Mott MacDonald to design new Liverpool Baltic railway station

Mott MacDonald has been appointed as lead designer for Liverpool Baltic, a new railway station located in Toxteth, Liverpool.

At the site of the former St. James Station, Liverpool Baltic will form part of the Merseyrail Northern Line and, alongside another new station at Headbolt Lane in Kirkby, is the first step towards an expanded Merseyrail network.

St. James Station, located at the junction of Parliament Street and St. James Place, closed in 1917 as a cost saving exercise in the First World War. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority confirmed plans to re-open the station in August 2019 and the public were invited to vote for its new name.

“There is a real local need for Liverpool Baltic,” said David Thomson, rail stations associate at Mott MacDonald. “Not only in providing greater access to the Baltic Triangle, but also in providing the people of Toxteth and surrounding areas with sustainable and affordable transport options to the wider city region. This will open up job opportunities for residents by allowing quicker and easier access into city regions, and further revitalise the area, delivering positive social outcomes.”

Appointed under Network Rail’s Design Services Framework, Mott MacDonald will manage the single option development and outline design of the station, in preparation for the submission of a planning application and further detailed design. The consultancy will work closely with Liverpool-based architecture firm Owen Ellis Architects on the design.

“Liverpool is a brilliant city to live and work in, and we’re proud to be involved so heavily in its regeneration,” said Tom Roberts, cities lead for Liverpool City region at Mott MacDonald. “Having first identified the station as a priority in the LCR Rail Strategy, to developing the Economic & Demand Case, and then the wider Baltic Triangle Strategic Regeneration Framework, we’re delighted to now be taking forward the station design, which will make a positive difference to people’s lives.”

This project stage is expected to take twelve months to complete.