The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has authorised significant upgrades to Lea Green station in St Helens. The station improvements include a new station building and multistorey car park, and are part of a larger project which includes improvements to local transport infrastructure.
ORR’s authorisation covers the new station building, which replaces the previous building constructed in 2000. It also includes the integrated multistorey car park, which more than doubles parking capacity at the station, as well as the new station forecourt, public realm improvements, passenger information systems, and other upgrades.
ORR’s authorisation is a key milestone in getting new, upgraded, or renewed infrastructure, such as Lea Green Station, ready to open. It confirms that standards on areas like health and safety, accessibility, environmental protection, and reliability and availability have been met.
ORR has worked closely with Network Rail’s Safety Review Panel to support Northern, which operates Lea Green station on behalf of Merseyrail, and the wider project team, through the authorisation process, ensuring that important checks and surveys were carried out. Northern shared its final documentation with ORR on 4 August, and ORR worked quickly so the station could be authorised on 7 August.
Steve Fletcher, Deputy Director, Engineering and Asset Management at ORR, said:
“This is an important step for improving rail connectivity on Merseyside, and we look forward to seeing the upgraded infrastructure open to passengers soon.
We’re pleased to have played our part in getting Lea Green Station ready to open. Our team worked closely with Northern to support them through the authorisation process, just as we do for new trains and infrastructure across the country.”
Marie Rimmer MP said:
“I’m delighted to see the upgrades at Lea Green station finally authorised. Lea Green is a gateway for our community to both Liverpool and Manchester, and these improvements will make a real difference for passengers. The new station building and expanded parking will be especially valuable for our more vulnerable constituents, making travel safer, easier, and more accessible. This is very welcome news and a step forward for our local transport infrastructure.”
Northern Rail have confirmed that the station will officially open on 18th August.
