Important transport information ahead of the Giant Spectacular

Check timetables and plan your journeys a few days before the event – don’t leave it until the last minute.

These are important messages from transport leaders as the Liverpool City Region gears up to welcome back the Giants for Liverpool’s Dream – their third and final visit to the streets of Liverpool and, for the first time, Wirral.

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to join the event, taking place between 4^th and 7^th October, placing a significant increase in demand on public transport services during the four days – as well as close many major road routes.

City Region transport providers have worked together to put plans in place to help keep people moving and there will be changes to some services and timetables as a result of the event.

Whether they travel by rail, bus, ferry or car, anyone travelling to, from and around the city region during this time to either enjoy the events or for other purposes are strongly advised to check timetables, plan their journeys and allow extra travelling time to avoid disappointment.

For the latest information about services, customers should check with the relevant transport operator in the run up to and on their day of travel. Information will also be available online and via social media.

There will be extra staff from a variety of transport providers deployed at key locations during the four days to provide information and support people with their journeys.

Thursday 4^th Oct – Normal Thursday timetables apply – there will be no additional late night services so please check last train and bus times

Friday 5^th Oct – Commuters are advised to check for any changes to their usual timetable and need to be prepared to make changes to their journey.

Sunday 7^th Oct – Fans travelling to and from Anfield for the Liverpool FC vs Manchester City game which kicks off at 16:30 are advised to allow extra travelling time and be aware of these key changes to our services – especially in and around Liverpool City Centre.

Key information

Merseyrail

Thursday services will run as normal, passengers are advised to check their last train times before they travel.

There will be changes to services on Friday 5th, Saturday 6^th and Sunday 7^th Oct.

A special events timetable will run and passengers are encouraged to visit the Merseyrail website or pick up a leaflet from any staffed station.

The following applies to all three days:

Trains will not stop at all stations to allow for additional and more frequent services.

• James Street and Lime Street lower level (underground) will be closed to aide crowd control and movement
• Wirral line services will start and end at Liverpool Central station.
• Northern line passengers travelling to the city centre should use Moorfields as trains will not be stopping at Liverpool Central.

Northern Train Services

RMT strike action on Saturday 6th October will impact Northern services – all customers should check the Northern website before travelling. Timetables should be available from Tuesday 2 October.

Northern will have a fleet of standby buses available throughout the event to provide extra capacity.

Passengers are advised to check with Northern for the most up to date information

Mainline and City Line services

Trains will be running but check with operators for the most up to date information.

Lime Street station

The station will be incredibly busy during the event, there will be crowd control measures in place, queues will be likely. This will ensure that Network Rail and train operators can keep passengers moving safely.

By bus

Buses will be running but there will be diversions to routes due to road closures and services may be subject to delays – especially in and around Liverpool City Centre.

Queen Square & Liverpool ONE bus stations will be closed for some periods during the event, there will be alternative drop off and pick up points notified in advance.

Mersey Ferries

The Mersey Ferries will be running as normal on Thursday 4^th and Friday 5^th Oct.

On Saturday 6^th and Sunday 7^th, River Cruise Explorer services will be suspended to allow for two shuttle services to run about every 20 minutes –  one between Woodside and the Pier Head (09:30 to 18:40) and one between Seacombe and the Pier Head (09:20 to 18:50). Commuter ticket prices will apply.

Mersey Tunnels

The Wallasey (Kingsway) Tunnel will be open as usual. There are planned closures at the Birkenhead (Queensway) tunnel which will see the closure of the Liverpool Dock branch exit closed. The route of the Giants in Liverpool sees them very close to the Tunnel entrance/ exit in Liverpool on Saturday 6 October – which could lead to temporary closures for crowd safety reasons during the day.

 Key advice:

•  Plan ahead- due to large crowds being expected,. For the majority of the time it will be impossible to see all of the Giants at one time so plan ahead, decide where and when you want to watch the event and how you will get there.
• Use public transport where possible to avoid congestion.
• Consider walking to watch the event if you live close enough
• Check timetables – before and on your day of travel, be prepared for some changes to services leading up to the event. Use journey planners.
• Leave plenty of time to get where you want to go services may take longer than usual
• Be patient as services will be extremely busy, expect queues.
• Consider arriving early or later if you can to avoid peak times
• Consider delaying your journey home – Services will be busy at the end of each day’s events, so consider staying in town for some food and drink and travelling back later
• Consider buying your tickets in advance to avoid queues on the day

Mick Noone, Merseytravel’s Director for Integrated Transport, said:

“Demand on transport services will be high as this will be a very busy weekend for the City Region as we welcome back the Giants. At the same time, to facilitate the event we will see a number of diversions and disruptions to our road network. To enjoy the event to the fullest and avoid disappointment we strongly urge people need to check information and plan their journeys, don’t leave it until the last minute.”

Andy Heath, Merseyrail’s Managing Director, said:

“To help us deliver a reliable service to commuters and visitors to the event, Merseyrail has made necessary timetable changes, including a limited stop service. Our trains will be very busy and staff will be available to support passengers, however we encourage everyone to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journey.”

Craig Harrop, Regional Director for Northern, said:

“The return of the Giants is fantastic for Liverpool City Region and we are delighted to be working alongside our partners in the transport industry to help people get to and from this fabulous event. We expect all of our services into Liverpool will be extremely busy and ask our customers to plan their travel carefully. Anyone planning to use Northern trains can find up-to-date information on our services via our website.”

Howard Farrall, Managing Director for Arriva Merseyside, said:

“Our Arriva bus routes and times will stay the same during Giants Weekend, however some routes will have take into consideration road closures & diversions across the City Centre. We advise passengers to check our Arriva Journey Planning app for more information and, where possible, pre-purchase their travel tickets to ensure further ease for their journeys.

“We’re confident that our bus services are a great way to travel during what we know will be a fantastic weekend, offering a safe and reliable way to get around Liverpool city centre and Merseyside.”

Rob Jones, managing director of Stagecoach Merseyside, Cheshire and South Lancashire, said:

“We’re delighted to be welcoming the Giants back to Merseyside. This will be a fantastic day out for friends and families across the region and we’re looking forward to helping people make the most of the experience. It will be one of the busiest days of the year – so people are encouraged to plan their routes in advance using our handy app and follow Stagecoach for live updates on Twitter during and ahead of the day. All our buses also offer contactless payment to help make the user experience as swift and smooth as possible.”

 Keep up to date:

If you’re travelling within the Liverpool City Region, you can use the Merseytravel journey planner to see your travel options, including rail and bus.

www.merseytravel.gov.uk/journeyplanner

www.merseytravel.gov.uk/travelling-around

Keep up with the latest Giants news, see the full route and download a copy of the route map at www.giantspectacular.com  or on Facebook or Instagram. Follow @giantspectacle on Twitter.