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+--- Thread: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising (/showthread.php?tid=1769)
RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising - Gillmoss 0324 - 22/01/2026 20:20
Thanks for the update GKA.
Whoever has won let's hope they improve the SH network fingers crossed it does.
RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising - chris-s - 23/01/2026 09:01
Press release this morning about who won what
RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising - KX03 KYY - 23/01/2026 09:27
(23/01/2026 09:01)chris-s Wrote: Press release this morning about who won what
Good luck to both depots and all there staff
Will be strange not seeing Arriva operating Jackson Street and Laird Street after all these years (if they haven't won)
RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising - T42 PVM - 23/01/2026 09:40
Stagecoach have St Helens and GNW have Birkenhead
https://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/news/operators-announced-for-first-franchised-bus-services-in-the-liverpool-city-region-in-40-years/
RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising - KX03 KYY - 23/01/2026 09:59
(23/01/2026 09:40)T42 PVM Wrote: Stagecoach have St Helens and GNW have Birkenhead
https://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/news/operators-announced-for-first-franchised-bus-services-in-the-liverpool-city-region-in-40-years/
Congratulations to both operators
RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising - sth77 - 23/01/2026 10:20
Congratulations to both operators. Bit of a surprise about GNW for Birkenhead, personally not much of a surprise Arriva losing St Helens, the sudden closer of the paint and body shop seemed to be a little bit of a give away.
Just hope that stagecoach do what Arriva have failed to do and invest in the St Helens fleet. It’s going to feel odd at first not having St Helens run by “Merseyside Transport” in its many different name changes over the years.
RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising - Steve440 - 23/01/2026 10:44
(23/01/2026 10:20)sth77 Wrote: Congratulations to both operators. Bit of a surprise about GNW for Birkenhead, personally not much of a surprise Arriva losing St Helens, the sudden closer of the paint and body shop seemed to be a little bit of a give away.
Just hope that stagecoach do what Arriva have failed to do and invest in the St Helens fleet. It’s going to feel odd at first not having St Helens run by “Merseyside Transport” in its many different name changes over the years.
The investment will be coming from LCR not Stagecoach, that's how franchising works.
RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising - T42 PVM - 23/01/2026 11:02
I hope Stagecoach will start allocating properly, The allocations on the 10A recently (Including today) have been a disgrace really
RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising - moreton407 - 23/01/2026 12:08
It will be strange for everyone for a while, different operators (some new to the area), new buses, new routes etc. Just as it was strange back it the 80's at deregulations which created Merseybus, Liverline, Liverbus and Fareway etc etc etc, and when Arriva replaced MTL, when First took over Crosville and when Stagecoach took over Gillmoss and Rock Ferry. It will be strange for everyone, but we will get used to it as we have done in the past. Let's just hope that the future is a bright one!
RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising - KX03 KYY - 23/01/2026 12:35
I thought Wirral was split into a large franchise and small franchise and a seperate school franchise
I presume this has now changed and GNW will operate the full lot from Laird Street?