A massive overhaul is taking place on a Merseyside railway station.
Work began in summer 2022 on Lea Green railway station in St Helens, with £15m of investment being used to deliver "first class" services. Construction of a multi-deck car park is part of the plans, with aims to increase park and ride capacity to around 450 vehicles.
The work forms part of the £15m St Helens Southern Gateway project, funded by the Combined Authority’s Transforming Cities Fund.
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Other significant upgrades include a new station building at Lea Green with waiting room, toilets and other customer facilities, as well as a new junction replacing the roundabout by the Bull and Dog pub just outside the station. Councillor Andy Bowden, St Helens Borough Council’s cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “With services calling at a number of key cities, Lea Green is without question one of St Helens’ busiest railway stations, highlighted by how oversubscribed the car park currently is, so it deserves first-class facilities to match which will improve customer experience tenfold.
“The Liverpool City Region has big plans for public transport and active travel across Merseyside which St Helens will play a key part in – with this investment improving facilities in and around Lea Green for rail users, pedestrians, and cyclists alike.”
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region added: “Devolution offers us the opportunity to do things differently. When I was elected, I made it a priority to improve our local transport network to make it easier, quicker and more affordable for local people.
“We’re investing nearly £15m in and around Lea Green station to improve the facilities and make it a much better place for travellers and cyclists alike – including twice as much room for park and ride
“I’m also developing wider plans for a London-style transport network, with tap-in contactless payments, fare caps and better buses and trains. It will make getting around the region cheaper, quicker and much more reliable – putting the public back at the heart of public transport.”
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