Site preparation work started in January 2022, and the opening of the Station is scheduled for 2023.

The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (led by the Metro Mayor) is delivering this £80m project, in partnership with Knowsley Council, Network Rail, Merseyrail, and Northern Rail.  Funding for the scheme has been provided through the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund.

What is the new station for?

The new station will extend the Merseyrail network, which currently terminates at Kirkby, to a new location off Headbolt Lane.  This will improve transport links for the Northwood and Tower Hill areas of Kirkby as well as for Knowsley Business Park.

Northern Rail services from Manchester and Wigan will operate to and from the new three-platform station, which is also designed to support any future plans to build a new rail link to Skelmersdale.

What do the plans include?

• A new station building, incorporating a ticket office, a booking hall, and passenger toilets
• A new double-track railway bridge over County Road
• Step-free pedestrian access throughout the station
• Cycle parking and approximately 300 car parking spaces
• A new station access road from Headbolt Lane, including a bridge over Kirkby Brook
• Landscaped frontage to the station
• An extensive CCTV security system
• A bus interchange and links to local cycling and walking networks
• Closure and infill of the subway which runs under Headbolt Lane
• Green space improvements to the surrounding areas, which will be delivered by Knowsley Council

What are the benefits?

• The new station will improve access to places of education, employment, and training for a wider number of Kirkby residents.
• The new station can help to attract further investment in the area, particularly given its proximity to Knowsley Business Park.
• The infill of an existing obsolete subway will help to address anti-social behaviour issues in the area.  Extensive CCTV and lighting will be in operation at the new station to ensure that it is safe and secure for users and local residents.
• As part of the project, Knowsley Council will deliver improved greenspace and walking and cycle provision through the St Kevin’s open space to the south of the railway line and at Tower Hill Park to the north of the station.

When will works commence?

Hoardings were erected around the site on 10 January 2022, ready for work on the new station to commence.  Site preparation works have now commenced.

When will work take place?

Most of the construction work will be carried out on weekdays, between 7.00am and 6.00pm.  Network Rail are conscious of the need to minimise the impact on local residents of the noisy activities associated with building the new railway station and making the necessary changes to the nearby railway line- between Headbolt Lane and Kirkby Station.

To ensure the safety of construction workers and that the new station is completed on time, it will be necessary to undertake some work when trains are not running.  This will predominantly be on Saturday nights and during the daytime on Sundays.

Will the work be noisy?

It is inevitable that some of the work will be noisy, although Network Rail will take all reasonable measures available to minimise potential disturbance.

Various specialist pieces of plant and machinery will be used over the course of the project, including cranes, piling rigs, excavators, dumpers, and road rail track machines.  Staff and contractors will be aware of their responsibility to keep any noise to a minimum.

Will there be road closures?

Some road closures will be necessary for specific periods over the course of the works, including those associated with the bridge works.  Residents will be informed in advance.  Road closures will be planned to keep disruption to a minimum.

How will residents be kept informed about the works?

Network Rail will communicate with residents to update them on the works.  Updates about the station’s progress will also appear on Knowsley News and on Knowsley Council’s social media channels.

Who can I contact for more detail about the work taking place?

You can contact Network Rail’s 24-hour National Helpline on 03457 11 41 41.

You can find more details about the project here.

More than 1600 people visited Stockbridge Village this weekend (4 & 5 February) to see the latest instalment in Knowsley’s year-long Borough of Culture programme.

Tall Tales was a stunning large-scale community artwork that saw Merecliff – a residential 16 storey tower block in Stockbridge Village owned by ForHousing– animated and illuminated in light, accompanied by heart-warming stories from the local community.

Landlord ForHousing, Knowsley Council, light and sound artists, Illuminos and importantly the people of Stockbridge Village collaborated to bring this dramatic projection to the heart of the community.

The site-specific projection, unique to Stockbridge and Merecliff high rise, opened with the scene of a pot of tea, pouring everyone a cuppa from the windows on the block.  Voices from the community were overlayed, sharing their stories about riding chopper bikes through the old subways, the pride of football on the estate & the beauty for the Craigs Community Garden creating a vibrant, immersive celebration of the borough.

Cllr Shelley Powell, Knowsley Council Cabinet Member for Communities & Neighbourhoods, said: “Tall Tales was a joyous celebration of the people of Stockbridge Village. It had humour and heart and it’s something the entire community should be proud of.

“Tall Tales is the latest instalment in Knowsley’s year-long Borough of Culture programme. So far visitors have enjoyed Aqualux in Kirkby, Magic Wood in Halewood and Gaia at St.Chad’s Church – with all attractions forming part of ‘New Dawn’ – a series of moments of light across the borough. There are still more illuminating events to come, and I’d encourage everyone to come along and be a part of this special year.”

Connor Dowle, aged 11, had his story featured in the projection which he created at school. Connor said: “I was so excited to see my picture in Tall Tales.”

The ballot to allocate tickets for the New Dawn Spectacular at Knowsley Hall has now taken place and everyone who applied for tickets is being urged to check their emails to see if they have been successful.

There was an overwhelming response to the ballot, with requests for more than 4000 tickets, from people wanting to be part of this amazing spectacular.

Cllr Shelley Powell Knowsley’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Communities said:

“We have been overwhelmed by the incredible response we have had from the public and the numbers of people who want to come along. There is clearly a huge appetite for cultural events like this in our communities, which is fantastic. And we’re delighted that more than 70% of tickets have been allocated to Knowsley residents.

“We wish we could offer a ticket to everyone but for those people who aren’t able to come along this time, we hope they can still enjoy watching some of the footage – which we will be making available on our website and social media channels. There are also still lots of exciting events and activities coming up across the borough throughout the rest of the year so please do still get involved where you can.”

The New Dawn Spectacular is enchanting light show that will celebrate Knowsley’s colourful past, present and future, and will be set in the majestic grounds of Knowsley Hall. The hall itself will be illuminated in a series of dramatic projections recreating a vision of a pop-up story book – a fairy tale of lights and sound, to tell the stories of Knowsley.

Delivered by video projection artists Illuminos and accompanied by an atmospheric soundtrack from renowned composer Patrick Dineen, the spectacular will create a unique and memorable moment for all visitors.

This event will be the grand finale to Knowsley’s New Dawn programme – which has started the celebrations for Knowsley’s Year as the Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture.

Also happening as part of New Dawn:

Gaia, the earth artwork, is on display at St. Chad’s Church in Kirkby until Thursday 17 February. Free tickets are available to book here. 

Submergence and Singularity will be in Huyton Village from 12 – 26 February and illuminated between 5pm and 10pm daily. Both impressive artworks will add a new and fascinating dimension to life after dark.

You can find out more about Knowsley’s Borough of Culture events at www.cultureknowsley.co.uk or by following @cultureknowsley on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Borough of Culture

The Borough of Culture title was introduced by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. It is awarded annually on a rotational basis to one of the six local authorities that make up the Liverpool City Region.

The Borough of Culture is part of the 1% for Culture initiative which commits at least 1% of the Liverpool City Region’s annual gain share (£300k) to cultural projects/activities. Established as an annual award rotating around the boroughs, the Borough of Culture helps to celebrate, amplify and strengthen the existing cultural offer, develop new ideas and initiatives that will underpin future development and legacy.

Liverpool City Region is the first Combined Authority to have control over culture in its devolution deal, utilising many of the region’s existing assets and talent to stimulate cultural and creative opportunities.

The Borough of Culture was first launched in St Helens in 2018, followed by Wirral 2019, Sefton 2020, Halton in 2021 and is currently held by Knowsley for 2022. The programme rotation will recommence in 2023 back in St Helens.

More than 2000 people visited Huyton Village Centre this weekend (Saturday 12 February) for the launch of light artworks, ‘Submergence’ and ‘Singularity’ created by world renowned artists Squid Soup.

The two immersive light installations captured the imaginations of adults and children alike and will be on display until Saturday 26 February from 5-10pm every night.

For the launch event, Spark Illuminated Drummers brought the beats and entertained the crowds. Their performances got people into the party spirit, and despite the rain, everyone enjoyed their high energy routine – with many dancing along as well as capturing the moment on their phones.

Cllr Shelley Powell, Knowsley’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods said: “The rain didn’t seem to dampen anyone’s spirits and it was fantastic to see so many people join us for the latest event celebrating our year as Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture.

“We are bringing culture to the heart of our communities and it’s clear there is an appetite for this based on the numbers who came out on Saturday. Significantly, Saturday’s event also demonstrated the wider economic impact that culture can have – with most bars and restaurants seeing an increase in footfall during the evening.”

More about Singularity and Submergence
Submergence is a reflective, immersive walkthrough experience on display in Sherbourne Square in Huyton Village Centre. Consisting of thousands of individual points of suspended light, visitors are encouraged to enter the artwork to experience the amazing light illusion for themselves.

Singularity consists of 6720 controllable mapped points of light, made up of over 20,000 LEDs and is located just outside Peacocks.

You can find out more about the artworks on the Culture Knowsley website – www.cultureknowsley.co.uk

Borough of Culture

The Borough of Culture title was introduced by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. It is awarded annually on a rotational basis to one of the six local authorities that make up the Liverpool City Region.

The Borough of Culture is part of the 1% for Culture initiative which commits at least 1% of the Liverpool City Region’s annual gain share (£300k) to cultural projects/activities. Established as an annual award rotating around the boroughs, the Borough of Culture helps to celebrate, amplify and strengthen the existing cultural offer, develop new ideas and initiatives that will underpin future development and legacy.

Liverpool City Region is the first Combined Authority to have control over culture in its devolution deal, utilising many of the region’s existing assets and talent to stimulate cultural and creative opportunities.

The Borough of Culture was first launched in St Helens in 2018, followed by Wirral 2019, Sefton 2020, Halton in 2021 and is currently held by Knowsley for 2022. The programme rotation will recommence in 2023 back in St Helens.