In a landmark announcement, Mayor Steve Rotheram has revealed plans to invest nearly £110 million in the Liverpool City Region bus network. This substantial funding aims to significantly enhance bus services across the area, reflecting a commitment to improving public transport for residents.
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| Tom Harrison (Bus Ambassador) |
If the plans are approved at next week’s Combined Authority meeting, the investment will target various aspects of the bus network. Key initiatives include improving journey times and reliability, upgrading and purchasing depot facilities and creating a brand new bus interchange in St Helens town centre.
A significant portion of the funding will be allocated to purchasing dozens of new zero-emission electric buses, building on the 58 electric double-deckers secured in April through the ZEBRA (Zero Emission Bus Regional Area) fund. Additionally, the investment will support the reinstatement of dedicated bus lanes in Liverpool, which were removed in 2014.
This funding boost comes as the Liverpool City Region advances efforts to bring its bus network back under public control. Following a major public consultation in which around 70% of participants supported the plans, Mayor Rotheram made the landmark decision in 2023 to franchise bus services in the region.
Franchised services are set to commence in St Helens in 2026, with the new system rolling out across the region by the end of 2027. This approach will allow for greater local control over fares, timetables and routes, ensuring that services are tailored to the needs of passengers rather than shareholders.
Mayor Steve Rotheram emphasised the importance of putting the public back at the heart of public transport.
“Hundreds of thousands of people in our area rely on buses every day – more than 80% of all public transport journeys in the region are taken by bus. We need to make our buses a greener, dependable and more affordable option. This investment is laying the groundwork for those improvements as franchised services begin to hit the roads in 2026.”
More than £32 million from the proposed investment package will fund the construction of a new bus and multimodal transport interchange in St Helens. This project, part of a broader town centre regeneration programme, is being jointly delivered with St Helens Borough Council. Additional funding will target some of the region’s busiest bus routes, including the 10A from Liverpool to St Helens, the 53 from Liverpool to Crosby and the 86 from Liverpool to John Lennon Airport, with the aim of improving punctuality, reliability and journey times.
If approved, the £108.1 million investment will be drawn from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), a £710 million fund dedicated to supporting transformational transport projects across the Liverpool City Region. This substantial financial commitment is set to revolutionise the local bus network, offering residents a more efficient, reliable and environmentally friendly public transport system.
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