Free hospital buses will run on Christmas Day

Dec 18 2007 by Alan Weston, Liverpool Daily Post

MERSEYTRAVEL will operate free buses on Christmas Day to help hospital staff and visitors.

Limited free buses will operate on routes including 10A, 20A, 92A, 102, 201 and 212 in Liverpool, 110 and 118 in Wirral and the 10A, 24X and 194/195 St Helens Circulars.

Buses run from around 12 noon until around 6pm-6.30pm.

Hospitals served include the Royal Liverpool, Liverpool Women’s, Whiston, Walton, Alder Hey, Broadgreen, Fazakerley, Clatterbridge and Arrowe Park.

Cllr Mark Dowd, chair of Merseytravel, said: “At this time of year, we should all think of those who are unfortunate enough to be spending Christmas in hospital, as well as those working hard to support them.

“This is Merseytravel’s contribution to helping those people as best we can.”

Due to non-running Merseyrail trains, the Soccerbus service will not be in service for the Everton v Bolton game on Boxing Day.

It will, however, be operating from Bank Hall and Kirkdale (as Sandhills is shut) for all other home matches over the Christmas and New Year holidays. A limited network of bus services on all major corridors will also run throughout the region on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, with most services operating from around 10am.

There will be no Mersey Ferries on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day. Queensway Tunnel will be closed from 10pm on Christmas Eve, reopening at 6.30am on Boxing Day. Kingsway Tunnel will operate normally throughout.

No trains will operate on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. On New Year’s Day, all City Line services will start later but run to a normal service, while the Wirral and Northern Lines will be operating a Sunday service.

The Traveline is 0871 200 22 33, and a booklet giving full details is available from local timetable outlets, travel centres and Merseytravel's head office in Hatton Garden, Liverpool. Also, people can ring 0151 330 1066 or visit www.merseytravel.gov.uk.

alanweston