2nd August 2012
Manchester’s Town Hall and its striking Beetham Tower are both instantly recognisable images, as is the iconic architecture of the Liverpool Metropolitian Cathedral alongside the historic guardians of the Liver Building. These are just a selection of the landmarks featured on one of Northern Rail’s trains which has received a colourful makeover with a vinyl wrap to promote two of the region’s greatest cities to live, work and relax in.
Northern Rail, the UK’s largest train operator, is hoping the wrap will help celebrate how the route has helped link these two great cities since the Liverpool & Manchester Railway opened in 1830. It was the first intercity passenger railway in the world and since then has helped create a region rich in vibrant culture and booming industry.
Funded by Transport for Greater Manchester, Merseytravel, Network Rail, MOSI (Museum of Science & Industry, Manchester) and Northern Rail, the strapline reads “Liverpool and Manchester: Two great cities linked by railways since 1830.”
Cllr Andrew Fender, Chair of Transport for Greater Manchester saw off the train from Manchester Victoria on Wednesday afternoon, it was then met at Liverpool Lime Street by Cllr Liam Robinson, Chair of Merseytravel.
Lee Wasnidge, Area Director for Northern Rail comments: “These iconic images are a reminder to our passengers that we are not only celebrating the historic past of both Manchester and Liverpool but also the strong future the cities have together. As plans for electrification roll out across the network in the North West and the Northern Hub becomes established, the rail industry will continue to play a vital role in supporting the growing economies of both Liverpool and Manchester. ”
Councillor Andrew Fender, Chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, said: ”The historic significance of the rail links between Manchester and Liverpool – the first in the world – is well known.
“But the importance of those time-honoured ties to the future of the northern economy has been proven with the recent commitment from the government to fund the Northern Hub investment programme in full.
“So it is fitting for us to come together with our partners at Northern, Merseytravel and the Museum of Science and Industry – based at what was the world’s first passenger railway station – and celebrate our railways in a way that will involve the people who lie at the heart of this success story: the passengers. ”
Matthew Jackson, Railway Officer at MOSI said: “The train wrap is a fantastic way to remind us of the great significance of this railway. MOSI is particularly proud of its heritage as the Museum is on the site of the former Liverpool Road Station, which opened in 1830 as part of the world’s first passenger railway. You can transport yourself back to the excitement of that era if you take a ride on our Planet steam locomotive, a replica of the original Planet that ran back in 1830. ”
David Golding, programme sponsor (electrification) at Network Rail comments: “George Stephenson effectively gave railways to the world when he built this line. I wonder what he would say if he could see how it has developed over the years. I hope he would be as thrilled as everyone else is with our plans to electrify the line, bringing two great cities even closer together. ”
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