Merseytram was a tram line project in Liverpool that proposed in the year 2001 but was stopped in the year 2005.
Merseytram was a proposed tram project that was meant to connect the suburban areas in Liverpool with that of the city center. An important Liverpool transportation project, the three tram lines were aimed to cover some of the most important sightseeing attractions in the city. The Merseytram project in Liverpool was proposed in the year 2001 but was canceled in the year 2005 due to disputes regarding investments.
Merseytram Project stages
The proposed stages of the Merseytram project included the construction of three tram lines along with that of the city center loop.
The city center loop was meant to cover all the major destinations around the city of Liverpool. Some of the stopovers in the suggested tram route would have included sightseeing destinations like Tate Liverpool, Albert Dock and St. George's Hall. Some of the other important stoppages that would have been covered included transportation hubs like the Liverpool Lime Street, Merseyrail network, Paradise Street Interchange, Mersey Ferry, Moorfields and many more. Shopping areas also formed an important part of the list.
Line one of the Merseytram project was meant to have connected the Liverpool city center loop with that of the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Croxteth and West Derby.Approved by the Secretary of State, the line was intended for a 2007 opening and therefore the
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construction was scheduled to have been started by July, 2005. This tram line was the first to be constructed in the project and was backed up by the Liverpool City Council and the Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council.
Line two of the Merseytram project was suggested to have connected the Liverpool City Center Loop with regions like Prescot, Knotty Ash, Whiston and Page Moss.
Line three was supposed to have linked the Liverpool City Center with that of the Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
Termination of Merseytram Project
Pertaining to the dispute that the government had with MerseyTravel regarding project investments, the Merseytram Project was dropped midway. Liverpool government had initially granted a sum of 170 million pounds out of 225 million pounds that was set for the entire project.
The government was, later, required to pay 238 million pounds out of the newly set amount of 325 million pounds. The government refused to shell such a huge amount even when it was assured that the shortfall would be met by Merseytravel. The project was finally chucked out from the Merseyside Local Transport plans by the then Transport Minister, Derek Twigg in the year 2005, in the month of November.
The Merseytram project still continues to be a part of Mersey Travel's transport plan. The project has not been shelved completely and is expected to be renewed for the period, 2006 to 2011.
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