The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has authorised significant upgrades at Lea Green station, a key milestone that paves the way for the improved facilities to open to the public. The station, which is part of a larger local transport infrastructure project, has been granted official approval for its new station building and a multi-storey car park.
The ORR’s authorisation confirms that the new facilities meet stringent standards across a range of areas, including health and safety, accessibility, environmental protection, and reliability. The improvements at Lea Green station include a new station building to replace the previous one, an integrated multi-storey car park that more than doubles parking capacity, a new station forecourt, and upgrades to public spaces and passenger information systems.
The ORR worked closely with Network Rail’s Safety Review Panel to support Northern, which operates the station on behalf of Merseyrail, and the wider project team throughout the authorisation process. After Northern submitted its final documentation on 4th August, the ORR worked swiftly to grant its authorisation just three days later on 7th 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.”
- ORR authorises new and upgraded infrastructure like Lea Green station as part of its responsibility to authorise infrastructure and rolling stock that are new or have had a major upgrade or renewal.
