Direct trains from Frodsham and Helsby to Liverpool could be introduced for rail passengers after the Halton Curve reopens.
An hourly service could significantly reduce travel times after the estimated completion date of May 2018.
Network Rail are proposing the new route as part of a £340m upgrade project to the Liverpool City Region.
The service would run from Liverpool Lime Street to Runcorn and then through Frodsham and Helsby to Chester.
Liverpool city councillor Liam Robinson, Chair of Merseytravel, said: “We welcome this investment.
“Network Rail’s investment is in addition to the funding we have secured from Government for certain key schemes and also that we’ve raised locally.
Related:National newspaper casts doubt over HS2 scheme planned for Cheshire
“The work to take forward these schemes will, in some cases, mean significant changes to how people make their journeys.”
The Halton Curve has been closed to regular passenger services since 1975 and a £10.4m improvement of its own is in the works.
The case for the scheme is set to be mulled over by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority at its meeting in April.
If it gets the green light, work to resignal and upgrade the single track already in place could begin in June 2017.
Network Rail route managing director Martin Frobisher said: “With demand for rail travel expected to rise by 50% over the coming years, these improvements are vital for the future growth and prosperity of this great city region.”
Other improvements in the £340m investment include renewed tracks on the Wirral Line and longer platforms at Lime Street station.
Further in the future, it will also pave the way for extra services such as the new Liverpool to Glasgow link starting in 2019.
What do you think of this story? Would direct trains from Frodsham and Helsby to Liverpool benefit you? Let us know in the comments below.
