Bus services in St Helens will return to public control on 6 September 2026, with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority introducing changes under its bus franchising programme.
Improvements will include more frequent services, extended operating hours and a new express connection to Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
The rollout marks the first phase of the Liverpool City Region’s bus franchising programme, which will see services planned by the Combined Authority rather than commercial operators. St Helens will be followed by the Wirral in October 2026, with Liverpool, Knowsley and Sefton due to transition by the end of 2027.
From the start of the new network, routes currently operating every two hours will increase to hourly services, while a number of evening and weekend timetables will be expanded. Several routes will also be extended to improve links with hospitals, colleges and railway stations.
A new direct express service to Liverpool John Lennon Airport will also be introduced. In addition, some services will be renumbered to remove duplicate route numbers across the wider Liverpool City Region network.
According to the Combined Authority, the changes will place around 5,000 additional residents within a 400-metre walk of a bus stop.
Passengers in St Helens will also begin using a new fleet of publicly owned low-emission buses finished in the Liverpool City Region Metro yellow, black and grey livery. The UK-built vehicles will feature air conditioning, USB charging points, audio-visual passenger information systems and increased space for wheelchairs and prams.
The new buses will join the region’s existing fleet of 108 electric buses already in operation.
Alongside the network changes, work is continuing on the new St Helens Transport Interchange in the town centre. The project is being delivered with 32 million GBP of Combined Authority funding and is intended to improve connections between bus and rail services. The interchange will include step-free access, climate-controlled waiting areas and digital passenger information displays.
Bus franchising follows a decision taken by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority in 2023 to bring bus services back under public control for the first time in more than 40 years. Under the franchising model, the Combined Authority determines routes, frequencies and fares, while operators deliver services under contract.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said:In the 80s our bus services were deregulated. So now, for the first time in four decades, we are bringing our bus services back where they belong – under public control. This is a historic milestone for St Helens and a major step forward in delivering the biggest transport change in our region’s history.
New trains, a new ferry ‘cross the Mersey, new buses across a newly franchised network, Merseyrail coming back under public control, new train stations and a brand-new rapid transit system on the way, this is nothing short of a public transport revolution.
From day one, passengers in St Helens will see a real, tangible difference. We are doubling frequencies on crucial routes, expanding evening and weekend services, and launching a brand-new direct express link to Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
We’re backing this new era with state-of-the-art, low-emission buses fully equipped with modern features like USB charging points. This, alongside our new £35 million transport interchange, built in the heart of St Helens Town Centre, demonstrates the benefit of being part of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. We are building a first-class, green network that local people can truly be proud of.
