THE man charged with securing a £350m deal to build new trains for Merseyrail has been appointed.

David Powell will be project director for the 10-year programme to buy new trains.

In May transport authority Merseytravel revealed plans to replace its 30-year-old fleet of 58 trains, which cost £12m annually to lease.

Mr Powell has been involved with many major rail and urban mass transit projects worldwide for more than 20 years – most recently in senior roles within Manchester’s Metrolink expansion programme where he oversaw the introduction of the city’s new fleet of trams.

Previously he spent five years as a project director at Bombardier, the world’s biggest train builder.

He said: “This project is a unique opportunity to deliver a world-class fleet of trains which will become the bedrock of the city region’s public transportation system for decades to come, and further improve our local train services.”

Cllr Liam Robinson, chairman of Merseytravel, added: “Procuring the new rolling stock is a vital part of our vision for an integrated transport system for the city region that is second to none.

“David has the skills and experience to lead this project, and we are delighted he has joined Merseytravel.”