New images of how a planned £100m Liverpool train station will look once completed have been revealed for the first time.
The Baltic Station scheme is one of four planned by recently re-elected Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram.
The mayor has pledged that the project will be completed by the end of 2027 – a year ahead of its current schedule.
Rotheram has also promised to build three new stations at Daresbury in Halton, Woodchurch on the Wirral and Carr Mill in St Helens, with work to develop all three underway by the end of the decade.
Rotheram said: “Since I have been mayor, I have worked around the clock to ensure our area has better connectivity so that people get to enjoy a reliable, accessible, affordable and integrated public transport network that helps, rather than hinders people getting around.
“There are some unique challenges with the design of the site given that the station platform is subterranean. However, these plans for Liverpool Baltic further demonstrate our ambitions for the future of public transport in our area – a modern, fully accessible network with state-of-the-art infrastructure that unlocks opportunities for people and businesses.
“Liverpool Baltic is just the first in a pipeline of new stations we will be delivering over the next few years to ensure we are connecting local people to each other and to the opportunities we are creating.”
The Baltic Station could be completed by 2027.
The images have been unveiled ahead of a public consultation in June and July over plans for the new station.
As part of the consultation, a new virtual reality (VR) walkthrough will allow members of public to place themselves within the station and view its facilities and points of interest.
Information gathered from this will be used to finalise the designs ahead of the planning application.
Subject to approval, it is expected work will begin on site in 2025, with the station planned for opening by the end of 2027.
The Baltic Station is expected to cost £100m.
Cllr Nick Small, Liverpool City Council’s cabinet member for growth and economy, said: “The new Liverpool Baltic station has huge potential to help drive the economic growth of this part of the city centre and will act as a vital service for the long-standing residential community.
“Its development will also complement the Council’s plans to improve the public realm in the area for both residents and visitors alike.
“The next few years should define the future of the Baltic Triangle for decades to come and these new images and the pending public consultation is an exciting chapter in this unfolding story.”
More train stations are planned for Liverpool.
Maisie Hogan, Network Rail sponsor, said: “We are pleased to see the CGI images bring the exciting plans for Liverpool Baltic station to life.
“We welcome the investment in the rail network and we’re delighted to be working with Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and other stakeholders to deliver the design of this project.”
Neil Grabham, managing director of Merseyrail, said: “These images reveal for the first time the fantastic new Merseyrail station that our customers will be enjoying in the near future. This is an incredibly complex project, but the end result will be something that will make a massive difference – not just to the Liverpool Baltic area, but to the whole of the city region.
A public consultation has been launched.
“I would encourage everyone to visit the drop-in events to judge for themselves how the new station will look and work for customers.
“We’re really proud to be collaborating with our stakeholders in making the Merseyrail network even more integral to the lives of people who live in Liverpool, as well as visitors to our great city region.”