The next stage of a major overhaul to transport across the Liverpool City Region was unveiled as Anfield got the first look at a proposed rapid transit “Glider.” As part of his manifesto to win a third term, Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram pledged to introduce a rapid transit bus system to serve key routes across the area.
For the first time, we have now seen the vehicle - on loan from Belfast and decked out in Merseytravel yellow - as tests begin to see how it could work across hotspots throughout the city region. The 10-wheeled vehicle, first dubbed a trackless tram, will undergo tests throughout Liverpool to begin with, to establish key changes that may need to be made to the city’s infrastructure with a view to a full rollout by 2028.
The system will be similar to Belfast's Glider, which launched in the Northern Irish capital in 2018 and runs on two separate lines using dedicated and mixed traffic lanes. The scheme cost around £100m in total.
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Earlier this year, Mr Rotheram said he envisaged the rapid transit network running between Liverpool city centre and Liverpool Airport as well as Anfield Stadium and Everton's new Bramley-Moore Dock ground.