Service withdrawals, reductions and operator changes have been confirmed across five of the six boroughs in Liverpool City Region.
Following a two-week consultation in June, Arriva and Stagecoach have confirmed the swathes of changes they have put forward to services in Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral and St Helens from September. The move to shake-up more than 70 services has gone ahead despite opposition from political leaders and service users alike.
Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram described the cuts as “perverse” and said they had come at the “wrong time”. Cllr Liam Robinson, chair of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority transport committee, also called on the providers to think again over their mooted changes.
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The list of amendments has now been confirmed, with dozens being updated for the September 4 changeover date. According to the consultation website, the changes are being made “to ensure that a sustainable network is in place which reflects changes in travel demands and patterns whilst continuing to maintain bus network coverage, encourage passenger growth, and promote buses as a preferred mode of travel.
“While some services have seen a good rate of recovery in passenger numbers since the removal of Covid-19 restrictions, others have not. This means that they may require changes to their route or timetable to allow them to remain sustainable.”
A full list of changes includes:
Liverpool
Removal of X3 service between Liverpool and Knowsley Industrial Park
3/3A service to change from HTL to Arriva
“Minor timetable changes” to 7 service between Liverpool and Warrington
10A Liverpool to St Helens service - Monday to Saturday Frequency increased to every 7/8 minutes. Sunday frequency increased to every 10 minutes
10B service from Queens Square bus station to Huyton bus station - Sunday evening frequency reduction to hourly from 9pm, daytime frequency returns to pre-summer timetable.
12 service from Liverpool to Stockbridge Village - Sunday evening frequency reduction to hourly from 10pm, daytime frequency returns to pre-summer timetable.
13 service from Liverpool to Stockbridge Village - Sunday evening frequency reduction to hourly from 10pm, daytime frequency returns to pre-summer timetable.
14 service from Liverpool to Croxteth - Saturday frequency reduced to a combined every 7/8 minutes. Daytime frequency returns to pre-summer timetable.
14A service to Tower Hill - Service will terminate at Kirkby Bus Station and not continue through to Tower Hill. Daytime frequency returns to pre-summer timetable
15 to Huyton Bus Station - Sunday Evening Frequency Reduction to hourly from 10pm, daytime frequency returns to pre-summer timetable
17 service from Liverpool to Aintree Hospital - Service to extend to and around Knowsley Industrial Estate on an hourly frequency all day. Some early morning trips will operate as a 17X offering quick links for shift workers
18 from Liverpool ONE to Croxteth - Sunday service to reduce to hourly from 10pm.
19 service Liverpool to Kirkby - Daytime frequency returns to pre summer timetable. Early morning journey from Gillmoss (04:22) to Queen Square (04:52) on added Monday – Friday to replace early journey lost with the withdrawal of the X3.
20 service Liverpool to Tower Hill - Daytime frequency returns to pre summer timetable.
21 service Liverpool to Northwood - Daytime frequency returns to pre summer timetable.
26/27 Liverpool ONE - Sheil Road Circular - Sunday hourly from 10pm, daytime frequency returns to pre summer timetable.
47 service Liverpool to Crossens - Daytime frequency returns to pre summer timetable
52/52A Liverpool - Netherton/Old Roan - Saturday service to reduce to every 20 minutes from 5pm.
53 - Crosby to Queen Square - Start from 6am Saturday, reduce to 60-minute frequency from 9pm on a Sunday.
54 - Liverpool to Thornton Circular - Sunday frequency reduction to every 60 minutes. Daytime frequency returns to pre-summer timetable.
55 - Liverpool to Old Roan - Sunday Frequency reduction to every 60 minutes.
58 service morning trip from Netherton operated on behalf of Merseytravel by PeoplesBus, Netherton - Queen Square Bus Station, operator change.
60 service Bootle to Aigburth Vale - Minor Frequency Reductions in the evenings, Monday to Saturday; reduced to every 60 minutes from 10pm, Sunday; reduced to every 60 minutes from 9pm.
61 from Liverpool to Halton Hospital - Monday to Saturday frequency reduced to hourly.
62 Bootle to Penny Lane - Timetable amendment; Hourly phasing in of the timetable until 6.30am Monday - Saturday, evening journeys reduced to hourly from 7pm daily, daytime frequency returns to pre-summer timetable.
Minor timetable change to 63 service from Bootle - Aintree University Hospital Circular.
Daytime frequency returns to pre-summer timetable on 68 service Bootle to Aigburth Vale.
75 - Liverpool ONE to Halewood - Minor timetable change and daytime frequency returns to pre summer timetable.
79 Liverpool to Halewood - Reduction in Frequency between Wood Lane and Halewood to every 16 minutes Monday to Friday, every 20 minutes Saturday and every 40 minutes Sunday.
79C Liverpool to Murdishaw - Reduction in frequency on Saturdays to every 30 minutes.
80 Liverpool ONE to Speke - Saturday frequency reduced from every 30 minutes to every 40 minutes
80A Liverpool ONE to Liverpool John Lennon Airport - Saturday frequency reduced from every 30 minutes to every 40 minutes
81/A Bootle Bus Station - Liverpool John Lennon Airport - Monday to Friday; reduced to every 30 minutes. Between Hunts Cross and Bootle Bus Station, the 81 and 81A operate with a combined daytime frequency of every 15 minutes.
121 Broadway to Aintree Station - Monday to Sunday frequency reduced to hourly evenings.
135 Aintree Station to Bootle - Frequency reintroduced at 60 minutes. Millers Bridge no longer served. Route is now standardised. Monday – Saturday Service 136 covers Millers Bridge in the weekday peaks. Millers Bridge covered by the 144 evening and Sundays.
136 Bootle to Liverpool Circular - operator change to People’s Bus.
159 Walton Park to Aintree Hospital - Evenings and Sundays route extended to Walton Park. Service now operates Walton Park – Aintree Hospital all day, every day.
166/188 Belle Vale Circulars - Arriva to operate
167 Garston - Grassendale Circular - Hattons to operate
204 Liverpool ONE to Bellevale - Monday to Saturday: Frequency reduced to every 60 minutes, operator will change from Stagecoach to Arriva
235 Bootle - Liverpool Circular - People’s Bus to operate
432/433 New Brighton to Liverpool - Evening frequency of 432 reduced to every 40 minutes from 6.30pm, with 433 journeys introduced every 40 minutes. Both services to operate every 60 minutes from 10pm.
437 West Kirby to Liverpool - Evening frequency reduced from every 20 minutes to every 30 minutes from 10pm.
471/472 Liverpool to Heswall - 471 Monday-Friday daytime frequency returns to every 20 minutes. 471/472 will return to being operated equally by both Arriva and Stagecoach.
835 Northwood to Liverpool Freeport, People’s Bus to operate
898/899 Page Moss, Knowsley Industrial Park, Page Moss - Arriva to operate
Sefton
47 Crossens to Queen Square - minor timetable change
Formby circulars - Arriva to operate
63 Bootle to Aigburth Vale - Minor frequency reductions in evenings, Monday to Friday; reduced to every 60 minutes from 10pm, Saturday; reduced to every 60 minutes from 10pm, Sunday; reduced to every 60 minutes from 9pm.
133 Kirkby Admin to Waterloo - Hattons to operate
144 Bootle - Netherton Circular - Service to be revised to operate via Strand Road in both directions in the daytime. Evenings and Sundays operate via Millers Bridge.
Frequency hourly all day. Operator will change to Arriva.
345 Waddicar to Queen Square - Minor timetable change
Wirral
16/17 Eastham Rake to Moreton Cross - Route amended to serve the bus interchange in Arrowe Park Hospital grounds.
38 West Kirby to New Ferry/Eastham - Monday-Saturday daytime frequency returns to every 30 minutes between West Kirby and New Ferry and continues to extend every 60 mins to Eastham.
41/42 Mill Park to Woodchurch/Arrowe Park Hospital - Routes extended from Woodchurch to Arrowe Park Hospital. Services will no longer operate around Woodchurch in a loop but instead operate in both directions Monday to Sunday.
73 West Kirby to Poulton Lancelyn, operator to change to A2B Travel.
80/81/82 - 81 re-routed via Greenbank Road and timetable changed.
91/91A - Birkenhead to Holmlands Estate, A2B Travel to operate
106/107 - Liscard Circular via New Brighton and Wallasey Village, route amended to include Mount Road.
129 - Liscard to Frankby Cemetery, A2B Travel to operate
216/217 - Woodside to Woodside via Arrowe Park Hospital, frequencies are reduced from every 30 minutes to every 60 minutes.
409 Birkenhead to Wallasey Village, minor timetable change
410 New Brighton to Clatterbridge Hospital - Evening frequency reduced from every 30 minutes to every 60 minutes from approx. 22:00 Monday – Friday. Evening frequency reduced from every 30 minutes to every 60 minutes from 9pm weekends.
411 New Brighton to Woodside, extra round trip introduced
418 New Ferry to Birkenhead - Frequency reduced from every 40 minutes to every 60 minutes.
432/433 New Brighton to Liverpool - Evening frequency of 432 reduced to every 40 minutes from 6.30pm with 433 journeys introduced every 40 minutes. Both services to operate every 60 minutes from 10pm.
437 - West Kirby to Liverpool, evening frequency reduced from every 20 minutes to every 30 minutes from 10pm.
464 - New Ferry to Liverpool Cook Street, minor timetable change
471/472 - Liverpool to Heswall, Stagecoach 471 Monday-Saturday daytime frequency returns to every 20 minutes. 471/472 will return to being operated equally by both Arriva and Stagecoach on a combined 10-minute frequency on the common sections.
492/495 - Birkenhead to Noctorum Circulars - Monday-Saturday daytime frequency remains every 30 minutes with Merseytravel Support.
811 - Leasowe/Moreton to Broughton, Selwyns to operate
St Helens
17 - St Helens to Widnes, merge with 30 service, operate combined route, evening journeys will be revised to reflect daytime provision. Service 17 will extend to Chain Lane to maintain a 30-minute Mon-Sat daytime service. Service will operate in both directions around Sutton Manor.
30 - Sutton Manor to Chain Lane, merge with 17 service and provide combined 30-minute frequency. Evening journeys will be revised to reflect daytime provision.
37 - St Helens – Eccleston - Rainford, Service maintained to operate every 60 minutes (Monday – Saturday daytime) and extended to include Rainford. Full route and timetable details will be published shortly
38 - St Helens to Rainford, reduced to every 60 minutes daily. Kiln Lane and Rainford will also be served by revised 37 service to give two buses per hour (Monday – Saturday daytime). Rainford Junction reduced to every 60 minutes (Monday – Saturday daytime). Evenings and Sunday unchanged. Full route and timetable details will be published shortly.
60 - St Helens to Hard Lane Circular, 8.30am from Hard Lane shops will not operate during school holidays.
352 - St Helens to Wigan, Saturday reduced to every 30 minutes.
Knowsley
76 - Liverpool to Halewood - Monday to Friday frequency to remain at every 30 minutes.
78 - Liverpool to Halewood - Monday to Friday frequency to remain at every 30 minutes.
97/97A 98/98A - Kirkby circular - Service 98 and service 97 merged to operate a revised route. Service 98A merged with service 97A to operate via Knowsley Industrial Park during the peaks. Kirkby Park Estate frequency reduce to hourly. Remaining sections of the new route 97 operate a 35/25-minute frequency.
217 - 227 - Kirkby to Huyton - Services 217 and 227 will be combined into service 217 which will operate the current route from Huyton to Knowsley Village then through Kirkby via Southdene (to incorporate the 227 route), Northwood to Kirkby Bus Station then be extended via Mill Lane through to Saxon Way, Tower Hill.
Evenings and Sundays journeys will be revised in line with the daytime route between Knowsley village and Kirkby Bus Station but continue to cover Longview & Kingsway and operate from Halewood through to Kirkby Bus Station as services 217 and 217A. Monday to Friday frequency will be every 20 minutes, Saturday frequency will be every 30 minutes, evenings and Sunday frequency will be every 60 minutes.
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