Merseyrail

Morgan Ryder is proud to be supporting Merseyrail whilst they embark on a new and exciting journey that represents significant investment across the regions rail network.  This part of our website has been set up to provide talented individuals with key contacts and a source information supporting our recruitment activity.​​

A £700m deal to replace Merseyside's rail fleet with 52 new trains has been signed by Swiss-based firm Stadler.

The current Merseytravel fleet is one of the oldest in the UK, with an average age of almost 40 years. This contract will entirely replace the existing fleet, making it one of the most modern in the country and transforming the passenger experience. The trains will be able to carry 60% more passengers, while retaining the same number of seats, and will cut journey times by up to 10%.

The new four-car trains will all be in service by 2021, with the first unit arriving for testing by the middle of 2019. The value of the manufacture and maintenance contracts for the 52 trains is up to £700m and Merseytravel also has the option to trigger the manufacture of a further 60 vehicles.

The trains will have lower floors, only 960 mm above rail level, and will be entirely walk-through, increasing their capacity to 486 people (182 seated, 302 standing, and two wheelchair users). Strong but lightweight carriages, built from aluminium extrusions, mean they will be safer and more energy efficient.

The new trains will bring a significant boost to the local economy of around £70m a year and will lead to the creation of 1,000 jobs as existing and new businesses and organisations take advantage of trains that can carry more people more quickly.

While procurement laws mean that we can’t stipulate what can be built or made locally in relation to the project itself,  we are doing all we can to encourage the use of local suppliers and other expertise. There will be the opportunities to bid for work, for example in the construction of the new maintenance depots and in servicing support. Bam Nuttall’s Warrington office has won this contract.

In spring 2016, close to 40 suppliers, over half of which were from the Liverpool City Region, got to ‘speed date’ with bidders to explore the potential for them to do business together.