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| Company type | Passenger Transport Executive |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transport |
| Founded | Transport Act 1968 (1 December 1969) |
| Headquarters | Mann Island Buildings,Liverpool,England |
Area served | Liverpool City Region |
Key people | Frank Rogers (CEO) Liam Robinson (Chairman) |
| Parent | Liverpool City Region Combined Authority |
| Subsidiaries | |
| Website | www |
Merseytravel is thepassenger transport executive responsible for the coordination ofpublic transport in theLiverpool City Region inNorth West England. It was established on 1 December 1969 as theMerseyside Passenger Transport Executive.
In July 2024, it was announced it is to be rebranded asTransport for Liverpool City Region (TfLCR) in the future.
The Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority and Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive were established as a result of theTransport Act 1968. The authority, which was responsible for transport strategy and policy, included representatives from 18 different councils. The executive was responsible for day-to-day operation of transport services. In 1974, when the transport organisation's boundaries were made co-extensive with the new metropolitan county of Merseyside which was formally created by theLocal Government Act 1972, the authority was composed of 23 councillors of the newMerseyside County Council.[1]
When the metropolitan county councils were abolished by theLocal Government Act 1985, new structures had to be created. A new joint board - again called the Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority - was created. It was later renamed the Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority and composed 18 councillors assembled from Merseyside's five districts:Liverpool,Knowsley,St Helens,Sefton andWirral.
On 1 April 2014, the Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority was abolished and reformed as the Merseytravel Committee ofLiverpool City Region Combined Authority. The transport authority provides services acrossMerseyside, and provides strategic transport advice toBorough of Halton.[2] In May 2021, MayorSteve Rotherham set out a plan for all trains, buses and ferries to become an integrated transport system under Merseytravel, owned by theLiverpool City Region Combined Authority.[3]
On 19 July 2024, theLiverpool City Region Combined Authority announced Merseytravel would be renamed to Transport for Liverpool City Region (TfLCR) to help fall in line withTransport for London andTransport for Greater Manchester, as part of efforts to promote a connected network across the six areas that form the city region. The actual date of the rename has not been confirmed.[4]
Merseytravel, as the passenger transport executive, is responsible for the co-ordination of local rail services which operate within Liverpool City Region under the direction of the combined authority. Merseytravel is the owner of Merseyrail which operates services across Merseyside, Cheshire, and Lancashire under a franchise model.[5]
As a result of theprivatisation of British Rail, theNorthern andWirral lines of the localMerseyrail rail network were brought together as the Merseyrail Electricspassenger franchise, that was privatised on 19 January 1997. Under the original privatisation legislation of 1993, PTEs were co-signatories of franchise agreements covering their areas. The firsttrain operating company (TOC) awarded the franchise contract wasMTL, originally the operating arm of the PTE, but privatised itself in 1985. It traded under the Merseyrail Electrics brand, but after MTL was sold toArriva, the company was rebrandedArriva Trains Merseyside from 27 April 2001.[6][7][8]
When the franchise came up for renewal, reflecting the exclusive nature of the two lines - being largely isolated from the rest of theNational Rail network and with no through passenger services to/from outside the Merseyrail network, the decision was taken to remove it from the national framework and bring it into local control. As a result, using the Merseyrail Electrics Network Order 2002 theSecretary of State for Transport exempted the system from being designated as a railway franchise under the privatisation legislation (theRailways Act 1993). This allowed the PTE to contract out the lines themselves, which it did withMerseyrail operated bySerco-Abellio commencing a 25-year contract on 20 July 2003.[9][10]
Unlike most rolling stock that is owned by private sectorrolling stock companies, Merseytravel will outright own theClass 777 fleet, operated by Merseyrail.[11] The currentClass 507 andClass 508 fleets are owned byAngel Trains and leased to Merseyrail.[citation needed]
A third line, theCity line, also historically branded as Merseyrail underBritish Rail, was also privatised under the 1993 Act, but as part of the much larger North West Regional Railways (NWRR) franchise. On 2 March 1997, North Western Trains, later rebrandedFirst North Western, commenced operating the franchise. SomeClass 142 units were repainted in Merseytravel's yellow livery. This line was not included in the 2003 exemption given to the other two lines, and so it has continued as part of the government-administered rail franchise system, although the role of PTEs in the franchising process has altered due by the 2005 Railways Act. From 11 December 2004, the NWRR franchise was merged into a new Northern franchise and operated byNorthern Rail. The Merseyrail Class 142 units were repainted into Northern Rail livery. On 1 April 2016, the franchise was taken over byArriva Rail North.[9][12]
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From 1969 until 1986, the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive (PTE) operated a large proportion of bus services on Merseyside under theMerseyside Transport brand. The PTE took over the provision of bus services in Liverpool,Birkenhead andWallasey from their respective local authorities in 1970, and the bus services provided bySt Helens andStockport councils in 1974. The PTE also coordinated and jointly provided bus services on Merseyside withNational Bus Company subsidiariesCrosville andRibble. These were services in Liverpool, Sefton and the Wirral, and longer-distance services to and from Cheshire and Lancashire. The PTE was also heavily involved in the running of Crosville and Ribble garages on Merseyside. Similar arrangements also existed withLancashire United Transport/Greater Manchester Transport andWarrington Borough Transport from services connecting Merseyside with Cheshire,Greater Manchester and Lancashire.
TheTransport Act 1985 mandated thederegulation and privatisation of bus services in England (other than inGreater London). Following deregulation in 1986, Merseyside Transport services were rebranded asMerseybus, and subsequently privatised asMTL. The co-ordination of Merseyside's bus network disappeared: Crosville, Ribble, now known asNorth Western and Greater Manchester'sGM Buses, became competitors of Merseybus, along with new entrants like CMT Buses, Fareway,Halton Transport, Liverbus, Liverline,PMT's Red Rider, Village Group, and other smaller operators.
Merseyside's popular bus corridors became a venue for intense competition, with less profitable services ignored and, in some cases, disappearing. A period of consolidation began in the mid-1990s: both Merseybus parent company MTL, and North Western - now owned byArriva – took over a number of the new entrants and the remainder folded. In 2000 MTL was itself bought by Arriva and is now part of an enlargedArriva North West. However, Arriva was required by theMonopolies & Mergers Commission to divest some of its Liverpool services, which are now operated byStagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire. There are also smaller Merseyside operators likeCumfybus andHTL Buses.
Today, Merseytravel is also responsible for providing bus services which are considered socially necessary but are not profitable; these are operated by other operators, using a best value tendering system. Fares are presently subsidised at levels lower than local commercial services.
Merseytravel owns and operates theMersey Ferry service between LiverpoolPier Head,Seacombe in Wallasey andWoodside in Birkenhead. The fleet consists of two vessels:Royal Iris of the Mersey andSnowdrop.
There are three transport tunnels under theRiver Mersey. Merseytravel is responsible for the two roadtunnels,Kingsway andQueensway, under theRiver Mersey and also controls theMersey Tunnels Police.Merseyrail also runs through a railway tunnel under the river connecting central Liverpool and Birkenhead which was the first transport tunnel under the Mersey to be built, in the nineteenth century.[13]
Merseytravel, through Mersey Ferries, owns the Liverpool tourist attractionThe Beatles Story,[14] a museum dedicated toThe Beatles located onRoyal Albert Dock.
Neil Scales, the former chief executive and director general of Merseytravel, in his 2011 presentation "Growing the Railways on Merseyside,"[15] outlined future projects that Merseytravel may be involved in:
Merseytravel have also stated their support to linking Liverpool to theHigh Speed 2 network with a directly connected, brand new, twin-track line.[16]
In September 2017, a report was compiled into the reopening ofLiverpool St James railway station which concluded that the reopening of the station would be highly beneficial.[17] It is due to open in 2027 under the nameLiverpool Baltic railway station.[18]
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority announced in August 2019 that they were planning on using £172 million of funding on several major transport projects.[19] These included:
In 2023, a new ferry was commissioned. Making the announcement, MayorRotheram said that the multimillion project will “ensure that the iconic Ferry Cross the Mersey will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come.” The new ferry will be designed and constructed by Birkenhead shipbuilderCammell Laird and is due to launch in 2026.[20]
Merseytravel are responsible for the management of local, reduced cost, integrated ticketing systems, and as part of this issue theITSO-compatible MetroCard smartcard, on to which certain local travel passes are loaded.[21] They are also the body responsible in the county of Merseyside for providing and funding concessionary travel for the elderly and disabled, through theEnglish National Concessionary Bus Travel Scheme. For those not at the present Pension age, but over the former applicable ages of 60 and 65, for men and women respectively, Merseytravel are funded to operate a localised version of the scheme.
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