A second rapid transit vehicle is set to begin road testing in the Liverpool City Region later this month.
The new vehicle forms part of Mayor Steve Rotheram’s pledge to introduce a new fleet of high capacity ‘gliders’ across the Liverpool City Region by 2029.
The introduction of the 18-metre battery-powered vehicle, which is on loan from Irizar and wrapped in the region’s Metro livery, comes int he wake of an initial trial last year which utilised a Translink vehicle from Belfast.
Tests will see the vehicle operate along crucial commuter routes within the city, with passenger feedback and performance feeding directly into future procurement plans.
Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, said:This is a big moment on our journey to build the modern, reliable transport system that our area’s needed for decades.
When I talk about a ‘London-style’ network, I mean a system that’s joined-up, easy to use, and where you don’t have to think twice about how you’re getting from A to B. That’s the standard people in our region should expect too – not just those in the capital.
For too long, places like ours have been treated as an afterthought when it comes to transport funding and infrastructure. But we’ve secured £1.6bn from government – and we’re putting it to work, building a system that actually works for the 1.6 million people who live here.
These gliders are a glimpse of that future – clean, spacious, accessible – and they’ll help people get to work, to training, or to the match, without having to rely on a car.
I’ve made a clear commitment to have services running between the city centre, airport and both our football grounds by 2028 – and this trial is another big step towards making that promise a reality.
The vehicles, which are equipped with two sets of double doors, level access and off-ticketing, offer 30% more capacity over a typical double decker bus – 120 passengers – and will receive full integration with the region’s wider public transport system.
Route plans are already being drawn for the first phase of the vehicles’ introduction, with links to Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Anfield and the Hill Dickinson Stadium receiving priority and future plans including extensions to networks not currently served by the region’s rail network.
Members of the public are being asked to provide feedback on the look and feel of the gliders whilst in operation, despite not being able to actively travel on them whilst they undergo testing, with a public drop-in session scheduled to take place at 1 Mann Island on Wednesday 23 July, from 10:00 to 16:00.
