A Merseyrail train station “could soon get a full service returned” after services were controversially reduced last year.
Birkenhead MP Mick Whitley said he was given an update on the situation at Green Lane station after a recent meeting with Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram.
In August 2022, services at Green Lane train station on the Wirral were reduced in order to reduce the number of delays as well as at Bromborough Rake. This is until the new Merseyrail trains are rolled out on the Wirral.
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This means trains stop at Green Lane every half an hour though services at Bromborough Rake have now been partially reinstated following a campaign by both the Labour and Green Parties there.
However the decision not to reinstate services at Green Lane has been accused of being “a nakedly political decision ahead of the local elections” by Green Party leader Pat Cleary.
In March, he said: “I am shocked that Green Lane has been excluded from this decision. I want to understand the rationale behind it.
“Green Lane serves a deprived community in a ward that has the lowest car ownership in the borough and what we have is a Labour run city region absolutely abandoning the poorest people in the Wirral and the most transport dependent community on the Wirral.
“I think it is shocking, though obviously good for Bromborough. None of these cuts should have been approved.”
However Labour said Cllr Cleary had not raised the issues at Green Lane with them and said it was calling for a review of services there.
Mick Whitley, Member of Parliament for Birkenhead, said: “I recently met with our Labour Mayor Steve Rotheram to demand a restoration of a service of four trains an hour at Green Lane station. We had a very positive dialogue, and I’m hopeful we’ll have some good news soon.
He added: “I was encouraged to hear that we could soon get a full service returned to Green Lane by running a hybrid service with the new and old Merseyrail trains running together until the new trains can be fully rolled out.
“I hope to see Merseyrail pursue this course of action and provide some much-needed clarity to my constituents by outlining a clear timetable for when normal service will be resumed.”
When asked for clarification on when people can see services resume, a Merseyrail spokesperson said: “Merseyrail made the changes to the timetable in August 2022, following feedback from passengers with the aim of improving the reliability of services and reducing the levels of disruption that had been occurring on the line. This has meant a more reliable service for all passengers.
“Making decisions like this is never easy and in doing so we have sought to inconvenience the smallest number of people possible, whilst considering the available nearby stations as an alternative option.
“Ultimately, the introduction of the new trains will result in a full return to regular service. In the meantime, the plan has delivered improvements in performance over the months it has been in place.
“These arrangements and performance will be reviewed very closely over the coming weeks, with a view as to whether improvements can be introduced, especially at Green Lane station. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused and we are committed to seeing a full return to services as soon as possible.”
A list of the local election candidates in Birkenhead and Tranmere:
Richard Baker (Conservatives)
Pat Cleary (Green)
Helen Collinson (Labour)
Catherine Evans (Freedom Alliance. Stop the Great Reset)
Ada Lewis (Conservatives)
Julienne McGoeugh (Labour)
Piara Miah (Labour)
Amanda Omwuemene (Green)
Edward Smith (Liberal Democrats)
Ewen Tomeny (Green)
Colin Young (Conservatives)
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