Steve Rotheram says huge disruption on the line this week – including total suspension of services today – is ‘completely unacceptable’ as he summons rail bosses to explain themselves
18:37, 09 Jan 2025Updated 18:41, 09 Jan 2025
Steve Rotheram is furious about the latest Merseyrail chaos (Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
Furious Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram has blasted Merseyrail and Network Rail over the chaos passengers have experienced on the network and announced an independent review into the problems. Snow and ice caused havoc for the region’s rail operator today, with the decision taken to suspend all lines this morning, leaving thousands of angry commuters disrupted and delayed.
There was further anger when no rail replacement buses were available. This followed major disruption on multiple lines on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Now Steve Rotheram, the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region has vented his fury at the situation and promised the combined authority he leads will commission a rapid and independent review of what has gone wrong, with Merseyrail, Network Rail and train manufacturer’s Stadler summoned to explain themselves.
In a fiery intervention, a clearly exasperated Mayor Rotheram said: “While the poor weather conditions have caused problems to public transport all over the country, my concern is what happens in the Liverpool City Region. As a country we don’t do ‘bad weather’ well.
“This morning’s severe disruption to Merseyrail services due to cold weather is completely unacceptable. It’s not as if there were 6 foot snow drifts. For thousands of people across our region – myself included – it’s meant delays getting to work, missed hospital appointments, and unnecessary chaos.
“As someone who regularly uses our public transport system to get around, I’ve seen first-hand the frustration that this kind of failure causes. People depend on these services every day, not just to get from A to B, but to keep their lives running smoothly. When the system fails, it’s more than an inconvenience.”
Steve Rotheram is furious about the latest Merseyrail chaos (Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
Taking direct aim at the organisations involved, Mayor Rotheram added: “Despite repeated assurances from Network Rail who run the signals and tracks – and Merseyrail who run our train fleet – that they had robust winter plans in place, what we’ve seen today paints a very different picture. It’s clear that despite the assurances given, improvements to preparation and communication are needed – and fast.
“The fragmentation of the rail network often results in confusion around who is responsible for what bit of the system. That’s why today I have commissioned an independent and rapid review into this week’s disruption on the Merseyrail network.”
He said the findings of the quickfire review will be reported at next month’s Combined Authority meeting. On top of this, representatives from Network Rail, Merseyrail and Stadler will be summoned to the next meeting of the CA’s Transport Committee on January 30 to “account for the disruption we have seen.”
The Mayor added: “Let me be clear: this isn’t just about trains not running. It’s about the real-world impact on people’s lives – the stress, the missed opportunities, and the disruption it causes. And while freezing conditions might cause challenges, there’s no excuse for other aspects such as the poor communication passengers have experienced. They deserve clear, timely information, not to be left in the dark.
“Public transport is about people, and it must work for them – no excuses. Our residents deserve a reliable, resilient, and responsive network, and I’ll continue to hold all parties to account until we see real, meaningful improvements. The people of our region deserve better and I won’t rest until we deliver it.”
Merseyrail confirmed on Thursday afternoon that its cold weather plan had been activated once again with freezing conditions expected overnight once more.