IT HAS dominated the political headlines on Merseyside for weeks as a high-stakes game of claim and counter-claim has been played out between Merseytravel and Liverpool City Council.
Merseytram has somehow descended from being a well-funded flagship regeneration project to potentially another one of those embarrassing Merseyside failures.
How has that happened? If you are confused, here is a very simple overview of the whole project and hopefully some answers to the questions that may have baffled you.
A. Quite simply, it's a project to bring trams back to the region for the first time since 1957. It has been promoted by Merseytravel, the passenger transport authority for the Merseyside area, which is made up of representatives from all five local councils.
Q. Sounds great - what are the details?
A. There are three lines scheduled, to be built one after the other.
Line One is due to run on a 12-mile route from Liverpool city centre to Croxteth and Kirkby. A city centre loop is also included to connect key sites around Liverpool. It is due for completion in September, 2007.
Line Two running from the city centre to Prescot and Whiston Hospital (serving Liverpool University, Edge Lane and Alder Hey Hospital along the way) is due to follow in 2009.
Line Three to Liverpool John Lennon Airport should follow in 2010.
Q. Won't it all be very expensive?
A. Well, yes. Major transport schemes are always expensive and can really only go forward with massive Government investment. Line One is due to cost around £227m and Line Two only a little less.
News RSS Feed