after police discovered footage of the assault which had been captured via a baby-cam was previously charged for battery and strangulation of his victim when a protection from harassment order was also put into place But Bolton Crown Court heard that this did not stop his offending Following the retrieval of further evidence he was later charged with the offences he has now been convicted of Detectives then uncovered footage showing the horrific rape of a woman which had been captured through a baby camera monitor and saved to his phone Officers say that concerns were raised in July 2024 when officers spoke to the victim who bravely came forward Detectives say that he was controlling and coercive as well as threatening to release intimate images if it was revealed that he had breached his order The jury was told that this developed over a period of time with his attitude towards the victim becoming violent and abusive When police arrested and interviewed Pennell he maintained his innocence and told another version of events stating to officers that his phone would back up what he was saying But when officers checked the mobile they began to uncover evidence of deliberate attempts to record footage of the offences via the baby monitor the victim thought she was going to die after Pennell strangled her prompting her to report it because she feared for her life In her victim impact statement which was presented to the court she said: "Before I met Connor and a whole family who I loved with all my heart and who loved me I had a life and a future to look forward to He stripped pretty much every aspect of my life away and has changed the course of my future surrounded by strangers watching videos of myself in an extremely personal state that haunts me I have flashbacks of everything he has done to me and flashbacks of the trial "I hope that sentencing will help other Victims of Domestic violence and sexual crimes come forward and show them that their voices will be heard "It’s a long road to recovery because once the abuse stops it doesn’t mean it’s over survivors always say the bruises disappear but the mental aspect of it takes much longer and they are right "I will not let him take any more of me and I pray that today’s sentencing reflects how powerful it is what one man’s damage can cause." has been sentenced to nine-and-a-half years after being found guilty of breaching his restraining order non-fatal strangulation and three counts of voyeurism He will also be placed on the Sex Offenders Register and has an indefinite restraining order on the victim Detective Constable Amy Stewart from Greater Manchester Police added: “Pennell had a complete disregard for women and is an extremely dangerous individual “The bravery of the victim in coming forward and then having the confidence and belief in us to be able to support a prosecution will hopefully help her as she tries to rebuild her life after what was a horrific time for her “His misogynistic attitude towards women was clear for all to see in the end once we uncovered the shocking and disturbing evidence “I want to stress the importance to anyone out there who may be a controlling relationship to please to reach out and speak to us as we can help and ensure you receive the necessary support No life should be overshadowed by those who are intent on causing unnecessary and traumatic abuse.” If you have been affected by rape or sexual assault or need support Greater Manchester Police has highlighted a number of bodies that can help - Saint Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre Manchester provides a comprehensive and co-ordinated response to men women and children who live or have been sexually assaulted within Greater Manchester practical and emotional support as well as a counselling service for all ages Services are available on a 24-hour basis and can be accessed by calling 0161 276 6515 - Greater Manchester Rape Crisis is a confidential information support and counselling service run by women for women over 18 who have been raped or sexually abused at any time in their lives Call on 0161 273 4500 or email help@manchesterrapecrisis.co.uk - We Are Survivors provides specialist trauma informed support to male victims in Greater Manchester who have experienced sexual abuse Sign our campaign for a grant funding review drawn up by Tetra Tech and Lambert Smith Hampton would represent at £150m investment into the town and 28,000 sq ft of commercial space are all on the cards in the West Lancashire town with the local authority and Lancashire County Council unveiling their ambitions for a large-scale revamp of the town centre West Lancashire Council’s housing and commercial developer is leading on the delivery of the £150m scheme The 75-acre masterplan was drawn up by Tetra Tech and Lambert Smith Hampton One of the most notable elements of the Skelmersdale masterplan is a new rail station This would help improve the town’s connectivity to Manchester TVD managing director Mark Kitts described a new rail station as a “game-changer” for Skelmersdale “We want to better connect our residents to the region’s wider employment and leisure opportunities whilst making it easier for people to visit our modern and dynamic town centre “Extending Merseyrail’s metro line from Liverpool Central to Skelmersdale would be an absolute game-changer in terms of the town’s economic potential and is a cornerstone ambition of West Lancashire Borough Council.” Other aspects of the proposals include the refurbishment and enhancement of the town library improvements to the entrance and public realm around Concourse Shopping Centre and the upgrading of Tawd Valley Park to improve its links to the town centre The park would also have its amphitheatre refurbished and a visitor centre installed Part of the masterplan includes improving links between residential areas and the town centre There are three residential aspects to the proposals as well The largest focusses on a site in Glenburn which has been outlined as suitable for a mixture of 425 market and affordable homes It is this site that would hold the proposed railway station The second site is in Yewdale and would hold 18 affordable homes Skelmersdale town centre core has also been pitched as being suitable for 182 apartments with these blocks containing commercial spaces on their ground floors A consultation on the proposals is underway and set to conclude on 25 November. You can access it by visiting letstalkwestlancashire.uk.engagementhq.com/skelmersdale-town-centre-masterplan-consultation Kitts said: “Our proposals will boost the town’s population whilst providing it with a modern and attractive town centre that will encourage additional residents to move to the area.” TVD has been floating the masterplan in front of developers as well to gauge the private sector’s interest “Developers can see the town’s positive trajectory in terms of employment new commercial occupiers and housing improvement and believe there’s a role for them to take Skelmersdale to the next level,” he said “We want to put our thinking to the test with people who understand the market dynamics of town centres and the funding opportunities that go with them.” West Lancashire Council Leader Cllr Yvonne Gagen described the masterplan as “an exciting new chapter for Skelmersdale” She continued: “By focusing on sustainability more vibrant town and building a better life for our communities “This ambitious but achievable transformation will have a clear path for progress and funding and will bring real benefits to residents and businesses and we’re excited to work together to shape and deliver Skelmersdale’s future.” Read our comments policy Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" They’re right about the Merseyrail extension More feasible to upgrade Upholland station and improve bus connections The station should be cheaper than previous estimates as the Merseyrail 777 trains are battery operated so no expensive line electrification is needed It can also be just one track with the town being a branch line So many people from Liverpool uprooted and left for Skem but now finding the journey back to see friends and family a bit of an inconvenience unless you’ve got a car the sooner a rail link is built from Kirkby then all the better I applaud their ambition but would suggest that the priorities should be fixing the terrible state of stations in central Liverpool and reopening lines in the east and west of Liverpool that are public transport deserts The proposed Baltic Station on an existing line in Liverpool is forecast at £100m so what cost a new spur off the Rainford / Wigan line In the meantime you can currently travel between Skem Concourse & Headbolt Lane station via Stagecoach’s 319 bus service every 30 mins throughout the day & hourly into late evening Mon – Sat Journey takes 21 minutes to then pick up a Merseyrail service to Liverpool Please make sure the rail station is built first before they run out of money Skem went down hill the second after they closed the original rail station A new station would make a huge difference promises have been made and broken constantly I really do hope these come to fruition but experience tells me this is yet another fairytale taunting the residents of this forgotten town good luck but please don’t ignore our feelings in this We see other towns close by getting 2nd railway stations whilst we can’t even get one We’ve been promised a new swimming pool and that is now off the table Please remember we live here and love our town If you haven’t got the money to carry out this project please don’t mention the’planned proposals’ until approved and work has the funding waiting in the bank to pay for it much cheaper without the need for third rail and all flat land on the level Skelmersdale residents have heard this all before – promises made and little delivered Other than a few slabs of concrete leading to the high street stores there’s not much else to show for it they’re looking to close the swimming baths while at the same time claiming to offer ‘leisure opportunities.’ We all know where our money is really going and it’s not to the people born in Skelmersdale So forgive my frustration if I don’t believe those homes are meant for the former children of this town or that the Unicorn station will materialise The only thing that will get built will be the 425 houses on Glenburn The other development are add to make sure the houses are built just more houses and no more infrastructure there’s been a campaign for a train station for years and all we get is a bus to Headbolt Station A minimum of 5 million already spent by councils on the network rail GRIP process coming up with a best option costing somewhere between 300 million and 700 milion It’s not going to happen and offering up a budget of 150 million for this so called ‘master-plan’ makes the whole thing a joke and to call it an exciting new chapter for Skelmersdale is insulting to anyone who has watched this going on for years one commenter suggests that the town had been going downhill since the original station closed actually suggests that it was going downhill from 1956 – modern Skelmersdale ‘new town’ was only started in the early 1960s was that ‘master-plan’ simply part of a downhill trajectory Or was the closure of infrastructure and industry over the decades more important it never happened; it has closed high schools at the town centre (Glenburn and Westbank) and at Tanhouse (St Richards) the ‘replacements’ (Our Lady’s and Lathom High) are barely in the town itself Primary schools have also closed (Fairlie).it is now very recently proposed to close the swimming pool Take a real look at Skem and the master-plan you might come up with would encourage investment in workplaces that would encourage people to live and work in the town would provide facilities that might draw people to come to skem (Cinema what about even a municipal golf course oh sorry I forgot we had one of those closed as well after somebody had a genius plan to turn it into a rubbish dump – try and get a good explanation for that one from the ambitious council leader or anybody else involved in these super duper plans for the town Not perfect but great to see ambition & finally a rail connection too Hopefully Lancashire & Liverpool can get behind this & WLBC can deliver About time developers remembered where we are we believe ya…never happen and it it does will ve run down within 10 years invest in things for the youth and more police make what we have feel safer…can’t polish a turd. They also said they were improving the golf course they sold off as a landfill. Wonder who’s pocket all that money went into and knocking g down the only swimming pool we have x All sounds wonderful but not the houses on yewdale taking away breath taking views spoiling nature definitely against this part of the plan WLBC cannot afford to replace the existing leisure centre in Skem and are suggesting closing this and the one at Ormskirk to save money I am therefore sceptical where the £150m is going to appear from How much did it cost to produce this fairytale I’m very happy with the new masterplan for our town improvement well done Only this month we were told that there isn’t enough money for the replacement of the swimming baths in Skelmersdale (planned in January this year) We asked to keep our swimming pool open until we got a new one built and we got a master plan perhaps this master plan should have been held over until all the funding was in place Where would the new residents kids go to school Where would they get a doctor’s appointment There aren’t enough facilities for the growing town already Fix the right things in the town not just make our overcrowded facilities and services have to cope with even more “The largest focusses on a site in Glenburn which has been outlined as suitable for a mixture of 425 market and affordable homes” I’ve never understood this expression ‘affordable homes’ The entire estate should be ‘for rent’ and a stepping stone for young local couples to rent whilst they save a deposit to buy a home (if they want to) Affordable homes is a government designation that means the homes are offered at a set price below market value. You can read more about it on the government’s website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-homes-fact-sheet-9-what-is-affordable-housing/fact-sheet-9-what-is-affordable-housing can remember at least 3 “master plans” involving a train station they just enjoy floating the idea of boosting impoverished towns won’t hold my breath waiting for this it’s hard enough to get to see a doctor or dentist plus schools are full About time maybe pensioners passes will be extended to trains Been spouting the same old for decades now This is wonderful and has been required for a long time,however I hope there are plans for more Doctors ànd a hospital How much has this report has cost the rate payers of West Lancs If they want to build new homes lets also build better infrastructures with all these extra families we need more schools the NHS walk in centre needs bringing up to modern day needs and longer opening hours As for a new shopping centre they can’t even fill the one we’ve got and even that’s being taken over by charity shops They should be concentrating on making good what we already have Definitely need new places and a train station life is so boring here I wish I never moved If it was near London there’d be a station already open in Skem Hear we go again Promises promises I think they are living in a dream world We’ve been made these promises time and time again What about the rest of the infra structure and shops and most of all the biggest promise from the seventies A HOSPITAL This will not happen and every knows it but they say it will but never will There have been many leisure facilities allowed to decline in Skelmersdale which was torn down to make way for houses which has been neglected and now overgrown Both the sports centre and golf course were very popular Now they want to destroy the towns swimming pool all the town’s leisure facilities have been taken away They have been promising a railway station since 2006 at a time when Skelmersdale relied on public transport as not many people couldn’t afford to run a car in those days Now many people have cars and prefer to use them as there is no security on public transport And where are the additional schools and doctor surgeries in this plan A railway station is essential to the towns growth and a modern leisure centre is a must for the health of its residents already living here Who are the end users for the 28,000 sqft commercial space I have have it once I’ve it a million times The houses will be built and everything else the plans state they don’t want it to offer much in terms of parking as they don’t want to encourage car use I wouldn’t want to be messing around with walking or cycling in the rubbish weather and would much sooner end up just taking the car to my final destination My solution was to build a parkway type station off Pimbo Extend upholland station if needed and give it plenty of parking as it’ll attract people to get off the motorway and use public transport to get to Liverpool or Wigan Manchester etc which will ultimately take even more cars off the road As for those who want to use public transport the council already subsidise a bus from Skelmersdale to Kirkby so why not reroute that to the new Pimbo Parkway instead The plans also include getting rid of some roundabouts and installing traffic lights The council seem committed to destroying one of the best features of Skem and the ability to walk or cycle from one side of town to another without having to walk alongside only more and more houses with nothing to go with them except more nature being destroyed no wonder this planet is shaping up to destroy us If I’ve heard this once I’ve heard it a million times It’s been getting said since Rosie Cooper was first MP The government made clear that they were not interested in the allowing the rail extension to go ahead The prominent Blackburn investor has further bolstered its holdings in the town with the acquisition of the 33,000 sq ft Ainsworth Street asset The housebuilder has secured approval for a 50-home sustainable scheme in Edenfield after the eight-acre plot was acquired from Peel Land Register for free North West property intelligence Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Join more than 13,000 property professionals and sign up to receive your free daily round-up of built environment news direct to your inbox By subscribing, you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy. Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value" Plans have been unveiled for a regeneration of Skelmersdale town centre which would see 600 homes a railway station and 28,000 sq ft of commercial space built as part of the £150million scheme with Tetra Tech and Lambert Smith Hampton drawing up the 75-acre masterplan  The planned new railway station will form a major part of the development replacing the one that shut in 1956 and improving the town’s connectivity to Liverpool Tawd Valley Development’s managing director said: “We want to better connect our residents to the region’s wider employment and leisure opportunities The plans also include the building of a well-being and leisure hub an update to the public realm around the Concourse Shopping Centre and upgrades to Tawd Valley Park to strengthen its links to the town centre The 600 homes will be created across three sites the largest in Glenburn where a mix of 425 market and affordable homes would be situated near the new train station A smaller site has been earmarked for 18 affordable homes while 182 apartments would be added to the town centre core with commercial spaces occupying the ground floor Mark Kitts said: “Our proposals will boost the town’s population whilst providing it with a modern and attractive town centre that will  “Developers can see the town’s positive trajectory in terms of employment new commercial occupiers and housing improvement and believe there’s a role for them to take Skelmersdale to the next level.” more vibrant town and building a better life for our communities.” “This ambitious but achievable transformation will have a clear path for progress and funding and will bring real benefits to residents and businesses and we’re excited to work together to shape and deliver Skelmersdale’s future.” A consultation over the proposed plans is currently underway and will conclude on 25 November Copyright © 2025 Show House We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns Service Graphics is relocating its Cestrian and Image Group operations to Skelmersdale after the landlord decided to terminate the lease on its Cheadle site Large-format specialist Service Graphics is owned by Grenadier Holdings (formerly Paragon Group) and is part of its Graphic Services division Service Graphics acquired the business and assets of Cestrian in November 2023, as PFI Group unravelled In January this year there was a change of ownership at the Cheadle site The new owners intend to operate their own business from the site and served notice to terminate the lease In response Service Graphics has secured additional space at Skelmersdale which it said would more than double the site’s operational footprint Managing director Mike Holyoake commented: “We have long held the ambition to expand and further invest in our operations at Skelmersdale While the sale of the Cheadle site was unexpected it presents an opportunity to accelerate our longer-term plan for a central production hub in Skelmersdale.” 48 staff work across Cestrian and Image Group. The move will result in a “small number” of redundancies which Service Graphics said it had tried to mitigate with opportunities to relocate to Skelmersdale or take up alternative positions within the wider group Operations director Stephen Morgan said detailed planning for the transition was underway we are fortunate to have significant production capabilities in Glasgow we will maintain uninterrupted production as we relocate equipment and personnel to the new unit in Skelmersdale,” he explained The new Skelmersdale facility is expected to be fully operational by the end of March with operations at Cheadle winding down over the next few weeks Group sales director Tristan Shaun added: “For many years Skelmersdale has been a key production hub for our business renowned for delivering high-quality large-format print for global brands “It makes perfect sense to build on the expertise of that team and integrate the Cheadle operations into Skelmersdale.” Service Graphics remains on the lookout for suitable premises in the Greater Manchester area for its document printing business as well as to maintain a presence there for the Image Group business runs an array of wide-format kit including Durst Printweek welcomes informed debate, but please read our House Rules before posting Printweek is the premier website for the print industry For best viewing experience of this website Please enter a place name in the search bar Environment Agency Updated: 14:11 (UTC+1) on Tue 6 May 2025 Fine and settled under the influence of high pressure Chilly but bright to start with plenty of sunny spells through the morning Turning cloudier from the east during the afternoon Rather cloudy into the evening but dry for most but not feeling as chilly as recent nights with most places remaining frost free Another widely dry and settled day with a few sunny spells breaking through largely cloudy skies and feeling warm with temperatures slightly above the early-May average The remainder of the week will see high pressure dominating It will stay dry with plenty of sunny spells Breezy at times but temperatures will be on the rise Dry across the vast majority of the UK with clear or sunny spells but also some patchy cloud Cloud will likely thicken across the far north and northwest during the weekend with some outbreaks of rain for a time There is also a small risk of some heavy showers in the far south or southwest high pressure will be dominant across the UK This will bring predominantly fine and dry weather for the majority of places Temperatures are likely to be slightly above normal for the time of year although there is a chance of some cold nights Fairly typical weather for the time of year is most likely through this period fine and dry weather is more likely to dominate although this will be interspersed with occasional spells of rain and showers with a risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms in places temperatures will most likely be near to or slightly above average Initial plans for the transformation of Skelmersdale in Lancashire have been revealed including plans for 600 new homes and 28,000sq ft of commercial space The plans are being led by Tawd Valley Development – West Lancashire Council’s development arm – and a 75-acre masterplan has been drawn up A new railway station is included in the plans which will provide better connectivity for Skelmersdale residents to places like Manchester Tetra Tech have been involved in the project having led on elements of the consultation: https://voh.tetratech.com/engage/skelmersdale/ Complete the details below to receive our daily newsletter highlighting investment and development activity: CLICK HERE to listen to the podcast face painting and dancing were enjoyed by children at one of Lancashire's Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Clubs The popular club for children and young people at The Skelmersdale Family Hub and Zone opened its doors again this week On the menu during the four hour club on Monday were dancing a chance to meet the West Lancs Family Hub’s own ‘Hugh Bear Mascot,’ party games so if she can move around and play with other children “Skelmersdale is a lovely community - it's nice that they put so much on and they get people together like this and that's the universal language of children Also enjoying the activities were Laura Bellamy “I've just walked across - it's nice to be able to come here and there's a lot going on - the children really enjoy it.” Joanna Fields attended with her grandchildren “It’s lovely – it brings the community together and the children are so happy Florence loves people and she loves watching her sister running around and playing with people.” aged seven and a half months and Tyler,  three Meanwhile,  mum Leanne Trotman came with daughters Aleina-Rae I'm looking forward to seeing what else they can do It's just getting out and meeting other children and meeting other families “It's good for me as well as I get to meet other mums lead neighbourhood group worker for the Children and Family Wellbeing Service in West Lancashire “The Holiday Activities and Food events in West Lancs are for any school aged children up to the age of 11 who are eligible for free school meals They can access a code which they can use to book on to the events and the ones that we run offer a nice healthy meal and some healthy lifestyle activities we widened the event to include younger children party games and then craft activities for the final hour and it’s completely free,  it encourages social interaction so the children can make new friends and the parents get the opportunity to meet new people as well and it’s really nice afternoon out - we really enjoy it.” one of many held in Family Hubs around the County I welcome the fact we are providing a wider range of opportunities fun activities and support for eligible families to support them into 2025."Parents and carers of school aged children who are eligible for a funded place receive a voucher before the school holidays which they can click to activate and access the booking platform There they will find a list of all the clubs and activities in their district Registration and booking is simple."If you are a parent or carer and are not sure if you are eligible for a place on the HAF programme your local Family Hub or a Children and Family Wellbeing service Neighbourhood Centre.” For more information, visit: Holiday activities and food programme (HAF) - Lancashire County Council West Lancashire Sport Partnership and SHARES a lead partner in lead partner in the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) program in West Lancashire work with local providers to run the HAF programmes for children and offer a variety of different activities School children are entitled to a  HAF place if they are entitled to benefits related Free School Meals regardless of whether parents take up the offer of Free School Meals some children may also be eligible if they have SEND if they are a Young Carer or if their families are being supported by Children's Social Care Parents or carers of children eligible for a funded place get an e-voucher by text or email in advance of clubs, from hello@holidays. For more information, visit: Holiday activities and food programme (HAF) - Lancashire County Council Cookie Settings Powered by Onclusive PR Manager™ As part of their expansion Oakland International has opened their latest depot in Skelmersdale Lancashire and is recruiting HGV drivers and transport personnel Supply chain solutions expert Oakland International needs to recruit around fifteen HGV Class 1 drivers as well as fill several transport and office-based staff roles and chose Skelmersdale due to its strategic location near to the motorway network and its ample potential for expansion Transport Manager Lynne Pearson commented: “We’re delighted to begin operations with Skelmersdale initially undertaking chilled distribution before expanding to become a cross-dock facility with the added potential of offering chilled storage once operations are fully in place.” A Certified B Corporation business Oakland International is a leader in direct to consumer food tempering and brand development support for all types of food serving various markets in the UK and Ireland They are also experts in saving food and non-food products from being wasted via their distress load management service and are aiming to be the first in their sector to reach net zero A proactive employer Oakland International is encouraging more women to think about a career in the supply chain Lynne added: “Oakland has women drivers and transport staff at our other locations and we aim to replicate this at Skelmersdale and ultimately we want a workforce that mirrors the labour market Grocery Trader is the bi-monthly magazine for the UK multiple grocery industry It is distributed in both printed and digital formats to named senior buyers and trading directors within the UK supermarkets Co-ops and convenience store chains and other key grocery organisations © Grandflame Ltd - All Rights Reserved Terms & Conditions Skelmersdale's TrainLink bus service is getting an upgrade following on from the opening of Headbolt Lane railway station which will make journeys to Liverpool even more comfortable and convenient The service will be stopping at the new Headbolt Lane railway station from Sunday 9 June with passengers able to buy a combined bus and rail ticket whether they begin their journey on the bus in Skelmersdale For added convenience the new Headbolt Lane railway station has been designed with space for TrainLink and local buses to pull in on the forecourt and drop passengers right outside the new station building Merseyrail services have been steadily increasing in frequency since the station was opened in Autumn 2023 and the full 4 trains per hour service was reinstated on Monday 27 May The Trainlink service has experienced steady growth in passengers since it launched in January 2023 cutting the travel time between Skelmersdale and Liverpool Central Station by public transport to under 50 minutes Operated by Stagecoach on behalf of Lancashire County Council with funding from the Bus Service Improvement Plan the route has been updated to run between Skelmersdale Concourse Headbolt Lane Railway Station via Maghull Lane and Kirkby Bus Station for onward transport links into Liverpool The express service operates every 30 minutes throughout the day Monday to Saturday There is also an hourly service on Sundays Buses are timed to connect with Merseyrail train services from early 'til late Lancashire County Council's director of highways and transport said: "The TrainLink is already a high-quality service offering a quick and comfortable journey on modern buses which operate frequently throughout the day "The switch to Headbolt Lane railway station where Merseyrail's trains begin means that you can now buy one ticket for your whole journey to or from Liverpool and enjoy the added convenience of travelling via the new station "The TrainLink is a really easy way to get to Liverpool and other destinations by rail and the new station will encourage more and more people in Skelmersdale to use the new service." said: "Merseyrail is delighted to support this service which will complement Headbolt Lane station and our services so well "The people of Skelmersdale now have an even faster and more seamless public transport option for getting across the Liverpool city region."We are particularly pleased to be able to provide a single ticket option which brings simplicity to customers who want to use Merseyrail services "Everyone at Merseyrail is looking forward to being a key partner to the Skelmersdale community in the years ahead." managing director of Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire "Stagecoach is proud to continue operating the Trainlink further enhancing public transport connectivity to Liverpool for residents of West Lancashire offering a greener travel option compared to cars We continue to welcome customers in Skelmersdale and provide fast efficient bus connections to both Merseyrail and the wider bus network in Kirkby This is especially exciting as the service will begin stopping at the new Headbolt Lane railway station from the 9th of June so that customers can take advantage of combined bus and rail tickets too." Combined bus and rail tickets are now available to buy on the TrainLink bus and at Merseyrail stations An off-peak daysaver valid from Skelmersdale to Merseyrail Area C railway stations (which includes Central Liverpool stations) is priced at £5.95 for adults and £2.95 for children and 16-18 year olds Off-peak TrainLink tickets can be used all day at weekends bank holidays and at off-peak periods on weekdays Anytime peak return tickets valid between Skelmersdale and Central Liverpool stations are priced at £8.10 for adults and £4.05 for children Anytime peak single tickets valid between Skelmersdale and Central Liverpool stations are priced at £6.60 for adults and £3.30 for children Child fares (5–15) are available at all times and discounted fares for Young People (16–18) are available off-peak Proof of age must be provided prior to purchase Proof of age may be requested during ticket inspections on the Merseyrail network There are also a range of bus only fare options available with adult single bus fares still priced at £2 and tickets for unlimited weekly travel for just £6 The development of the Skelmersdale TrainLink service forms part of a £34.1m programme to make buses the best travel option for more people across the Lancashire County Council and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council areas following a successful bid by the councils and local bus operators to the Department for Transport to support their Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIP) The TrainLink service has opened up new opportunities for people travelling to Liverpool for work and provided Skelmersdale with a direct new link to the Merseyrail and National Rail network Headbolt Lane is the first station to benefit from battery technology on the new Liverpool City Region trains for the Merseyrail network removing the need to extend the third rail beyond the existing Kirkby station