Wirral is days away from a 'transport revolution'
Passengers across Wirral will see bus services return to public control this weekend for the first time in 40 years.
Launching across Wirral on Sunday, the switch follows the recent successful rollout of publicly-controlled bus services in St Helens which are already delivering 97% reliability, with punctuality already up by more than 10% since their launch last month.
Passengers are set to benefit from a raft of immediate improvements including expanded weekend and evening timetables, more frequent services and improved connections across the borough – with new services linking to both Arrowe Park Hospital and Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.
An all-new bus fleet will also be rolled out across the Wirral network, decked out in the region’s distinctive yellow and grey Metro livery.
Cllr Paula Basnett, Leader of Wirral Council, said:
Good public transport is essential to helping people access jobs, education, healthcare and leisure opportunities, so it’s exciting to see this significant new chapter for bus services begin in Wirral.
From more frequent services and better evening and weekend connections to new links serving key destinations across the borough, these changes are designed to make it easier for residents to get where they need to be.
For many people, buses are a vital part of everyday life. Bringing services back under public control gives us the opportunity to build a network that better reflects the needs of our communities and supports our ambitions for a more connected, inclusive and sustainable Wirral.
The low-emission, state-of-the-art vehicles are packed with features designed to make bus travel more comfortable and accessible, including better seats, USB charging and more space for wheelchairs and prams.
The rollout is part of Mayor Steve Rotheram’s commitment to create a fairer, greener, and fully joined-up transport system in the Liverpool City Region that puts passengers before profit.
Key changes to the bus network include:
- More frequent services: Buses will run more often on some key routes, with increased daytime frequencies alongside extra evening, Sunday and early-morning buses.
- Extended routes and improved links: Popular routes are being extended and re-timed to better connect local residents to key destinations, including Arrowe Park Hospital and the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, town centres and local rail interchanges.
- Network numbering: Most bus services in Wirral are getting new numbers to remove duplicates across the region and create one easy-to-understand network – all routes will now start with 4, e.g. service 17 will become 417.
- Brand-new bus fleet: Passengers will travel on state-of-the-art, publicly owned, low-emission buses clad in the Liverpool City Region’s distinctive yellow and grey Metro livery.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:
In just a few days’ time, we are taking the next huge step in turning the page on four decades of deregulated, fragmented bus services and bringing Wirral’s network back under public control where it belongs.
We’ve already seen in St Helens what a difference this can make, and people across Wirral will start seeing the benefits from day one – more buses, better evening and weekend services, improved connections and a brand-new fleet.
With £2 fares, more reliable services and a network that is properly joined up with both our trains and our new ferry cross the Mersey, we’re building a system that works for everyone and, and one that people can be proud of.
Even as bus services are brought under public control the network will continue to work as it always has, getting people to where they need to go.
There are a few things passengers and local residents can do to get ready ahead of next Sunday 25 October:
- Checking timetables & route changes: Updated timetables and details on upcoming route changes are available now on the Merseytravel website and through the Merseytravel Journey Planner app.
- Looking at fares, tickets and passes: Concessionary passes (including Over-60s and Disabled Person’s passes) will continue to work as normal, and the £2 adult single fare cap and £2.20 young person’s day rider MyTicket remain available. Passengers should check the Merseytravel website for information of operator-specific season tickets and passes.
- Meeting the Team: Bus network staff are hosting in-person information sessions across Wirral so passengers and local residents can ask questions. Details of upcoming in-person local events are listed below:
| Location | Date | Full Address | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Tree Shopping Centre | Monday 19th October | Liscard, Wallasey, CH44 5XU | 11am – 2pm |
| West Kirby Concourse | Tuesday 20th October | Outside leisure centre, Grange Road, West Kirby, CH48 4HX | 10am – 2pm |
| Birkenhead Bus Station | Wednesday 21st October | Claughton Road, Birkenhead, CH41 6RT | 10am – 2pm |
| ASDA Arrowe Park | Friday 23rd October | Woodchurch Road, Birkenhead, CH49 5PD | 10am – 2pm |
| Birkenhead Bus Station | Sunday 25th October | Claughton Road, Birkenhead, CH41 6RT | 10am – 3pm |
| Birkenhead Bus Station | Monday 26th October | Claughton Road, Birkenhead, CH41 6RT | 10am – 3pm |
| Pyramids Shopping Centre | Monday 26th October | 150 Borough Road, Birkenhead, CH41 2RA | 10am – 3pm |
The changes in Wirral are just the latest phase of a region-wide transformation in bus services, with the new publicly-run network expanding to Knowsley, Liverpool and Sefton in 2027.
Bringing buses back under public control is just one part of Mayor Steve Rotheram’s pledge to deliver a faster, greener, and better-connected transport network for the region’s 1.6 million residents.
Over the past few years there has hundreds of millions of pounds of new investment in transport infrastructure for region, including record funding for the rail network, a brand-new transport interchange in St Helens and the first new Mersey Ferry built in over 60 years.
Full details of the improvements to routes and services in Wirral can be found on the Merseytravel website.
