An analysis of train travel by the Press Association found the Chester to Liverpool Central route was the slowest in the country.

The PA article concluded trains connecting Britain’s major towns and cities are up to four times slower outside the South East.

And the slowest route featured in the study was Chester to Liverpool Central, which takes 41 minutes. Passengers travelling from London Paddington to Reading cover a distance more than two-and-a-half times longer in 17 minutes’ less time, at 93mph, said PA.

Chester Railway Station

However, PA used the ‘as the crow flies’ distance of 14-miles between Chester and Liverpool to calculate the average speed of 20mph whereas in reality the distance travelled is probably more than double. What doesn’t help are the frustrating number of stops, which total 16 between the two stations.

But there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

By the end of 2020 brand new trains will replace the near 40-year-old trains that currently run on the Merseyrail network – the oldest in the UK – cutting the Chester to Liverpool Central journey time by six minutes.

How the new Merseyrail trains could look

The trains will be built and maintained by Swiss-based manufacturer Stadler but controversially will be driver-only operations with no guards.

Links between Chester and our other neighbouring city of Manchester are no better.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham recently highlighted that a train journey between Chester and Manchester is now slower than in the 1960s.

Mr Burnham told delegates at a transport summit in Leeds: “It takes four minutes longer to travel by train from Manchester to Chester than it did in 1962.

“I think that pretty much makes for why we are here today.”

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has called for transport investment in the north of England.

He described the nation as ‘London-centric’ and said the north of England ‘needs transport investment now’, adding that ‘an outdated, expensive and slow transport system’ was holding back growth.

The meeting was called after transport secretary Chris Grayling threw the promised full electrification of the Manchester to Leeds route into doubt. Shortly afterwards he announced his backing for the £30bn Crossrail 2 line in London.

ITV Granada reporter Daniel Hewitt recently tested out public transport links between Manchester and Thornton Science Park near Ellesmere Port which received millions of pounds worth of investment as part of the Northern Powerhouse vision.

He found a 35-mile journey that would take 50 minutes by road can take almost two and a half hours by train.