Liverpool City Region Rolls Out Landmark Public Bus Franchising in St Helens and Approves Sandhills Station Overhaul

Historic Return to Public Control Begins in St Helens Network

LIVERPOOL, Merseyside — The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, spearheaded by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, has achieved a historic milestone in regional passenger transport with the official launch of the first phase of public bus franchising in St Helens. Marking the definitive end of nearly 40 years of private deregulation, the transition places route planning, ticket pricing, and timetable coordination back into public hands, aligning Liverpool with global mass transit standards.

Branded in the city region’s distinctive yellow, black, and grey 'Metro' livery, the modernized bus fleet features fully zero-emission and ultra-low-emission vehicles equipped with USB-C passenger charging ports, audio-visual next-stop announcements, dedicated double-wheelchair bays, and contactless tap-and-go fare capping. Timetables have been substantially restructured to expand evening and Sunday frequencies, including the inauguration of the brand-new express Service X3 connecting St Helens town centre directly to Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

Multimillion-Pound Passenger Expansion Approved for Sandhills Station

Simultaneously reinforcing Merseyside’s rail infrastructure, regional planning authorities have formally approved a comprehensive multimillion-pound passenger capacity and accessibility overhaul for Sandhills Station on the Merseyrail Northern Line. Serving as the primary rail interchange for Kirkby, Ormskirk, and Southport branches, the station is the vital transit gateway to Everton Football Club’s new 52,888-seat stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

The approved expansion blueprint delivers significantly widened platform concourses, modernized high-throughput ticket gate lines, step-free access elevators, and dedicated covered queuing zones engineered to handle matchday crowd surges exceeding 10,000 passengers per hour safely and efficiently.

Seamless Integration with Merseyrail's New Class 777 Fleet

The Sandhills upgrade directly complements the full operational deployment of Merseyrail's state-of-the-art Class 777 electric train fleet. Owned directly by the Combined Authority, the bespoke trains feature intelligent slide-out step technology that provides barrier-free level boarding for wheelchair users and parents with prams across all platform edges, alongside onboard regenerative braking and pioneering battery propulsion on extended non-electrified routes.

The combination of publicly franchised bus corridors and high-frequency Class 777 rail services creates a fully integrated public transport network where unified smart tickets and contactless payments apply seamlessly across both modes.

Phased Regional Rollout Driving Net-Zero Ambitions

Combined Authority transport executives confirmed that following the successful St Helens operational rollout, franchising will expand systematically across the remaining five boroughs—Wirral, Knowsley, Sefton, Halton, and Liverpool City—bringing the entire regional bus network under full municipal management by 2027.

By reinvesting commercial fare revenues directly back into network enhancements and transitioning to 100% zero-emission electric and hydrogen buses, Liverpool’s integrated transport revolution provides a sustainable, high-frequency mass transit model that directly underpins regional economic regeneration and climate targets.