Jack Stopforth, chief executive of Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, provides an arresting image to explain his view that Merseyside’s transport infrastructure is relatively good. The city, he says, has been described as “a size eight lady in a size 12 dress” – by which he means that there is plenty of room to grow.

This, Mr Stopforth explains, is partly because the roads and rail network were built for a time when the city had more people than it does now. It is true that peak congestion in Merseyside seems less of a problem than in many other cities.