First franchised bus services in Wirral for 40 years start this year
Wirral is set to lead the way in one of the biggest shifts in local transport policy in a generation after the Liverpool City Region appointed new operators to run its first publicly controlled bus services since the 1980s.
Operators have now been appointed to run the first locally controlled services in the Liverpool City Region since the 1980s, marking the biggest change to public transport in the region for more than a generation.
The first phase of bus franchising will begin in Wirral in autumn 2026 as well as in St Helens, before rolling out across the rest of the city region by the end of 2027.
Go-Ahead has been selected to operate the franchised bus network based in Wirral, while Stagecoach has been selected to operate the franchised bus network based in St Helens.
This marks the beginning of a major transformation that will see the region’s buses brought back under local control – delivering a more reliable network, that is better connected and built around the needs of passengers.
Cllr Paula Basnett, Leader of Wirral Council, welcomed the changes, saying:
The introduction of bus franchising is a landmark moment for Wirral and a major step forward for our residents, businesses and visitors. Every single day, buses connect tens of thousands of our residents with jobs, education, healthcare and each other, so it’s essential that services are reliable, affordable and designed around how people actually travel.
Bringing buses back under public control marks a significant change after decades in which local areas had little influence over routes, timetables or fares. Franchising puts passengers first and gives us the ability to shape a network that better reflects local needs.
With Wirral among the first areas to see this new system introduced, residents will benefit from stronger connections to hospitals, rail stations and services that support both our local economy and our ambitions for a cleaner, more sustainable transport system.
Passengers in St Helens and Wirral are promised immediate improvements designed to make the network more dependable and easy-to-use. This includes more frequent and later running buses on key routes alongside an increase in the number of weekend services.
In St Helens, a brand-new express service to Liverpool John Lennon Airport will be launched, while in Wirral routes are being extended to provide better direct links to hospitals and rail stations.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said:
For hundreds of thousands of people across our region, buses aren’t a ‘nice to have’ – they’re a lifeline. They’re how people get to work, to school, to hospital appointments, to see family and friends. But for too long, too many people have been let down by a system that put shareholders before passengers.
For more than 40 years, buses have been run without proper accountability – services turning up late or not turning up at all; fares rising year after year; routes being cut with no thought for the communities left isolated as a result. People have felt they had no voice and no control. I understand that frustration – and it must change.
That’s why we are taking back control. Franchising gives us the power to hold operators to account, to shape routes, fares and timetables around the needs of our area and its citizens. Today marks the start of a new era for buses in St Helens and Wirral – where passengers will always come first. Alongside our publicly-owned trains, we are putting the public back into public transport.
Greater local control of the bus network is a key part of Mayor Rotheram’s wider vision for a fully integrated transport system that is quicker, simpler, and more affordable.
Hundreds of millions of pounds are being invested in new buses, depots and infrastructure upgrades to support the transition to a franchised network. This includes the purchase of more than 100 new all-electric double-decker buses, as the city region builds on its commitment to becoming net zero carbon by 2035.
Cllr Foulkes, Chair of the Transport Committee at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, said:
This is a pivotal moment for bus services across the Liverpool City Region. Franchising is the biggest overhaul of our network in forty years and it gives us the tools to rebuild public transport around the people who use it most.
By taking control of routes, fares and standards, we can hold operators to account and ensure services are run in the public interest rather than for private profit. While change will be rolled out in phases, the appointment of operators for Wirral and St Helens is a major step towards delivering a more reliable, simpler and better-connected bus network for the whole region.
Funding to modernise the bus network comes on the back of the announcement of a historic £1.6bn transport funding settlement secured from government, which will help deliver new rail stations, walking and cycling routes and a new rapid transit system.
Accountability will be at the heart of all new operator contracts, with customer-focused targets for punctuality, reliability and bus cleanliness built in from day one.
To support this, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is investing further in its integrated transport contact centre and delivering a new set of enhanced digital tools. These will include improved online ticket purchasing and journey‑planning services, offering simplified fares and real‑time travel information to ensure a better experience for passengers across the region.
This is also alongside several years of record-level investment in transport infrastructure across the Liverpool City Region, with major projects including the rollout of a £500m fleet of state-of-the-art trains, the extension of the Merseyrail network to Headbolt Lane in Kirkby and the building of the first new Mersey Ferry in more than 60 years.
