Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising

[Y458 KNF]

RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising

(04/04/2026 11:51)Valandil Wrote:  I'll be interested to see how this affects Warrington's operations.
While their branding isn't that dissimilar, they'd surely still need to use Metro-branded vehicles for the 322.
It creates a second fleet which is totally distinct from the "main fleet".
That said, we'll see what happens further down the line, particularly with schools.

Unless METRO order a micro fleet of BZLs in their spec could be a chance Warrington will be allowed to use their vehicles on it.

[Merseysidebusenthusiast]

RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising
Just got a letter from my local councillor for Claughton and Noctorum about buses being brought under public control;
It said "In October Wirral will get new buses in the Merseytravel colours and here in Claughton and Noctorum, the 492/495 services will be vastly improved. Both 492 and 495 service will run every 30 minutes during the day on weekdays and Saturdays, in the evenings and on Sundays and Bank Holidays buses will run every hour until about midnight. The 437 service continues unchanged as does the 38 which will be renumbered 438. The 91/91A, renumbered to 491, will run hourly."

Just thought I'd put it here as it's looking like Buses being brought under public control won't happen until October, the 492/495 getting weekend and evening improvements and as it also confirms the 437 frequency won't change either.

[wirralbus]

RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising

(10/04/2026 11:18)Merseysidebusenthusiast Wrote:  Just got a letter from my local councillor for Claughton and Noctorum about buses being brought under public control;
It said "In October Wirral will get new buses in the Merseytravel colours and here in Claughton and Noctorum, the 492/495 services will be vastly improved. Both 492 and 495 service will run every 30 minutes during the day on weekdays and Saturdays, in the evenings and on Sundays and Bank Holidays buses will run every hour until about midnight. The 437 service continues unchanged as does the 38 which will be renumbered 438. The 91/91A, renumbered to 491, will run hourly."

Just thought I'd put it here as it's looking like Buses being brought under public control won't happen until October, the 492/495 getting weekend and evening improvements and as it also confirms the 437 frequency won't change either.

The present Evening and Sunday provision on the 492/5 are a joke , it just felt like stopgap measure that went on and on. Its like a bus dessert particulary on the Noctorum andf Beechwood at them times.

[Merseysidebusenthusiast]

RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising

(10/04/2026 16:20)wirralbus Wrote:  The present Evening and Sunday provision on the 492/5 are a joke , it just felt like stopgap measure that went on and on. Its like a bus dessert particulary on the Noctorum andf Beechwood at them times.

Funny because I'm pretty sure back in 2019 I got a leaflet from my local councillor saying they fought for Merseytravel to give them an evening and Sunday provision, despite it being ran by Merseytravel under Avon before 2018, they just somehow didn't have the funding to run it back to an hourly service.

[KX03 KYY]

RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising

(10/04/2026 16:20)wirralbus Wrote:  The present Evening and Sunday provision on the 492/5 are a joke , it just felt like stopgap measure that went on and on. Its like a bus dessert particulary on the Noctorum andf Beechwood at them times.

Sadly the evening and Sunday routes have declined since first Ace Travel closed down marking end of 216/217 of a night and then Avon closed sadly killed the 193/293 meaning only 492/5 was left

Also Arriva withdrew the 118/9 which had left a massive gap of a night and Sunday

[Harryn9000]

RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising

(10/04/2026 11:18)Merseysidebusenthusiast Wrote:  Just got a letter from my local councillor for Claughton and Noctorum about buses being brought under public control;
It said "In October Wirral will get new buses in the Merseytravel colours and here in Claughton and Noctorum, the 492/495 services will be vastly improved. Both 492 and 495 service will run every 30 minutes during the day on weekdays and Saturdays, in the evenings and on Sundays and Bank Holidays buses will run every hour until about midnight. The 437 service continues unchanged as does the 38 which will be renumbered 438. The 91/91A, renumbered to 491, will run hourly."

Just thought I'd put it here as it's looking like Buses being brought under public control won't happen until October, the 492/495 getting weekend and evening improvements and as it also confirms the 437 frequency won't change either.

it is the way merseytravel is doing it. St helens goes over in Late September. wirral is a month late in late october. all routes on wirral will have 400 series to stick to uniformity with current routes.

[DVG526]

RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising

(17/04/2026 17:41)Harryn9000 Wrote:  it is the way merseytravel is doing it. St helens goes over in Late September. wirral is a month late in late october. all routes on wirral will have 400 series to stick to uniformity with current routes.

What uniformity is this? Quite a few route numbers in LCR are duplicated. Cross River services have traditionally been 4xx for a number of years now but there is no need for Wirral internal routes to be 4xx, it all goes back to the farcical system brought in by the Hind Arriva era 25 years ago.

[gka472l]

RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising
From one of the FB groups, Stagecoach 18931/2, for St Helens, have been delivered from Wrightbus, having been noted at Birkenhead ferry terminal this week.....unknown where all these will be stored before franchising, but would assume some will be out beforehand on driver familiarisation at Birkenhead (GNW ones) and St Helens (Stagecoach ones)

[SN55DVG]

RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising

(17/04/2026 17:41)Harryn9000 Wrote:  St helens goes over in Late September. wirral is a month late in late october.

When will the franchising actually start?

I thought St. Helens was the first weekend in September and The Wirral was the last weekend in October...
I have no idea when the school franchise that was just announced starts!!!

[chris-s]

RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising

(20/04/2026 14:27)SN55DVG Wrote:  When will the franchising actually start?

I thought St. Helens was the first weekend in September and The Wirral was the last weekend in October...
I have no idea when the school franchise that was just announced starts!!!

St helens is 6th September