Spat over future of south Liverpool train station as mayor throws out accusations of scaremongering

This prompted some to fear days could be numbered for the historic station, connecting the south of the city with the main transport hub. As a result, more than 500 people signed a petition calling for it to be saved.

The efforts to protect the station have been led by Cllr Richard Clein of the Liberal Democrats, who presented the petition to the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority transport committee last month. Mr Rotheram said Cllr Clein had been “no less dishonest” than Boris Johnson’s claims around £350m being saved from the NHS over Brexit.

Presenting his petition, Cllr Clein was critical of the decision to close the station on two Saturdays in the run up to Christmas. He said: “The reality is I was contacted by residents in early December asking if I knew why, after a reduced Saturday service which had gone on for months, why Cressington station was closing completely on Saturday December 6? I had no idea.

Cllr Clein said he contacted the Metro Mayor on social media about the station closure but said he did not receive a reply. Discussing the station during a BBC Radio Merseyside phone-in, Mr Rotheram hit back at why many were concerned about the station.

He said: “They’re worrying because there’s been a lot of scaremongering by a certain Lib Dem councillor. I think it’s no less dishonest for someone to claim a station is closing when it fundamentally is not closing as it was for the likes of Boris Johnson to put £350m saving if we Brexit to the NHS.

“I don’t think that false narrative does anybody any good.” The Metro Mayor said the station had been closed for operational reasons, adding how commuters can access another stop “two or three minutes away.”

He added: “What we’re doing is working with Merseyrail to see whether we can overcome the issues that are created by eight carriage trains going to stations that aren’t long enough. One of the ways in which we’re doing it, and this work is already underway, we’re looking at putting beacons in and they will disallow the door opening on the last one or two carriages of the eight carriage trains, so that people can still move freely through them because there’s no compartmentalisation and get off and on at Cressington station.

“We’re looking at solutions but it’s not about closing Cressington station. My aim is not to close Cressington station even for a single day.”

Reacting to Mr Rotheram’s radio interview, Cllr Clein said: “I’ve never ever said there was a plan to close the station nor have I put a leaflet out saying so. It always been about the reduced service and closures on a Saturday.

“To insinuate otherwise, is an insult to the 600 residents who have signed my petition and are still waiting for a clear explanation as to why the station closed on two Saturdays in December. I presented the petition to the city region transport committee two weeks ago and was promised a full written response around the issues.

“Like many trains across the network, that’s yet to arrive nor has a guarantee that the station won’t close again. The Metro Mayor’s response is that people can take a 20-minute walk to the next station.”