The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) has awarded large bus franchise contracts to the Go-Ahead Group for services in Wirral and Stagecoach for St Helens. Both will start in the autumn and continue both groups’ success in franchising in north-west England.
Commencement of those franchise contracts will represent the first part of a staged transition to a regulated bus network in the Liverpool City Region. Go-Ahead will enter the local market with the Wirral award and largely take over services currently operated by Arriva from Laird Street depot in Birkenhead and Stagecoach from its Rock Ferry site.
The group’s Go North West subsidiary, which already delivers franchised bus services on behalf of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, will capture the Liverpool City Region work. It will occupy 117 buses on 45 routes and start in October.
Stagecoach already has a presence in St Helens, although the depot at Jackson Street there is currently in the hands of Arriva. Rollout of franchising across the Liverpool City Region will be complete by the end of 2027 under an accelerated plan adopted by Mayor Steve Rotheram in 2024.
LCRCA says that both St Helens and Wirral will benefit from improvements from day one of the franchising contracts. Those will include more frequent and later journeys on key routes and an increase in provision at weekends.
St Helens will also see a new express service to Liverpool John Lennon Airport, while on Wirral, routes will be extended to better serve hospitals and railway stations.
As part of the wider franchising overhaul, zero-emission buses are in the process of being procured under a “hundreds of millions of pounds” outlay on vehicles, depots and infrastructure upgrades. At least 100 such buses are understood to have been built by Alexander Dennis and Wrightbus.
The Combined Authority is also investing in an integrated transport contact centre and the delivery of a new set of enhanced digital tools that include ticket purchasing and journey planning.
Speaking about the first contract awards, Mr Rotheram has again attacked the deregulated market, claiming that bus users “have been let down by a system that put shareholders before passengers.”
He continues: “That is 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.”
Stagecoach Manchester and Merseyside Managing Director Rob Jones has welcomed the St Helens award and says the group is “extremely proud” to have been chosen.
“We have a fantastic local team who have a proud history of serving communities in and around the Liverpool City Region, and we are honoured to be entrusted with the responsibility of delivering reliable and high-quality services under the new franchise.
“We are looking forward to working in partnership with the Mayor and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, as we have a shared goal to deliver outstanding services for a brighter future for our region.
“We would also like to express our thanks to all of our dedicated colleagues. We value their contribution and are committed to supporting them through the transition process as we move to the new operating model.”
Go-Ahead Bus CEO Matt Carney has also thanked LCRCA. “Securing this contract is an exciting step for Go-Ahead and a clear demonstration of our commitment to deliver world-class public transport.”
