IN BRIEF
LIVERPOOL CITY REGION ’ S NEW TRAINS COULD BE RUNNING FROM NEXT WEEK
THE ACC LIVERPOOL GROUP LOOKS FORWARD TO BUSY PROGRAMME OF EVENTS DURING EUROVISION YEAR
The ACC Liverpool Group is looking forward to another packed calendar of events at its waterfront venues .
The Liverpool City Region ’ s new fleet of publicly-owned trains could be in service as soon as Monday 23 January , Mayor Steve Rotheram has announced .
This means that passengers travelling on the Kirkby line will be the first to enjoy the high-tech new trains , which are part of a £ 500m investment , complete with phone charging and plenty more room for bikes , prams and wheelchairs .
A phased rollout will then take place , with the Ormskirk line next to be introduced . The rest of the network across both the Northern and Wirral lines will follow later in the year .
Announcing the news , Mayor Steve Rotheram said : “ Our passengers have all been waiting patiently and the time has finally arrived – our new trains are now just days away ! This is a massive moment not just for our region , but for the entire country , as we prepare to launch the UK ’ s first publicly owned trains in decades into service , putting the ‘ public ’ back into public transport .
“ We ’ ve invested half a billion pounds in our new fleet , which are packed with great new features like sliding step technology , free phone charging and Wi-Fi and more room for bikes and wheelchairs – and I cannot wait to see people ’ s reactions as they step on board for the first time in just a few days .
“ Designed in consultation with local people , they ’ re some of the most accessible and sophisticated in the entire country . But more than that , they ’ re a big part of my vision to build a network that ’ s faster , cheaper , cleaner , and more reliable , and a region where no one is left behind . This is just the beginning of a local transport revolution .”
The new trains webpage is full of information and will be kept up to date during the roll out of the fleet – you can find out more at www . merseytravel . gov . uk / newtrains
The organisation , which this year celebrates 15 years since opening , is set to attract tens of thousands of visitors to shows , conferences and exhibitions at the M & S Bank Arena , ACC Liverpool and Exhibition Centre Liverpool . And 2023 is set to be a landmark year as the campus prepares to host the Eurovision Song Contest on May 13 .
Highlights on the entertainment calendar throughout the year include Disney on Ice , Elton John and Strictly come Dancing : The Professionals . UK Imaging and Oncology Congress , British Society of Gastroenterology and global events such as the Royal College of Psychiatrists International Congress are among conferences taking place . Meanwhile 2023 exhibitions will include SIBA BeerX UK , the Ultimate Show and the UK Drum Show .
Faye Dyer , managing director of The ACC Liverpool Group , said : “ 2023 will truly be a phenomenal year for us and Eurovision will really showcase our city and campus . It ’ s thanks to our successful track record of hosting great events over the past 15 years that has led us to being the host venue . But there ’ s lots more going on before and after this global event . We have a really busy programme of conferences , entertainment events and exhibitions throughout the year . Many highlights will return such as the Labour Party Conference and Comic Con Liverpool alongside lots of new events and artists such as Lewis Capaldi performing at our venue for the first time . We are really looking forward to welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors to a variety of events this year .”
2022 highlights included the World Gymnastics Championships which brought tens of thousands of people from all over the world ; the Labour Party Conference and major artists such as Diana Ross and Paolo Nutini . The ACC Liverpool Group has generated over £ 2bn in economic impact for the visitor economy since it opened in 2008 . The arena has hosted entertainment events including the European MTV awards , Sir Paul McCartney and the Netball World Cup . Conferences at ACC Liverpool have included BBC Studios Showcase , Eurospine and the first conference held in the UK during the pandemic as part of the government ’ s Event Research Programme .
70 merseylife . com