District-focused Bus Network Reviews are carried out every three years across Merseyside and are coordinated by Merseytravel. These reviews are to consider the commercial bus network and the supported network as a whole, reviewing how the network best reflects current working and living patterns and new developments and how they are served.
Part of the review process considers the need for services publically subsidised through Merseytravel, ensuring how very limited public resources can be focused where there is the greatest need. Details on the reviews of each district will appear on this page as and when they take place. You will be able to find out details of the changes proposed to the bus network in each region and give your feedback via an online survey.
A consultation process involving members of the public and key stakeholders, which sees a number of drop-in events and an online survey, helps to shape the reviews. If you are unable to attend the events and give your views on the bus services in your area or would like to ask any questions about the reviews, you can contact our comments team through the Merseytravel website by emailing [email protected] or by telephone 0151 330 1000.
The reviews tries to make sure that everyone living in a built-up area is within reasonable distance of a bus service which connects them to healthcare, fresh food, healthcare and the rest of the transport network.
Recent Network Reviews
Residents in Sefton have helped shape the borough’s bus network following a consultation on plans to create a simpler, clearer network.
Plans for Sefton include:
• Current links and frequencies maintained on the majority of daytime and evening services
• Service 47 will continue to operate via Ince Blundell as it currently does. No further service changes are planned for 2019 though the performance of the service will be reviewed again in January 2020.
• Services 44 and 54 have route amendments to improve reliability
• Service 15A will now operate between Birkdale and Southport Hospital, via Southport Town Centre, Cemetery Road, Walnut Street and Folkestone Road
• Service 46A is withdrawn. Frequency of service 46 is increased to every 20 minutes, Monday to Saturday daytime
• New service 32A is introduced to offer a peak service for South and West Maghull to Maghull Station and Westway Square. Service 32/33 hours extended to run of an evening and Sunday
• Peak service 34/34A withdrawn due to low usage following the opening of Maghull North station
• Service 144 to operate between Bootle and Pendle Drive only, to improve reliability
The changes will come into effect on Sunday 1st September 2019. A full list of the changes can be in the PDF found below:
Sefton Network Review Final Changes
An online survey gave members of the public the chance to give their thoughts on the initial proposed changes. Three drop-in events also took place, in Bootle, Maghull and Southport, so that members of the public could speak to Merseytravel staff about the proposals and give their feedback.
This consultation period followed a first phase in February 2019, which saw people offer their feedback on their frequency and pattern of bus use, including those services publicly funded by Merseytravel, and what might make them use buses more.
Network reviews are one of the activities that comes under the Bus Alliance, a formal partnership with operators Arriva and Stagecoach, with the aim of transforming bus services to encourage more people to take the bus. The network reviews do involve all operators though.
Part of the review has been looking at the current supported bus network and considering how increasingly limited public resources can be focused where there is most need.
Impacts of changes have been mitigated by re-routing or extending existing commercial services where possible to negate the need for a service supported by public funding.
Some original proposals have been updated based on feedback from the consultation.
If you have any further questions or further feedback, please email us at [email protected]
Residents in St Helens have helped shape the borough’s bus network following a consultation on plans to create a simpler, clearer network.
Plans for St Helens include:
• Current links and frequencies are maintained for the majority of services
• Evening and Sunday service remains largely unchanged, although some times are revised
• Service 603 is replaced with an extended 22 which will now operate via Garswood, providing better links for Haydock Industrial Estate, Earlestown, and Newton-le-Willows
• Service 156 revised to operate between Lea Green and Garswood. It will continue to serve Haydock Industrial Estate as well as serve St Helens Hospital and Liverpool Road (Haydock)
• New service 39 introduced to replace part of the withdrawn 140 daytime service
• Evening and Sunday service 140 renumbered 39A, timings are revised but the route remains unchanged
The changes will come into effect on Sunday 28th April 2019. A full list of the changes can be in the PDF found below:
St Helens Bus Network Review – Changes
An online survey gave members of the public the chance to give their thoughts on the initial proposed changes. A drop-in event also took place, in the Hardshaw Centre, so that members of the public could speak to Merseytravel staff about the proposals and give their feedback.
This consultation period followed a first phase in July and August 2018, which saw people offer their feedback on their frequency and pattern of bus use, including those services publically funded by Merseytravel, and what might make them use buses more.
St Helens is the first district to have its services reviewed for the second time. This followed the first network review in 2016.
This is one of the activities that comes under the Bus Alliance, a formal partnership with operators Arriva and Stagecoach, with the aim of transforming bus services to encourage more people to take the bus. The network reviews do involve all operators though.
Part of the review has been looking at the current supported bus network and considering how increasingly limited public resources can be focused where there is most need.
Impacts of changes have been mitigated by re-routing or extending existing commercial services where possible to negate the need for a service supported by public funding.
Some original proposals have been updated based on feedback from the consultation.
If you have any further questions or further feedback, please email us at [email protected]