YOU wait and wait for some positive news stories, and then two come along at once. Today’s Daily Post has some encouraging headlines for the business community and, indeed, the population of the region.

Around £50m-worth of finance will be made available to Merseyside businesses over the next two years by the NWDA, which is also bringing forward up to £30m of funding from 2010 to next year, in a bid to help the region out of the recession.

And that Nemesis of travellers – the West Coast main line – is finally free of repair and maintenance work.

These are the kinds of early Christmas presents we would all like to see more of – they are serious boosts for both businesses and the economy and, of course, the rail line reunites loved ones at a very special time of year.

The irritating fact that this work absolutely, positively, no-question-about- it had to be carried out in Culture Year aside, we congratulate everyone involved on the timely resolution of the disruption.

Meanwhile, some southern-based business investors might be availing themselves of that very rail link soon, as the NWDA prepares to splash some cash.

Liverpool can look forward to seeing some NWDA investment, with the organisation’s chief executive, Steve Broomhead, highlighting waterfront schemes as being of particular interest.

Mr Broomhead is sounding a note of caution with the words "realistic optimism" but, nevertheless, the financial injection being pledged by his Agency is bound to be greeted with huge enthusiasm from business sectors in the region.

So, despite all the economic gloom, it looks as though Merseyside will find some spending money in its festive stocking after all. Good news indeed.