Merseytravel

Merseytravel

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Type	Passenger Transport Executive
Industry	Public transport
Founded	Transport Act 1968 (1 December 1969)
Headquarters	Liverpool
Area served	Liverpool City Region
Parent	Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Website	www.merseytravel.gov.uk

Merseytravel is the passenger transport executive responsible for the coordination of public transport in the Liverpool City Region, North West England. Merseytravel was established on 1 December 1969 and was also known as the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive (MPTE). From 1 April 2014 Merseytravel expanded its area of operation from the metropolitan county of Merseyside to also include the Borough of Halton.

Governance

The Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority was first established as a result of the Transport Act 1968, and included communities such as the urban districts of Formby, Lancashire and Neston, Cheshire. The latter was removed from Merseyside Passenger Transport jurisdiction in 1974 when the transport organisation's boundaries were made co-extensive with the new metropolitan county of Merseyside which was formally created by the Local Government Act 1972. At this time a committee of councillors of Merseyside County Council became the transport authority.

When the metropolitan county councils were abolished by the Local 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 comprised 18 councillors assembled from Merseyside's five districts: Liverpool, Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral.

On 1 April 2014, the Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority was abolished and reformed as the Merseytravel Committee of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. The transport authority area is extended to include the whole of the Liverpool City Region, which comprises Merseyside and the Borough of Halton.

Rail services

Merseyrail lines shown in Merseyside

  Northern Line

  Wirral Line

  City Line

  Primary route

  Secondary route

  Rural route

  Goods line

  Disused line

Merseytravel is responsible for issuing franchises to the operators of the Merseyrail network. It was the first executive to do so in the [United Kingdom]], and now, along with Transport for London (TfL) which issues the franchise for London Overground, is one of only two local transport bodies in the United Kingdom with the authority to award a rail franchise. All other transport bodies are awarded by central government. This arrangement was created because the Merseyrail third-rail electrified system is largely isolated from the rest of the National Rail network, with no through passenger services to/from outside the Merseyrail network.

Merseytravel are the authority of the Merseyrail network. The Merseyrail network has two train operator companies operating the network, Merseyrail Electrics (2002) and Northern Rail who were awarded the franchise by Merseytravel. Merseyrail Electrics operate the Northern Line and Wirral Line with Northern Rail operating the City Line which is largely electric with one diesel branch.

Bus services

Prior to the Transport Act (1985) which nationally mandated the deregulation and privatisation of bus services in 1986 throughout England except Greater London, it operated a large proportion of the bus services on Merseyside, under the Merseyside Transport brand. It had taken over the municipally provided bus operations of Liverpool, Birkenhead and Wallasey county borough corporations in 1970, and expanded to cover the county borough municipal corporation areas and bus services of St Helens and Southport in 1974. After deregulation, these were branded as Merseybus, and were subsequently privatised as MTL. Later, MTL was bought by Arriva, but was required by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission to divest some of its Liverpool operations; which are now operated by the Stagecoach Group.

Nowadays, 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.

Ticketing

Merseytravel are responsible for the management of local, reduced cost, integrated ticketing systems. They are also the body responsible in Merseyside for providing and funding concessionary travel for the elderly and disabled, through the English 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.

Ferries and tunnels

Merseytravel owns and operates the famous Mersey Ferry service between Liverpool Pier Head, Seacombe in Wallasey and Woodside in Birkenhead. The fleet consists of three vessels: Royal Iris of the Mersey, Snowdrop and Royal Daffodil.

There are three transport tunnels under the River Mersey. The passenger transport executive is responsible for the two road vehicular tunnels under the River Mersey, one connecting Birkenhead to Liverpool city centre, the other, Wallasey, to the centre of Liverpool, and consequently it controls the Mersey Tunnels Police. The tunnel to, and from, Birkenhead is formally called Queensway, and the Wallasey, Kingsway. The Merseyrail also runs through a railway tunnel under the river connecting central Liverpool and Birkenhead. The latter was the first transport tunnel under the Mersey to be built, in the nineteenth century.

Future projects

Neil Scales OBE, the former Chief Executive and Director General of Merseytravel, in his presentation "Growing the Railways on Merseyside"., outlined some major projects that Merseytravel may be involved in in the future:

• Electrification of Kirkby - Headbolt Lane, Bidston - Wrexham, Liverpool - Earlestown - Manchester, Huyton - St. Helens - Wigan sections
• The Halton Curve, St. Helens Junction, and Bootle - Aintree branch
• Further electrification between Hunts Cross - Warrington - Manchester, Headbolt Lane - Wigan and Ormskirk - Preston.
• Liverpool F.C. football stadium access from the Bootle branch
• Re-investment in the Burscough Curves, linking Southport to Ormskirk and Preston
• 3rd rail electrification between Helsby and Ellesmere Port, (see Ellesmere Port to Warrington Line)

Area system

For ticketing purposes, Merseyside, hitherto, has historically been divided into four areas:

• Area A: St Helens, Knowsley;
• Area B: Wirral;
• Area C: Liverpool, south Sefton (Bootle, Crosby and Maghull), Knowsley;
• Area D: north Sefton (Southport and Formby).;

Out of current city region combined area:

• Area E: (None Existing since January 2008) Crossover Wirral and Liverpool.
• Area F: Ormskirk;
• Area G: Chester, Ellesmere Port

Each area is further subdivided into zones. There is considerable overlap of area A and C, with all parts of Knowsley lying in area A also being covered by area C. This region is designated as zone A3/C2/C3.

Two rail-only areas exist, for stations covered by Merseyrail outside of the current Liverpool City Region. Area F covers the Northern Line from Maghull to Ormskirk, whilst Area G covers the section of the Wirral Line from Hooton to Ellesmere Port and Chester.

Until January 2008, a "cross-Mersey" area E existed, which covered the central areas of Liverpool and Birkenhead, as well as the ferry terminal at Seacombe. Tickets were commonly issued for areas B and E covering the whole of Wirral together with Liverpool city centre. Birkenhead railway stations covered by area E were:

• Hamilton Square
• Conway Park
• Birkenhead Park
• Birkenhead North
• Birkenhead Central
• Green Lane

See also

• Liverpool Tramways Company
• Merseytram

External links

• Merseytravel's website
• Transport Merseyside