Network North Wales marks first six months of progress
Six months into a wave of transport upgrades across North East Wales, a newly wrapped “Wrexham to Liverpool Line” train rolled into Wrexham Central on Thursday, with Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates MS calling it a symbol of faster, more reliable rail travel to come.
The unveiling marked the first six months of Network North Wales, a long-term plan to build an integrated public transport system for the region.
The train’s new look, designed by artist Arry Cain, reflects local landmarks chosen after consultation with passengers. It includes features from across Flintshire, Wrexham and the Wirral, from Caergwrle Castle and Gladstone’s Library to Dee Marsh Junction, Queensferry Bridge and the Dee Estuary Nature Reserve.
Speaking to our sister site Wrexham.com, Ken Skates said the improvements go beyond appearance, with upgrades to services and timetables already making a difference.
“This is improving things, this is doubling the frequency between Wrexham and Chester, so it’s a huge increase in the number of services throughout the week, and it’s going to make it more convenient for people to travel between Wrexham and Chester,” he said.
“It gives people better options, an alternative to having to drive. We know how busy the A483 can get and the A55, so it just provides far more convenient public transport.”
The Cabinet Secretary said branding the service as the “Wrexham to Liverpool Line” underlines its growing importance.
“The Liverpool line is a hugely important line. It’s now around 50 years since calls were first made to electrify it, in order to provide essentially a metro-style, turn-up-and-go service,” he said.
“There are timetable changes concerning that particular route, but the big change today is with the trains themselves that are being unveiled, and also with the naming of the line, Wrexham to Liverpool, because with the work taking place at Padeswood we’ll see an increase in frequency to two reliable services every hour as we make that journey towards four services an hour.
“We’re working really closely with our colleagues in Merseyside on the possibility of operating battery trains direct from Wrexham to Liverpool. There’s huge demand for the service.”
Addressing past performance issues, Ken Skates said the line had improved significantly.
“You are right that this particular service did suffer poor reliability, and so timetable changes were made which have driven up reliability and performance considerably,” he said.
“It is now performing very well indeed. There will always be climatic events and impact when you have storms on services. But, by and large, this is a very reliable service.”
He said further progress would depend on long-term investment, particularly at Padeswood, where infrastructure work is under way.
“We’ve got the money we needed from the UK Government to upgrade the line at Padeswood, with match funding from Heidelberg, and we’ve got that long-term pipeline of improvements that will eventually deliver the four trains an hour,” he explained.
Ken Skates said political collaboration was proving vital to progress.
“You have Labour local authorities working with Flintshire, Chester, Cheshire West, councils on the Wirral and Merseyside, and a Labour Metro Mayor in Liverpool,” he said. “Everything’s aligned politically, and that’s why we’ve had agreement on so many rail projects relating to North East Wales and the whole of North Wales.”
He added that better branding and design help build public connection with the service.
“Because it speaks to places,” he said. “If you think about some of the world’s best transport systems, they are so closely identified with the places they serve.
“I think when you can wrap trains to represent their communities, it’s really valuable. People have a sense of ownership and a greater sense of pride.”
[The new wrapped train on the Wrexham to Liverpool line has been designed by artist Arry Cain pictured above looking at the finished project with Ken Skates.]
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “There’s long been an association between North Wales and Liverpool – our two regions have shared deep historic, economic and cultural ties for generations. We are true Celtic soulmates, with families, businesses and communities intertwined across the border, and a shared love of music, sport, and that unmistakable warmth and spirit that defines us both.
“The transport links will strengthen those ties even further, making it easier than ever for people to travel, work, visit family or simply enjoy everything our regions have to offer.”
The new Wrexham to Liverpool train design, by artist Arry Cain, highlights regional landmarks including Caergwrle Castle, Park in the Past, Lane End Nature Reserve, Gladstone’s Library, Dee Marsh Junction Signalling Box, Hawarden Bridge, Queensferry Bridge, Burton Mere Wetlands, and the Dee Estuary Nature Reserve. Flintshire sites are prominently featured.
The artwork also includes Wrexham landmarks such as St Giles’ Church Tower, Wrexham General Station, Soames Brewery chimney, and the Nag’s Head building
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