TRAINS have begun to call at Britain’s newest station, Maghull North, which opened for business this morning.

The first train was the 05.58 to Liverpool Central, and trains will call every 15 minutes.

Maghull North is on the Ormskirk branch of Merseyrail’s Northern Line between Maghull and Town Green and has 156 car park spaces. The new £13 million station has been provided because 370 new houses are being built nearby, with another 1,700 planned to follow.

The formal opening will take place on Friday (22 June), when Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram will mark the moment. The station, the 68th on Merseyrail, will also become step-free on the same day, when footbridge lifts come into use.

Work on the site began last September, and the station includes a ticket office, waiting room and provision for electric vehicle charging points in the future. Bus stops have been placed nearby, to make changing between trains and buses as easy as possible.

Liam Robinson, who is transport portfolio holder at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority said: “This station is a prime example of our Long Term Rail Strategy being put into practice. The new station will be of huge benefit to local residents, giving more travel options while playing a big part in helping the on-going development of Maghull in the coming years.”