The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has selected Stagecoach and Go-Ahead to operate its first franchised bus services, marking the return of buses to local public control for the first time since the 1980s.
Following a competitive tender process, Stagecoach has been appointed to operate franchised bus services based in St Helens, while Go-Ahead has been appointed to operate services based in Wirral. The first phase of the franchised network will begin in these two areas in autumn 2026, with the model due to be rolled out across the whole city region by the end of 2027.
Under the franchising system, the Combined Authority will set routes, fares and timetables, with operators contracted to run services on its behalf. The Liverpool City Region becomes the second area outside London to introduce bus franchising, following Greater Manchester’s Bee Network.
The move follows a decision taken in 2023 by Mayor Steve Rotheram to bring bus services back under public control, citing concerns about reliability, rising fares and reduced accountability under the deregulated system. The Combined Authority will now have the ability to shape the network in line with local transport priorities.
Operator contracts will include performance measures covering punctuality, reliability and cleanliness.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said:For hundreds of thousands of people across our region, buses aren’t a ‘nice to have’ – they’re a lifeline. They’re how people get to work, to school, to hospital appointments, to see family and friends. But for too long, too many people have been let down by a system that put shareholders before passengers.
For more than 40 years, buses have been run without proper accountability - services turning up late or not turning up at all; fares rising year after year; routes being cut with no thought for the communities left isolated as a result. People have felt they had no voice and no control. I understand that frustration - and it must change.
That’s why we are taking back control. Franchising gives us the power to hold operators to account, to shape routes, fares and timetables around the needs of our area and its citizens. Today marks the start of a new era for buses in St Helens and Wirral - where passengers will always come first. Alongside our publicly-owned trains, we are putting the public back into public transport.
From the start of the new arrangements, changes are planned to services in St Helens and Wirral. These include increased frequencies and later running times on some routes, as well as additional weekend services. In St Helens, an express bus service to Liverpool John Lennon Airport is planned, while in Wirral some routes will be extended to improve links to hospitals and rail stations.
The Combined Authority is also continuing investment to support the franchised network. This includes funding for new buses, depots and infrastructure, with the purchase of more than 100 all-electric double-decker buses.
Further investment is planned in digital services, including online ticketing, journey planning tools and real-time travel information.
The introduction of bus franchising forms part of wider transport plans for the Liverpool City Region, alongside projects such as new Merseyrail trains, network extensions, walking and cycling schemes, and proposals for a rapid transit system.
