Plans are being prepared for Merseyrail to revert to public ownership at the end of 2028 when its current concession expires.

Next week, a report is being submitted to the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, which recommends that Merseyrail train services should be taken back into public control when Merseyrail’s contract finishes in 2028.

This would be a step towards creating an integrated transport system where trains, buses, ferries, active travel and future rapid transit services work together as one network.

If the plans are approved, they will mark the biggest change in public transport in the Liverpool City Region in decades.

The Combined Authority has already invested more than £500m in a new fleet of publicly owned trains and opened new stations at Maghull North and Headbolt Lane, with plans being prepared for four more stations across the Merseyrail network.

The Liverpool City Region has also ordered hundreds of new buses and introduced tap-and-go ticketing to make it easier for passengers to travel across the region.

The region is also making major investments in walking and cycling infrastructure and a new Mersey ferry, and is making plans for a rapid transit system.

By having Merseyrail services in public ownership, it will be easier for those investments to work together as part of a single, integrated network, with journeys made simpler through improved connections between different modes of transport.

”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.”

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region