Lea Green Railway Station is on course to fully open to the public in April following completion of a major £10m upgrade.

Extensive improvements to the station include a new ticket office, waiting room, toilet facilities and enhanced customer service provision – as well as a brand-new decked car park, taking park and ride capacity to around 450 vehicles.

Provision of 14 electric vehicle (EV) charging points, to encourage greener commuting options, will be available later this year.

Sign off from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is expected soon, which is the final step to allow the facilities to open to the public.

The upgrade forms part of the wider £15m St Helens Southern Gateway project, funded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s (LCRCA) Transforming Cities Fund.

A partnership between St Helens Borough Council, LCRCA and Northern Trains, the work is designed to improve connectivity and promote sustainable travel for local commuters to the borough’s third busiest railway station.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:

“Anyone from St Helens will know how important Lea Green is for getting about – and now, it finally has the facilities to match.

“From a proper new ticket office and waiting room, to more parking and better access, this upgrade is going to make a big difference to people’s day-to-day lives.

“It’s part of our wider plan to build a transport network that’s fit for the 21st century – quick, reliable and affordable – and shows what we can do when decisions are made here, not in Westminster.”

Council Leader Anthony Burns said “It is great that we are finally close to opening the new car park at Lea Green Station. The delays have been frustrating for residents and we have been continually pushing for this project to be finished so it is good news that the facility will now be fully open. Thanks to the team from the council and Liverpool City Region for working hard with Northern to get this project finished. It is an important asset for us and great that residents can now fully use this station.”

Matt Butterworth the Labour Party Candidate for the Sutton South East By Election said “Many residents across Sutton have been asking me for an update on Lea Green station and I have been raising this with the council to push for an update. I’m delighted with this news, its great for the residents across Sutton and beyond.”