Light Rail Transit Association   URBAN TRANSIT NEWS 2005

Merseytram legal action: It is reported that Merseytravel has begun legal action against the government in a last attempt to save the Merseytram project. It is to attempt to either get the government to reverse its decision and allow Merseytram to proceede or to recoup money it has invested in the project over the last six years. It is expected that the hearing would take place early in the new year.

19 December 2005

On Wednesday December 21st in the High Court in London Mr Justice Silber granted Merseytravel leave to challenge the Secretary of State for Transport’s decision not to fund the Merseytram Line 1 project.

This means that Merseytravel can now present its case in detail to a High Court Judge, in a hearing set to begin in the week commencing January 30th, to see if the decision can be quashed.

If successful, work on Line 1 is planned to start before March 31st next year otherwise Merseytravel is seeking damages compensating for the costs invested in the scheme to date. They have reached a level of approximately GBP50 million since the project’s inception in 1999.

24 December 2005