£400m Merseyrail plan would see faster trains - and 100 job losses

Formby Bubble
Sep 3, 2015
5 min read

Firm reveals scheme to replace 40-year trains with new more efficient trains for Formby passengers travelling between Southport, Liverpool and Ormskirk.

Merseyrail is planning to replace its ageing fleet with a £400 million upgrade which would see faster trains, better railways stations - but would also lead to 100 Merseyrail workers losing their jobs.

The scheme, which could be in place early in the next decade, was revealed earlier today.

Merseytravel chief executive David Brown said: “Doing nothing is not an option. The fleet is amongst the oldest in the UK and we want to ensure that we’re geared up to maintain the high standards people have come to expect from Merseyrail, as well as ensuring the fleet can cope with a significant increase in passenger numbers.

“This is not just about new trains, but what they enable us to do. They will help us improve links within and beyond the city region, supporting our own ambitions and those of the wider ‘Northern Powerhouse’ agenda, as well as benefitting us in very real economic terms, stimulating the creation of jobs and contributing millions of pounds every year to the Liverpool city region economy.”

Merseytravel is preparing to select a company to build the trains and upgrade stations, tracks and the repair depot.

100 Merseyrail jobs would be lost

But under the plans being considered the trains would only have a driver on board – currently they also have a guard – and around 200 employees would be affected by this change.

The proposals would see the existing guards’ posts, plus their supervisors / managers – totalling around 200 people – cease to exist.

Merseytravel say they expect there would be approximately 70 customer service roles created to maintain a strong staff presence on board trains “to reassure and assist passengers”.

It is understood guards would be redeployed to other departments, resulting in the loss of around 100 jobs, although some of those may already have been left vacant by the time the new fleet is introduced.

Newer trains would be quicker and could see more services run

The travel organisation says its proposals, due to be considered by the Merseytravel committee on October 1, will bring greater economic benefits than refurbishing their existing 59 three-car trains which are nearing 40 years old.

Artist's impression of what Merseytravel's new trains will look like when they begin operating on the network at some point in the 2020s.

The aim is to see newer more efficient trains which cost less to run and are quicker than the existing trains – potentially allowing more services to run.

Merseytravel says it is choosing to buy its own trains instead of leasing them as they do now as the Merseyrail contract is due for renewal in 2028 and the new trains would be expected to be in service well beyond that date.

Passenger numbers expected to rise by 40%

The train operators have also seen consistent rises in the number of passengers and expect that to continue, with a 40% rise expected by 2028 and some parts of the Merseyrail network anticipated to be 160% over capacity by 2043.

They say they need new trains which can carry more people with shorter journey times to meet the growing demand – and that by offering this they would also offer an economic boost to the region which they say could be worth £70m and stimulate the creation of 1,000 jobs.

The new trains are also expected to be maintained by the company selected to build them meaning around 150 depot-based staff would transfer to a new employer. Merseytravel says it is not expected there would be any job losses as a direct result of the transfer.

How much does it cost – and how’s it going to be paid for?

It is expected the total package will be £350-400m, which would include new rolling stock – trains – as well as improvements to the tracks and power supplies and a new repair depot.

David Brown (Director General of Merseytravel) speaks at the latest high speed rail meeting at Merseytravel HQ in Liverpool

The cost is to be paid from reserves Merseytravel has been building up for this, a department for transport grant, and improved performance – money generated by transporting more passengers. Merseytravel say it will not cost council tax payers.

Will I notice much difference?

The specification for the new trains being worked on is set to include similar seating arrangements, the “two plus two” with some facing each other and some “airline style”, following a passenger survey which showed people prefer this layout. They would also include air conditioning to avoid current problems with trains being too hot in summer. The proposed new trains would also operate with just a driver, no guard would be needed.

I like them having a guard - will it be safe?

Project manager David Powell said: “We’re very aware that the guards are valued by people, and we’re not just getting rid of them. The proposal is they will move to a more customer-facing role. This does not mean there will only be a driver on the train, there may be instances where there are other staff, and there may be instances where it is just a driver.

“The Tube, London Underground, went through this in the 1980s, and their trains are now driver controlled – they use cameras along the side of the train to check passengers are on or off.”

Will people lose their jobs?

There are around 200 employees who would be affected by this proposal. The plan is to create around 70 “customer service” roles, redeploy staff to other departments and not fill vacancies. Another 150 staff are expected to be transferred to whichever company wins the contract to build and maintain the trains.

Why new trains?

The trains currently used on Merseyrail are almost 40 years old and nearing the end of their life. Merseyrail trains are among the oldest in the country, around 35 years old, and train companies with comparably old trains, such as East Coast and First Great Western have already ordered more trains. The cost of refurbishing the trains, which could extend their life for 10-15 years, is estimated at £100-150m.

David Powell, Merseytravel’s project director for rolling stock, said: “They are in quite good condition, but they are old. They can run safely for more years, but more relevant is the growth in passenger numbers which has been going up consistently by 2.5% and we think will continue.

“If we do nothing we will end up with serious overcrowding and we need trains that can carry more passengers.”

Why not lease the trains as you do now?

Frank Rogers, deputy chief executive of Merseytravel, said: “Our view is that direct procurement [buying them] is the most cost effective way of getting new trains.”

Merseyrail says the cost of refurbishing the trains to stretch their use for another 10-15 years would cost around £100-150m. Also, Merseyrail’s contract to operate the trains is until 2028 and if that did not continue trains would need to be sourced from elsewhere.

Any other benefits of getting new trains?

Merseytravel say they want trains which will be able to use both “third rail” and overhead power. Current Merseyrail trains take their power from a third rail, but if lines such as Bidston to Wrexham or Kirkby to Skelmersdale are electrified they would most likely use overhead lines, so the aim is to “future-proof” the train system. David Powell said: “We have had to project 40 years forward.”