Public control of bus services unlocks improved Hospital transport links across Wirral with 2 brand new routes

MAYOR Steve Rotheram has confirmed that 2 brand new bus services will give tens of thousands more Wirral residents direct public transport access to some of the boroughs most important healthcare sites.

The new routes will provide vital new transport connections to both:- Arrowe Park Hospital and Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, creating affordable and reliable travel options for:- patients, visitors and Hospitals staff.

Following the launch of the X3 express service connecting:- St Helens to Liverpool John Lennon Airport, these new Hospital routes form part of Mayor Rotheram's ongoing commitment to using public control of the network to deliver new connections for City Region residents.

The new 453 service links Irby and Heswall to the Clatterbridge site, while the new:- 483 / 484 circular services will better connect:- Arrowe Park Hospital with West Kirby, Meols, Hoylake, Moreton, Saughall Massie and Upton.

The new services will launch on:- Sunday:- 25 October 2026, marking the moment Wirral's bus network returns to public control for the 1st time in 4 decades.

Under the new system, services will no longer be driven by commercial profit but instead delivered to meet the needs of local communities, with the Combined Authority setting:- routes, fares, timetables and service standards.

Alongside these Hospital links, Wirral's franchised network will also introduce increased evening and weekend frequencies on key routes and improved links to Merseyrail stations.

Passengers will also continue to benefit from the:- £2 single bus fare cap, keeping daily travel affordable and accessible across the City Region.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:- "Taking back control of our buses has never simply been about changing who runs them. It's about building a network that works for passengers. These new services will make it quicker and easier for thousands more people to get to work, attend Hospital appointments, or visit family and friends. For a young person, it could mean being able to apply for a job that once felt out of reach. And by running more services later into the evening and at weekends, we're making sure our network provides a service that fits into their lives. That's the real difference when decisions are made locally. We have the power to put passengers 1st and build a network shaped by the people who rely on it."

Passengers on the new Hospital routes will travel aboard an all new fleet of publicly owned, UK-built low-emission buses clad in the Region's distinctive yellow and grey Metro livery.

The state-of-the-art vehicles feature USB charging ports, upgraded comfortable seating, more space for wheelchairs and prams and real-time audio-visual stop announcements.

Janelle Holmes, Chief Executive at Wirral University Teaching Hospital, said:- "Good public transport links are incredibly important for our patients, visitors and colleagues, and we welcome these new services connecting more communities across Wirral with our Hospital sites. Making it easier for people to get to Arrowe Park and Clatterbridge, whether they are coming to an appointment, visiting a loved one or travelling to work, can make a real difference to their experience. We're pleased to support this positive development for our local communities and look forward to seeing the new services introduced later this month."

The launch of publicly controlled services in Wirral represents the 2nd phase of a Region-wide programme now underway. Following the successful rollout in St Helens in:- September 2026 and Wirral in:- October 2026, public control will expand across the network in reaching:- Liverpool, Knowsley and Sefton by the autumn of 2027.

The move to bring bus services back into public control sits alongside broader transport investments across the Liverpool City Region, including the roll out of a:- £500m fleet of state-of-the-art trains, the introduction of tap-and-go ticketing on the Merseyrail network, the 1st new Mersey Ferry in more than 60 years and continued development of new walking, cycling and wheeling routes.

More information on the 2 routes, as well as other updates on the changes to bus services in Wirral, can be found on the Merseytravel website.