From the launch of the first new Mersey Ferry in more than 60 years to the introduction of bus franchising and Tap and Go across the Merseyrail network, we look at major projects set to transform the Liverpool City Region in 2026

1. Tap and Go

Next year will see the full implementation of a modern smart ticketing system across the Merseyrail network.

That will mean passengers can travel using contactless bank card and digital wallet payments, including Apple Pay and Google Pay, without having to purchase a physical ticket.

Passengers are already benefitting from Tap & Go using a MetroCard, launched by Mayor Steve Rotheram in the summer.

Under the current system, passengers use a MetroCard linked to a bank account and simply tap at station validators or gates to start and end journeys on the Merseyrail network, removing the need to queue for tickets.

The system guarantees the lowest available fare, with daily and weekly fare capping, so frequent travellers aren’t overcharged. Registration and linking to a bank card can be done online or at staffed stations.

Merseyrail introduced a pilot of smart tickets in mid-December, inviting members of the public on the Headbolt Lane line, who had signed up for the trial, to tap in and out of journeys using contactless bank cards, smartwatches and phones.

Pilot participants will help test the technology in real-world conditions and play an essential role in shaping the final system. Their feedback will ensure the service is reliable, easy to use, and built around the needs of passengers.  The pilot will be rolled out to other lines before the full Tap & Go service is implemented later in 2026.

To sign up to the pilot visit here.

2. New stations

Image showing how the new Baltic station will look.

The Transport for City Regions (TCR) funding that was approved at the Combined Authority meeting in December is allowing us to move the three station schemes at Carr Mill, Daresbury and Woodchurch onto the next development stage.

In the new year we will be working with the local authorities to develop the business cases and with Network Rail, Northern and Transport for Wales to consider potential services that will be operating at the stations.

3. The first new Mersey Ferry in more than 60 years will enter service

The £26m Royal Daffodil, the first new Mersey ferry in more than 60 years, will enter service in 2026.

Commissioned by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, this flagship vessel is a major investment in the region’s iconic cross-river ferry service, combining modern maritime technology with a strong celebration of Liverpool’s culture, music and heritage.

The ferry has been designed as a multi-purpose, world-class vessel, capable of operating as both a daily commuter ferry and a visitor attraction.

It features significantly increased passenger capacity, fully accessible decks, modern seating, improved viewing areas and flexible internal spaces suitable for events, cruises and educational trips.

The vessel also incorporates cleaner, more efficient propulsion technology, reducing emissions and supporting the region’s environmental goals.

Construction formally began at the historic Cammell Laird shipyard in January 2025, where the vessel has been built using modern shipbuilding techniques alongside traditional maritime craftsmanship.

As the vessel moves through its final build stages, attention has shifted to fitting out, testing and commissioning, including safety checks, sea trials and crew training.

The Royal Daffodil is scheduled for completion in early 2026, when it will become the new flagship of the Mersey Ferries fleet, representing the successful delivery of a long-term vision that connects the heritage of shipbuilding at Cammell Laird with a modern, future-ready ferry for the Liverpool City Region.

4. Bus Franchising

2026 is a big year for bus franchising as the first phase will be rolled out in St Helens and Wirral from September 2026, with full rollout across the region by 2027.

Taking back control of buses is a key part of Mayor Steve Rotheram’s wider vision for a fully integrated, London-style public transport system that is quicker, simpler, and more affordable.

Bus franchising will give the city region greater control over fares, routes and timetables, allowing the services to be operated in the interests of local bus users, with surplus profit reinvested into improving services.

Franchising will also enable the bus network to be better integrated with other modes of transport in the future, including the region’s new fleet of state-of-the-art publicly owned trains. It’s also planned that tap-and-go ticketing and daily fare caps will be rolled out, meaning passengers will always pay the lowest price for their journey.

5. Mayoral Development Corporation set to boost North Liverpool regeneration

(R-L) Mayor Steve Rotheram with Cllr Liam Robinson and Secretary of State Steve Reed at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

2026 will see work continuing to develop the recently announced Mayoral Development Corporation.

In a bid to accelerate regeneration across the region, Mayor Steve Rotheram announced that he would deploy devolved development powers to fast-track the delivery of thousands of new homes and major commercial developments, working in tandem with Liverpool City Council’s Leader (Cllr Liam Robinson), in a new development zone.

6. LCR LogIn to help 1500 digitally-excluded residents get online

1,500 digitally excluded Liverpool City Region residents will get online in 2026 thanks to the new Login LCR scheme.

Backed by £325,000 from the Government’s Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, through Login LCR the Combined Authority and 50 consortium partners will provide residents with a free digital device, six months of Vodafone Connectivity and in-person digital skills training.

The scheme will run between January and March 2026 and builds on the success of the Combined Authority’s previous public-private sector ‘Digital Inclusion Initiative’, that enabled more than 5,500 people to get online.

A series of ‘Login LCR Roadshow Events’ will also be hosted from January to March next year in each of the Liverpool City Region’s six local authority areas, allowing individuals to access drop-in digital support alongside other organisations such as financial institutions, the NHS, voluntary sector and local authority services.

7. £500,000 investment to tackle inequality in Early Years education

The FEA Summit at the Science Museum in London.

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has secured £500,000 to tackle inequality in Early Years education.

The investment heralds a new partnership with the Fair Education Alliance (FEA) – a national coalition of 300 organisations, including 60 across the City Region, supported by Bloomberg, which has donated more than $21bn to good causes.

The investment will help improve the education and job prospects of children from low-income backgrounds, who are currently 10 months behind their peers by the end of primary school.

Together with local authorities and the FEA, the Combined Authority will design a series of initiatives aimed at ensuring every child is given the opportunity to succeed.

The measures will build on existing pioneering work across the City Region, supporting schools and colleges and improving access to skills and employment.

8. Elegantly Eccentric

A recreation of a classic historic Southport poster from the 1920s.

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Culture Liverpool are joining forces with Sefton Council to deliver Elegantly Eccentric, a year-long programme of events showcasing the best that Southport has to offer.

Elegantly Eccentric will see the town transformed into a year-round stage for art, performance, music and imagination.

The calendar of events include:

Lightport – February

A breathtaking immersive light and sound installation from leading international artists Lucid Creates that will turn the town into a walk-through rainbow of colour and creativity.

Cristal Palace – April

World-renowned French street theatre company Transe Express brings its spectacular show Cristal Palace to Lord Street with a 15-metre-wide flying chandelier, transforming the street into an open-air ballroom with live music, aerial performance and dance, a dazzling fusion of art and theatre set to be one of the year’s defining moments.

Big Top Festival – May

Big Top Festival will take over the town with the best of modern circus including shows from world renowned companies including Circa and Gandini Juggling coming to one of the artform’s spiritual homes. Across open-air stages, audiences can expect breathtaking acts, live music and hands-on workshops for all ages.

Southport Originals – summer

Throughout the summer, Southport’s much-loved calendar favourites return in style, the Southport Flower Show, Food and Drink Festival, Southport Air Show and British Musical Fireworks Championships, celebrating the town’s proud traditions while drawing visitors from across the UK.

Books Alive! – October

Books Alive! Is a reimagined literature festival designed for families and young readers. Running through half-term, the event will fill the town with storytelling installations, live performances and author-led workshops, turning Southport into a living storybook.

You can find full details on the programme here.

9. £700m boost for affordable housing

Mayor Steve Rotheram signs skills partnership aimed at training more construction workers with CITB Chief Executive Tim Balcon

2026 will see the Liverpool City Region start to benefit from £700m to build new social and affordable housing as part of a major Government programme.

The funding will turbocharge social housing plans by enabling providers to start bidding for projects, break ground sooner, and kickstart thousands of desperately needed new homes for local families.

The Combined Authority will also receive £13.8m to enable 555 new homes to be built in the Liverpool City Region, tearing down crumbling buildings and clearing old car parks and disused industrial land to create communities on derelict, brownfield sites.

The funding builds on the City Region’s track record, with more than 4,000 homes already in the pipeline thanks to £60m previously invested in the Liverpool City Region.

Find out more here: https://www.liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk/news/700m-cash-boost-for-liverpool-city-region-to-build-homes-and-turbocharge-social-housebuilding

10. £17m for SciTech Daresbury expansion

A CGI of Project Violet Phase 2 at Sci-Tech Daresbury

£17m in funding from the Combined Authority will enable construction to start in summer 2026 as part of an expansion of SciTech Daresbury expected to create 250 jobs.

£9.5m in funding from the CA’s Life Sciences Innovation Zone will support a 60,000 sq.ft laboratory-enabled building under Project Violet Phase 2 which will accommodate around 150 high-skilled jobs.

And Innovation Zone funding will provide a further £7.5m for a second building that will contain nearly 23,000 sq.ft of office and innovation space to support the needs of high-value science and technology businesses and is expected to create a further 100 high-skilled jobs.

The two buildings will be constructed as part of Project Violet Phase 2 – which builds on the success of Phase 1, completed in 2022 and now fully occupied.

11. Mind and Money

The New Year will see the continuation of a successful cost-of-living support scheme that has already delivered £10m in financial support to almost 3,000 people across the city region.

The Mind and Money Support Scheme was launched by Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram in 2023 to provide a vital lifeline for people facing financial hardship.

The first phase of the programme helped more than 2,500 people access £4m in extra income and manage almost £4m in debt – delivering significant improvements in wellbeing, confidence and financial literacy. In the six months since it was renewed in March, it has already helped a further 450 people manage over £1.13m of debt and maximise £1m in income.

Delivered by a network of accredited community organisations — including Citizens Advice, Vauxhall Law Centre and Pennysmart — the programme offers tailored financial and wellbeing support across all six areas of the city region: Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral.

The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority secured £688,116 from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund for the project, which is led by the Women’s Organisation.