A key £20m investment to improve safety at two of Merseyside’s busiest train stations is under threat (link below.)
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2008/08/20/fury-after-rail-chiefs-jeopardise-20m-safety-plan-for-merseyside-s-busiest-stations-64375-21566152/

Merseytravel chairman Mark Dowd said the issue was of particular concern for Liverpool Central station, branding it a “tip” and “no longer fit for purpose”.

The passenger transport authority and Network Rail have identified that £12m needs to be spent at Liverpool Central and £8m at James Street to deal with increasing passenger numbers on Merseyrail. But the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), in its draft proposals for railway funding, has refused to back the schemes, saying that Network Rail’s “sums don’t add up”.

A Merseytravel document also warns that “safety issues . . . may be exacerbated with increased usage” of the stations if the cash for the improvements is not secured. Last night, the ORR said it would announce its final decision on funding in October, and until then would continue to discuss the matter with Network Rail.

The issue over whether to provide funding for the two schemes hinges on passenger number predictions.

Between 2002 and 2007, the number of passenger journeys on Merseyrail grew by 15%.

According to the data used by the ORR, annual growth of 3% to 4% is predicted, but dropping to 1% after 2009.

Merseytravel insist the modelling system used by the regulator has been shown to underestimate growth on the rail network everywhere except London.

The transport authority is predicting annual growth levels of around 2.4% until 2020, with the numbers using Liverpool Central growing by around 4%.