Pressure is mounting for rail infrastructure and service enhancements to alleviate road congestion in the thriving Mersey Dee region, as RHODRI CLARK reports

The Mersey Dee region is an economic powerhouse which straddles political and administrative boundaries. Comprising North East Wales, West Cheshire and the Wirral, it has 940,000 residents and three Enterprise Zones and generates £22 billion of Gross Value Added per annum. It is home to 700 companies whose annual turnover each exceeds £1 million. Up to 53,000 new homes are planned by 2040.