• Winter readiness plans are active across Merseyrail, buses, Mersey Tunnels, and Mersey Ferries
• Frontline and support staff working hard behind the scenes to make journeys as smooth and safe as possible
• Passengers urged to plan journeys in advance, check timetables, and allow extra time for travel

After months of planning, Liverpool City Region’s transport network is gearing up to tackle the many challenges that winter can throw at it – and are also urging passengers to play their part by planning ahead.

The Combined Authority and partners have activated their annual winter weather plans and preparations, to help make sure the transport network continues moving smoothly and safely – including on Merseyrail, at bus stations and interchanges, on Mersey Ferries and at the Mersey Tunnels.

Everyone from front line staff to transport planners are working hard behind the scenes to ensure the network is as resilient as possible in the event of weather conditions like heavy rain, strong winds, ice, snow and freezing temperatures.

Preparations include making sure grit supplies are topped up and ready to go, checking equipment, updating travel information systems, and ensuring staff are ready to respond quickly to any disruption.

The winter readiness programme involves a comprehensive set of measures to keep people moving safely:

• Merseyrail: Efforts are focused on preventing the build-up of ice on the third rail, a common cause of winter disruption. This includes running empty “ghost trains” overnight and early in the mornings to clear the rails, the application of anti-icing agents, and the readiness of rolling stock to operate in the cold.
• Buses and Bus Stations: Bus operators and maintenance teams are preparing their fleets for the cold, while Merseytravel hubs staff are ensuring bus stations and interchanges remain safe and operational, with gritting and snow clearance plans in place.
• Mersey Tunnels: The Mersey Tunnels Police and Tunnels operations staff are at the forefront of keeping the Kingsway and Queensway Tunnels moving safely 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Their preparations include equipment and vehicle checks, gritting the highway and putting in place emergency response procedures for adverse weather.
• Mersey Ferries: The Ferries team will monitor river conditions and weather forecasts closely, with contingency plans for any necessary service changes due to high winds or poor conditions on the River Mersey.

Councillor Steve Foulkes, Chair of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Transport Committee said: “As we move into the colder months of the year, our frontline public transport colleagues are hard at work to keep the network moving.

“We want to thank our staff working on the trains, tunnels, Mersey Tunnel Police, buses, ferries, travel centres, ticket offices and our customer contact centre, for helping keep the city region moving over this period and enabling the public to travel safely to enjoy meeting family and friends.

“Whether travelling for work, leisure, shopping or simply to visit relatives, we would urge passengers to make sure they plan their journeys in advance as there will be changes to services across the city region at this time.”

#WeatherWise: essential travel advice, whatever winter throws at the transport network

To help ensure smooth journeys, passengers are urged to follow this advice:

• Plan Ahead: Whether you are heading out for leisure, commuting to work or travelling to visit friends and family, key information and advice is now available to help you plan your journeys. We expect some services to be busier than usual.
• Check Timetables: Make sure to check timetables ahead of and on your day of travel in case there are any changes – in particular check last bus and train times. Merseytravel and operators will use their websites and social media to publish changes made at short notice.
• Consider Your Options and Leave Extra Time: There will be changes to services, so services may be busier than expected. Think about staggering your travel times, leave extra time for your journey and have a plan B in case you can’t get the service you planned for.
• Buy Tickets in Advance and Online: If possible, buying travel tickets in advance and online will speed up your journey and help you avoid queues on the day.
• Consider Multimodal Tickets: Tickets that can be used over different modes of transport, such as Saveaways, will give you more options for your journey.
• Be Kind to Staff: Please be kind and respectful to transport staff. Remember they are working really hard to get you to where you need to be.

For the latest travel information, passengers should regularly check the Merseytravel website or get in touch with the customer contact centre on 0300 131 2881, on X by messaging @Merseytravel or via email at [email protected].