠new publicly owned train fleet, opened stations at Maghull North and Headbolt Lane, and is advancing proposals for four additional stations on the Merseyrail network.

The region is also moving its bus network into public control and introducing hundreds of new buses. ⁠Tap-and-go payment has been rolled out to make travel across the city region more straightforward.

Further investment covers walking and cycling infrastructure, a new Mersey Ferry and the development of a rapid transit system intended to improve access to employment, education and other opportunities.

Placing Merseyrail services under public ownership would help these projects work together within one coordinated network. The plans are intended to make journeys simpler, improve connections between transport modes and give the Liverpool City Region greater control over its transport future.

The proposal also identifies opportunities to reinvest more money in services and future improvements, helping to ensure that passengers and communities across the city region benefit.

The public ownership proposal follows a process that began in March 2025, when the Combined Authority requested a ⁠review of three options for Merseyrail after July 2028: direct public operation, a new private concession, or an extension of the existing contract. During 2025 and early 2026, the alternatives were evaluated for deliverability, cost, risk, benefits and strategic alignment. The latest report recommends developing an in-house operating model, including governance, organisational design, resource requirements and a mobilisation programme.

If the Combined Authority approves the recommendation, detailed planning will continue before the Merseyrail concession ends in 2028.