Liverpool Baltic station CGIs released as project drives forward
An engagement stage begins next month ahead of final designs being produced and a planning application being submitted, with a view to work starting on site next year.
Contracted by Network Rail, the principal designer is Mott MacDonald, with Owen Ellis the architect. The CGIs were prepared by Infinite 3D.
Subject to approvals, the aim is for the train station to open before the end of 2027, a year ahead of schedule. It is one of a quartet planned by Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram.
The three other stations are earmarked for Daresbury in Halton, Woodchurch on the Wirral, and Carr Mill in St Helens. Work to develop all three is expected to be underway by the end of the decade.
An engagement period for the Baltic station will begin from Monday 3 June, closing on Friday 26 July.
It will take the form of an online survey, a couple of drop-in events, which include a virtual reality walkthrough, and a feedback postcard sent to local residents and businesses.
Mayor Rotheram, 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.”
Step-free access from street to train, passenger waiting facilities, fully accessible passenger toilets, secured monitored cycle parking and links to an improved active travel network form the bulk of the plans.
These developments are intended to enable communities not currently connected to the local rail network to do so, by using battery powered technology to extend the lines beyond their current boundaries.
CGIs have been released showing how the Liverpool Baltic Station could look. Credit: LCR CA
Cllr Nick Small, Liverpool City Council’s cabinet member for growth and economy, said: “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.”
Maisie Hogan, Network Rail sponsor, said: “We welcome the investment in the rail network and we’re delighted to be working with Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and other stakeholders to deliver the design of this project.”
Neil Grabham, managing director of Merseyrail, said: “This is an incredibly complex project, but the end result will be something that will make a massive difference – not just to the Liverpool Baltic area, but to the whole of the city region.
“I would encourage everyone to visit the drop-in events to judge for themselves how the new station will look and work for customers.
“We’re really proud to be collaborating with our stakeholders in making the Merseyrail network even more integral to the lives of people who live in Liverpool, as well as visitors to our great city region.”
Too high wont get past planning
By Anonymous
A great looking scheme and very good news indeed. Whilst appreciating the complexity, let me ask the obvious: can we have this as quickly as possible, please?
By Dougal Paver
A welcome sign but that image fails to show the Baltic Park development and Central Park, both next door. Steve hints at upgrading Liverpool Central station and other developments to ease rail congestion which surely must mean the reopening of the Wapping Tunnel at Edge Hill in order to bring services from St Helen’s,Wigan etc into Central. He really needs to improve our national links too so we can train it direct to Edinburgh, Bristol,Cardiff etc, oh and by the way can we have our 2 trains per hour to London please.
By Anonymous
The train will be standing at platform One 2027, should have been much earlier .
Mayor Rotheram’s pace of promises from his manifesto must be slower than Stephenson’s Rocket
By Oh, Mr Porter!
This is great news
By Peter Grice
Looks great! This should be the catalyst for more apartments and businesses in the area. The Baltic Market, Camp &Furnace, Box Park etc are all there, a new station is the icing on the cake for one of the coolest areas in the north west.
By Liverpolitan
The station building is clearly over-engineered and I can’t think of a good reason other than to try and make it seem a grander plan than it is. The station will do well. All it needs is a ticket area, escalators and lifts.
Sorry Steve, but more publicity isn’t what’s needed: it’s far more ambitious ideas. Adding a station in this part of town is a basic.
By Jeff
In the time it takes to build this one station Everton will have drained a massive dock, filled it with compressed sand, and constructed a complete football stadium to hold 53000 people.
I saw on another forum someone got an official reply from LCR, and it makes poor reading, it looks like out of a government allocation to the NW the Liverpool Region won’t get much, and that the Wapping Tunnel won’t happen plus there are vague promises about improving Lpool Central station but very little of major regional importance.
By Anonymous
Why not put a Bus Service to area ,make it more accessible for folk .
By Patricia Mc Nally
Good positive news , but painfully slow its needed now . On a similar not what about a significant upgrade for Sandhills to serve the new EFC stadium ?. I was alarmed seeing plans for what are essentially holding pens for fans wanting to use the station before and after a game . That’s not a solution or acceptable expand the station for the obvious increased capacity , concerts etc along with football.
By Paul M
It’s LCC anything could happen from now till then
By Anonymous
Great, now get on with it!!
By Ryan
Amazing how many folk think the Mayor Steve Rotheram is a dictator with unlimited powers and unlimited funds. These may be the same folk who are against Regional Government and also against “more politicians”. Why not vote Tory again, and ask the “free market” to provide all you want? Good luck with that!
By Anonymous
What a shame, I think it’s terribly dated with its 1970s square edges and flat roof. I wouldn’t suggest a 1980s elliptical roof, and I know this is an area of traditional post industrial architecture, but a bit of 21st century design wouldn’t go amiss.
By Edge
George, looks great is the funding in place for this and the other key project proposal for central station?
By George
I really don’t see the need for this and if it is to serve stations in the locality i.e., Lime Street, Central Station & Brunswick Dock these are well served by bus routes for ongoing commuting to other destination’s. Spending money on a tram service, know that’s integral to the lives of people who live in Liverpool, as well as visitors to our great city region.
By IR
Steve Rotheram should be embarrassed this is coming along late all because he prioritised the unnecessary station at Headbolt Lane, just because he’s from the area. Baltic has suffered without this already being in place.
Missed a trick by not including residential development on the station land. A risk averse and dysfunctional combined authority / Merseytravel which the Mayor still doesn’t have a grip on
By Whovotedforhim?!
Looks good. Would it not be better with a roof to protect passengers and station from the elements ? Without it, it could get very hot down there in the summer and icy during the colder months.
By Steve
Will there be a cold wind blowing through that station?
By Lurch
Looks great
By Anonymous
Why, didn’t they plan for it to be covered and a mixed development built above like they do elsewhere, homes are badly needed in this part of town and any commercial premises would enhance the station and area something similar to the U-Bahn in Berlin where the stations become meeting and entertainment hubs?
By Liverpool4Progress
Copper Coloured Tin Shed?
By John Lynn
Nice, but the images on the side of the panels are a bit cheesy and will date
By Anonymous