Two new bus services will give tens of thousands of residents a direct link to some of Merseyside's most important healthcare sites. Mayor Steve Rotheram has announced new routes to both Arrowe Park Hospital and Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, creating affordable and reliable travel options for patients, visitors, and staff.
New routes to key hospitals
The two new services will launch on Sunday, October 25, marking the moment Wirral's network returns to public control for the first time in around 40 years.
The new 453 service will link Irby and Heswall to Clatterbridge, while the new 483/484 circular services will better connect Arrowe Park with West Kirby, Meols, Hoylake, Moreton, Saughall Massie and Upton.
Public control and local decision-making
Once the system is back under public control, bus fares and timetables will be set by Mayor Rotheram's Combined Authority, meaning the services will be driven by local need rather than commercial profit. The franchised network will also lead to increased evening and weekend services on key routes and improved links to Merseyrail stations.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: "Taking back control of our buses has never simply been about changing who runs them. It’s about building a network that works for passengers.
“These new services will make it quicker and easier for thousands more people to get to work, attend hospital appointments, or visit family and friends. For a young person, it could mean being able to apply for a job that once felt out of reach. And by running more services later into the evening and at weekends, we’re making sure our network provides a service that fits into their lives.
“That’s the real difference when decisions are made locally. We have the power to put passengers first and build a network shaped by the people who rely on it.”
Expansion across the region
The launch of publicly-controlled services in Wirral represents the second phase of a region-wide programme. Following the successful rollout in St Helens in September 2026 and now Wirral in October, public control will expand across the network, reaching Liverpool, Knowsley, and Sefton by the autumn of 2027.
The new routes will take advantage of the new low-carbon, yellow and grey Metro-branded buses. The UK-built buses feature USB charging ports, upgraded comfortable seating, more space for wheelchairs and prams, and real-time audio-visual stop announcements.
More information on the two routes, as well as other updates on the changes to bus services in Wirral, can be found on the Merseytravel website.
