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Birmingham Post
Birmingham Post
Business
Alistair Houghton

Why re-opening Liverpool's Baltic Triangle train station is something that simply must be done

The Baltic Triangle is one of Britain's great regeneration success stories. And there's a station right next to it. There's just one problem - the station has been closed for a century.

I've been reporting on the Baltic in Liverpool for more than a decade, and I've seen it change from a half-forgotten semi-industrial cluster into a thriving business and leisure district.

It's become best known as a visitor destination, thanks to its bars and venues, and events such as Bongo's Bingo.

But the area’s growth began with the creative and digital sectors, as small firms moved into venues such as Elevator Studios and Baltic Creative.

Last month, businesses gave their backing to the St James Station plans, describing them as a 'major priority'.

Despite the arrival of the inevitable blocks of flats, the area remains a creative and digital  hub with artists, musicians, designers and video game producers among those who call it home.

And all of those pioneers have at some point looked up the hill to the site of the old St James Station and thought about how much better the area would be if that transport hub were reopened.

The former St James Station near Cains Brewery in the Baltic Triangle. (James Maloney)

St James Station closed in 1917, but the wide cutting where it sits can still be seen by passengers on the trains that pass through every few minutes on Merseyrail's busy Northern Line.

I visited the remains of the derelict station earlier this year. It would need a huge amount of work to get it reopened - but it's easy to see how it would be a great success.

Business leaders are demanding that it gets opened. They say that it would help spark more investment in the area, and would attract bigger businesses who currently wouldn't choose to move there because transport links aren't quite right.

Here at BusinessLive we write a lot about transport infrastructure - because it's vital for business.

Cains Brewery Village complex in the Baltic Triangle (Liverpool ECHO)

The Baltic Triangle station plan is a win for business in Liverpool and will help bolster the regeneration of a key part of the city centre.

It's an expensive project and Merseytravel may well need Government cash to make it happen. It should get the money.

Because this isn't just about the Baltic. It's about the UK's need for infrastructural and transport investment.

HS2 and the megaprojects get all the attention, but sometimes it's the smaller projects like this that can make a real difference to businesses and growth. 

So if the Government is serious about business growth, it should help Merseytravel get St James Station open again. And then it should do the same for other Baltic Triangles all over the country.

Let's give businesses the transport infrastructure they need to do business

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