Racegoers attending this year’s Grand National are being advised to plan ahead, use public transport where possible and leave plenty of time to make sure they can get to this year’s event.

The 2022 Aintree Festival will be the first to welcome spectators in two years and is set to be one of the biggest and busiest so far.

Merseytravel are working closely with local partners including rail and bus operators, Merseyside Police, Sefton Council and the Jockey Club to help ensure that everybody’s journeys to and from Aintree Racecourse are as easy and safe as possible.

Cllr Liam Robinson, transport portfolio holder for Liverpool City Region Combined Authority said:

“We welcome the return of the Grand National to the city region which, for the first time since before the pandemic, will see racegoers once again heading to the course to enjoy the festival

“This event always brings thousands of visitors to the Liverpool City Region, and we’re expecting it will be no different this year.

“Merseytravel and all of our partners will be working together to keep people moving during the three days of the event.

“We want everyone to enjoy themselves so it’s important that racegoers think ahead and plan their journeys to avoid any disappointment.

“And we also ask that people are kind, patient and respectful of each other and our transport staff who will be working so hard to get everybody to and from this year’s festival.”

Top travel tips for racegoers

• Use public transport wherever possible – roads will be busy and parking very limited
• Make sure you check routes and plan ahead
• Check operator websites and social channels for up-to-date timetables
• Be prepared for last minute changes to services
• Allow extra time for your journeys – services will be much busier than usual
• Buy tickets in advance if possible
• Don’t plan for the last service home – you’ll be stuck if you miss it!
• Be kind to transport staff – they will be working hard to get you there and back

Train

During the Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the Festival there will be a 10-minute frequency service between Liverpool city centre and Aintree stations on the Merseyrail Northern Line.

On Thursday 7 and Friday 8 April, Merseyrail will operate a 10-minute service will run between Aintree and Liverpool Central/Moorfields stations at the following times:

• From approx 10:30 – 13:50 (before the races)
• From approx 16:45 – 20:25 (after the races)

On Saturday 9 April, a 10-minute service will run between Aintree and Liverpool Central stations at the following times:

• From approx 10:30 – 13:50 (before the races)
• From approx 17:35 – 21:00 (after the races)

There will also be timetable changes to some other Merseyrail services to accommodate the increased number of services for racegoers.

Northern Rail are also planning to operate additional services, but passengers should check the Northern website for further details.

Before travelling check rail operator websites and Twitter accounts for more information

Merseyrail@merseyrail

Northern @northernassist

Transpennine Express @TPEassist

Avanti West Coast @avantiwestcoast

London Northwestern Railway @LNRailway

Transport for Wales @tfwrail

East Midlands Railway @EastMidRailway

Bus

The 300, 310 & 345 services run regularly between Queen Square bus station and Aintree.

On Friday 8 and Saturday 9, Arriva and Stagecoach will be running shuttle bus services between Commutation Row in the city centre and Deltic Way, Aintree.

All buses will accept contactless and mobile payments.

Check bus operator websites and social media accounts for up-to-date schedule information.

Stagecoach – @StagecoachMCSL

Arriva – @arrivanorthwest

National Express – @nationalexpress