Ditton reopening? It's on the Merseytravel wishlist.
I would really like to see that happen but I highly doubt it. It would be a needless complication for an important and complex rolling stock project.
There is quite a catchment area for AC OHLE + hydrogen trains based in Widnes. Apart from the CLC stoppers perhaps some of the Northern DMU services out of Piccadilly and the Halton Curve service. The suggested figure of 15 units would probably solve the rest of Northerns franchise stock needs if the DfT agreed to a variation of the franchise rolling stock obligations.