NewsLiverpool NewsMerseyrailMayor Steve Rotheram sets out plans for landmark change07:16, 10 Jul 2026The Liverpool City Region is set to take back control of its trains under landmark plans unveiled by Mayor Steve Rotheram. A report going before the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority next week recommends that rail services currently operated under the Merseyrail concession are taken back into public control when the existing contract comes to an end in 2028.‌The move would be another major step towards the mayor's long-held pledge to create a transport system where trains, buses, ferries, active travel and future rapid transit services work together as one integrated network.‌The plans form part of the biggest transformation of public transport in the Liverpool City Region for decade