Lea Green train station to reopen after £10m transformation

Plans for the redevelopment of the Lea Green railway station were announced in 2021, as part of city region-wide plans to encourage people to use more sustainable modes of transport.

The extensive upgrade has seen major improvements to the train station, including a new ticket office, waiting room, toilet facilities and enhanced customer service offer in addition to a new decked car park, taking park and ride capacity to 450 vehicles.

The reopening of the station has been hit by delays, however, a spokesperson for St Helens Borough Council has now said: “Sign off from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is expected soon, which is the final step to then allow the facilities to open to the public.”

The upgrade is the last element of the wider £15m St Helens Southern Gateway project, funded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority's (LCRCA) Transforming Cities Fund, and designed to improve connectivity and promote sustainable travel for local commuters to the borough's third busiest railway station.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: "Anyone from St Helens will know how important Lea Green is for getting about - and now, it finally has the facilities to match.

"From a proper new ticket office and waiting room, more parking spaces and better access, this upgrade is going to make a big difference to people's day-to-day lives.

"It's part of our wider plan to build a transport network that's fit for the 21st century - quick, reliable and affordable - and shows what we can do when decisions are made here, not in Westminster."

Lisa Harris, Executive Director of Place Services at St Helens Borough Council, added: "Lea Green is without question one of St Helens' busiest and most-used railway stations, connecting the borough to our neighbouring cities and key employment sites.

“These first-class facilities are exactly what the public of St Helens deserves and will make it easier for residents to make sustainable transport choices.

"The Liverpool City Region has big plans for public transport in St Helens Borough and across Merseyside and this investment is a great example and a sign of things to come.”

Lea Green Railway Station is expected to open to the public in April 2025.

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