65-695: Merseytravel is the passenger transport executive responsible for the coordination of public transport in the Liverpool City Region in North West England . It was established on 1 December 1969 as the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive . From 1 April 2014, with the creation of the Liverpool City Region, Merseytravel expanded its area of operation from the metropolitan county of Merseyside to also include
130-547: A 'membership organisation that works on behalf of the rail industry to create a simpler, better railway for everyone in Britain.' The two generally coincide where passenger services are run. Most major Network Rail lines also carry freight traffic and some lines are freight only. There are some scheduled passenger services on privately managed, non-Network Rail lines, for example Chiltern Railways which runs on both Network Rail track and tracks owned by London Underground . Although
195-515: A 25-year contract on 20 July 2003. Unlike most rolling stock that is owned by private sector rolling stock companies , Merseytravel will outright own the Class 777 fleet, operated by Merseyrail. The current Class 507 and Class 508 fleets are owned by Angel Trains and leased to Merseyrail. A third line, the City line , also historically branded as Merseyrail under British Rail , was also privatised under
260-671: A best value tendering system. Fares are presently subsidised at levels lower than local commercial services. Merseytravel owns and operates the Mersey Ferry service between Liverpool Pier Head , Seacombe in Wallasey and Woodside in Birkenhead. The fleet consists of two vessels: Royal Iris of the Mersey and Snowdrop . There are three transport tunnels under the River Mersey . Merseytravel
325-450: A connected network across the six areas that form the city region. The actual date of the rename has not been confirmed. As the responsible passenger transport executive, Merseytravel is responsible for the co-ordination of local rail services which operate within Liverpool City Region under the direction of the combined authority. Merseytravel is the owner of Merseyrail which operates services across Merseyside, Cheshire, and Lancashire under
390-521: A contactless debit/credit card. Contactless also covers some areas that Oyster doesn't such as the Elizabeth line to Reading, or the Thameslink station at Oakleigh Park. The most common types of tickets available include 'advance' tickets, that specify a specific route and timing between two destinations, 'off-peak' tickets, either as a single or a return, that allow a passenger to use a train at hours where
455-546: A franchise model. As a result of the privatisation of British Rail , the Northern and Wirral lines of the local Merseyrail rail network were brought together as the Merseyrail Electrics passenger franchise , that was privatised on 19 January 1997. Under the original privatisation legislation of 1993, PTEs were co-signatories of franchise agreements covering their areas. The first train operating company (TOC) awarded
520-405: A hot-bed of intense competition with less lucrative services ignored and, in some cases, disappearing. Ultimately, things settled down in the mid-1990s, with Merseybus parent company MTL took over a number of the new entrants, some disappearing and North Western – now owned by Arriva – the remainder. In 2000 MTL was bought by Arriva and is now part of an enlarged Arriva North West . However, Arriva
585-551: A museum dedicated to The Beatles located on Royal Albert Dock . Neil Scales , the former chief executive and director general of Merseytravel, in his 2011 presentation "Growing the Railways on Merseyside," outlined future projects that Merseytravel may be involved in: Merseytravel have also stated their support to linking Liverpool to the High Speed 2 network with a directly connected, brand new, twin-track line. In September 2017,
650-570: A number of technical manuals on which travel on the railways in Great Britain is based, such as the National Rail Conditions of Travel , via their website. Pocket timetables for individual operators or routes are available free at staffed stations. The last official printed timetable with up to 3000 pages was published in 2007. Now the only complete print edition is published by Middleton Press (as of October 2016). A digital version of
715-657: A number of specialist task groups which bring together professionals from across the pteg network to focus on specific policy areas and to share expertise and good practice. The PTEG Support Unit, based in Leeds , co-ordinated PTEG's activities and acted as a central point of contact. PTEG became Urban Transport Group in 2018. In Scotland, the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport , formerly Greater Glasgow Passenger Transport Executive, Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive, and Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority, covers
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#1732852644445780-483: A report was compiled into the reopening of Liverpool St James railway station which concluded that the reopening of the station would be highly beneficial. Liverpool City Region Combined Authority announced in August 2019 that they were planning on using £172 million of funding on several major transport projects. These included: In 2023, new ferry was commissioned. Making the announcement, Mayor Rotheram said that
845-720: A separate legal entity; in these areas the combined authority itself is the executive. In recent years the PTEs and ITAs have campaigned to be given more powers to regulate local bus services, as is the case in London (see London Buses ). The Passenger Transport Executive Group (PTEG) was a federated body based in Leeds to bring together and promote the interests of the six PTEs in England, plus associate members Strathclyde Partnership for Transport; Transport for London ; Nottingham City Council; and Bristol and
910-426: A valid ticket boarding a train at a station where ticket-buying facilities are available are required to pay the full Open Single or Return fare. On some services penalty fares apply – a ticketless passenger may be charged the greater of £20 or twice the full single fare to the next stop. Penalty Fares can be collected only by authorised Revenue Protection Inspectors, not by ordinary Guards. National Rail distributes
975-438: Is a brand used to promote passenger railway services, and providing some harmonisation for passengers in ticketing, while Network Rail is the organisation which owns and manages most of the fixed assets of the railway network, including tracks, stations and signals. However, the national rail website domain is managed by The Rail Delivery Group on behalf of UK based train operating companies. According to their own website, they are
1040-731: Is extended to include the whole of the Liverpool City Region , which comprises Merseyside and the Borough of Halton . In May 2021, mayor Steve Rotherham set out a plan for all trains, buses and ferries to become an integrated transport system under Merseytravel, owned by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority . On 19 July 2024, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority announced Merseytravel would be renamed to Transport for Liverpool City Region (TfLCR) to help fall in line with Transport for London and Transport for Greater Manchester , as part of efforts to promote
1105-558: Is responsible for the two road tunnels , Kingsway and Queensway , under the River Mersey and also controls the Mersey Tunnels Police . Merseyrail also runs through a railway tunnel under the river connecting central Liverpool and Birkenhead which was the first transport tunnel under the Mersey to be built, in the nineteenth century. Merseytravel, through Mersey Ferries, owns the Liverpool tourist attraction The Beatles Story ,
1170-479: Is the UK's largest and most accurate travel information website, peaking at more than 10 million visitors per day, more than its nearest competitors. The National Rail website includes a journey planner , fare and live departure information. The site is designed to complement the myriad different websites of Britain's privatised rail companies, so when users have selected which tickets they wish to buy, they are redirected to
1235-544: Is the joint responsibility of the Office of Rail and Road (allocation of paths) and Network Rail (timetable production and publication). Since March 2020 all ticket revenue has been collected by the Department for Transport, which also pays the operators' costs. Following the privatisation of British Rail there was no longer a single approach to railway corporate design. The look and feel of signage, liveries and marketing material
1300-552: Is worth bearing in mind that PTEs do not, strictly speaking, own anything - their role is a statutory one to provide services using the resources provided to them by the ITAs. There are currently six passenger transport executives in England , covering areas which correspond - though are not limited - to metropolitan counties . When a combined authority is created the integrated transport area and integrated transport authority are replaced with
1365-491: The Borough of Halton . In July 2024, it was announced it is to be rebranded as Transport for Liverpool City Region ( TfLCR ) in the future. The Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority and Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive were established as a result of the Transport Act 1968 . The authority, which was responsible for transport strategy and policy, included representatives from 18 different councils. The executive
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#17328526444451430-563: The Elizabeth line (formerly TfL Rail ) are hybrids: Their services are operated via a concession awarded by Transport for London (TfL). They are part of National Rail as train operating companies , where tickets can be used in the same way as other operators, and shown in the National Rail timetable. However, under Transport for London, they are considered as separate networks. They are listed separately in all materials produced by TfL than National Rail, stations serving London Overground or
1495-411: The Elizabeth line only do not have the National Rail logo shown on either the station themselves or the tube map, and fares on these two networks are priced as TfL services, the same as London Underground , rather than National Rail services. The National Rail service status web page by TfL also does not list these two systems. London Overground also owns some infrastructure in its own right, following
1560-582: The London Underground uses its own tracks in the majority of its network, it also runs on Network Rail tracks and shares tracks with National Rail services, both on its own tracks and on Network Rail tracks. Twenty-five privately owned train operating companies were each franchised for a defined term by government in 1996–97. They operated passenger trains in Great Britain. However, franchises have ceased to exist and are being replaced by operating contracts, which do not involve significant commercial risk for
1625-497: The London Underground , Docklands Light Railway , London Tramlink , Blackpool Tramway , Glasgow Subway , Tyne and Wear Metro , Manchester Metrolink , Sheffield Supertram , West Midlands Metro and Nottingham Express Transit . On the other hand, the largely self-contained Merseyrail system is part of the National Rail network, and urban rail networks around Birmingham , Cardiff , Glasgow and West Yorkshire consist entirely of National Rail services. London Overground and
1690-735: The United Kingdom , passenger transport executives ( PTEs ) are local government bodies which are responsible for public transport within large urban areas. They are accountable to combined authorities , which were created between 2011 and 2016 and took the role of integrated transport authorities (ITAs). The PTEs have joined together to form the Urban Transport Group (Passenger Transport Executive Group (PTEG) until 2016), in which Transport for London and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport also participate. The first PTEs and Passenger Transport Authorities (PTAs) were established in
1755-967: The deregulation and privatisation of bus services in 1986 throughout England (except in Greater London ), it operated a large proportion of the bus services on Merseyside, under the Merseyside Transport brand. It had taken over the municipally provided bus operations of Liverpool, Birkenhead and Wallasey county borough corporations in 1970, and expanded to cover the county borough municipal corporation areas and bus services of St Helens and Southport in 1974. The PTE also extensively coordinated and joint operated bus services on Merseyside with National Bus Company subsidiaries Crosville and Ribble . These were both longer distance services coming into Merseyside from Cheshire and Lancashire along with Crosville and Ribble services operated in Sefton, Liverpool and
1820-420: The metropolitan boroughs , or in the case of Strathclyde by the twelve unitary authority councils in the area. The ITAs are not "precepting authorities", so they have to negotiate a "levy" every year that is applied to council tax collected by the local authorities in the areas that they serve. The executive usually requests a budget and the council representatives on the ITAs negotiate from this position. It
1885-504: The 1993 Act, but as part of the much larger North West Regional Railways (NWRR) franchise. On 2 March 1997, North Western Trains, later rebranded First North Western , commenced operating the franchise. Some Class 142 units were repainted in Merseytravel's yellow livery. This line was not included in the 2003 exemption given to the other two lines, and so it has continued as part of the government-administered rail franchise system, although
1950-761: The Merseyrail network, the decision was taken to remove it from the national framework and bring it into local control. As a result, using the Merseyrail Electrics Network Order 2002 the Secretary of State for Transport exempted the system from being designated as a railway franchise under the privatisation legislation (the Railways Act 1993 ). This allowed the PTE to contract out the lines themselves, which it did with Merseyrail operated by Serco-Abellio commencing
2015-423: The National Rail logotype and is displayed on tickets, the National Rail website and other publicity. The trademark rights to the double arrow symbol remain state-owned, being vested in the Secretary of State for Transport . The double arrow symbol is also a generic symbol for a railway station across Great Britain, and is used to indicate a railway station on British traffic signs. The National Rail (NR) logo
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2080-417: The National Rail network and mostly operate for heritage or pleasure purposes rather than as public transport, but some have connections to National Rail track. National Rail services have a common ticketing structure inherited from British Rail . Through tickets are available between any pair of stations on the network, and can be bought from any station ticket office. Most tickets are inter-available between
2145-568: The Transport Act 1985 forced them to separate their bus operations into new arms lengths companies. These were called PTC's which were all sold off by the mid 1990s. The PTE's were also stripped of their powers to regulate the fares and timetables of private bus operators. A number of changes to PTE/As were made under the Local Transport Act 2008 . The main changes made were: The integrated transport authorities (ITAs) from 2008 onwards are
2210-515: The West of England. PTEG's main tasks were facilitating the exchange of knowledge and good practice within the PTE network, and raising awareness nationally about the key transport challenges which face the city regions, and the public transport solutions which PTEs are implementing. PTEG's strategy and policy was determined by the Directors General of the PTEs, who met every quarter. It administered
2275-975: The Wirral only. The PTE also had significant involvement in the operation of Crosville and Ribble garages on Merseyside too. Similar arrangements also existed with Lancashire United Transport / Greater Manchester Transport and Warrington Borough Transport from services connecting Merseyside with Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Lancashire. After deregulation, the Merseyside Transport operations were branded as Merseybus , and were subsequently privatised as MTL . The previous co-ordination of Merseyside's bus network disappeared as Crosville, Ribble, now known as North Western and Greater Manchester's GM Buses , became competitors of Merseybus, along with new entrants like CMT Buses, Fareway, Halton Transport , Liverbus, Liverline, PMT's Red Rider , Village Group, and other smaller operators. Merseyside's popular bus corridors became
2340-482: The bodies which administer the executives; they are made up of councillors representing the areas served by the PTEs. They are responsible for funding the PTEs, and making the policies which the PTEs carry out on their behalf. PTEs secure services on behalf of the ITA but it is the ITA that pays for them. In the six metropolitan counties, councillors are appointed to the ITAs or the transport committees of combined authorities by
2405-637: The body responsible in the county of Merseyside for providing and funding concessionary travel for the elderly and disabled, through the English National Concessionary Bus Travel Scheme . For those not at the present Pension age, but over the former applicable ages of 60 and 65, for men and women respectively, Merseytravel are funded to operate a localised version of the scheme. 53°24′13.9″N 2°59′33.9″W / 53.403861°N 2.992750°W / 53.403861; -2.992750 Passenger transport executive In
2470-467: The combined area and combined authority. This happened in Greater Manchester on 1 April 2011 and happened in three other integrated transport areas from 1 April 2014: to become the larger Liverpool City Region, as well as Sheffield City Region, and West Yorkshire combined areas. In South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and West Midlands, the PTE has been absorbed into the combined authority, and is no longer
2535-434: The former British Rail Rail Alphabet lettering to varying degrees in station signage, although its use is no longer universal; however it remains compulsory (under Railway Group Standards) for safety signage in trackside areas and is still common (although not universal) on rolling stock. The British Rail typefaces of choice from 1965 were Helvetica and Univers , with others (particularly Frutiger ) coming into use during
2600-542: The former region of Strathclyde , which includes the urban area around Glasgow . All of Scotland is now divided into partnership areas for Transport. A similar body, Transport for London , exists in Greater London . In shire county areas, similar functions are carried out by county councils . National Rail National Rail ( NR ) is the trading name licensed for use by the Rail Delivery Group , an unincorporated association whose membership consists of
2665-533: The franchise contract was MTL , originally the operating arm of the PTE, but privatised itself in 1985. It traded under the Merseyrail Electrics brand, but after MTL was sold to Arriva , the company was rebranded Arriva Trains Merseyside from 27 April 2001. When the franchise came up for renewal, reflecting the exclusive nature of the two lines - being largely isolated from the rest of the National Rail network and with no through passenger services to/from outside
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2730-537: The full timetable is available as a pdf file without charge on the Network Rail website; however, passengers are recommended to obtain their timetables from the individual train companies. The National Rail website, previously called National Rail Enquiries, handles an average of 2.5 million journey planning enquiries every weekday through its website, apps and contact centre, and through information services supplied to third parties (such as open access data feeds). It
2795-500: The late 1960s by the Transport Act 1968 as transport authorities serving large conurbations , by the then transport minister Barbara Castle . Prior to this, public transport was run by individual local authorities and private companies, with little co-ordination. The PTEs took over municipal bus operations from individual councils, and became responsible for managing local rail networks. The 1968 Act created five PTE/As. These were: Initially they covered slightly different areas from
2860-404: The most relevant train company website, where they can buy their tickets without booking fees. In 2012 the website was joined by a mobile app mirroring its functionality. The app is available for iPhone , Android and Windows Phone . In June 2020, a real time personalised messaging service, Alert Me, was launched, providing real-time disruption and crowding information via Messenger. This
2925-534: The multimillion project will “ensure that the iconic Ferry Cross the Mersey will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come.” The new ferry will be designed and constructed by Birkenhead shipbuilder Cammell Laird and is due to launch in 2026. Merseytravel are responsible for the management of local, reduced cost, integrated ticketing systems, and as part of this issue the ITSO -compatible MetroCard smartcard, on to which certain local travel passes are loaded. They are also
2990-415: The nation’s neglected railway industry". The NR title is sometimes described as a "brand". As it was used by British Rail, the single operator before franchising, its use also maintains continuity and public familiarity; and it avoids the need to replace signage. The lettering used in the National Rail logotype is a modified form of the typeface Sassoon Bold . Some train operating companies continue to use
3055-523: The ones covered by integrated transport authorities today. Local government in England was re-organised in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 . The re-organisation created the six metropolitan counties , and the existing four English PTEs were named after, and made to match the borders of the new counties (for example West Midlands PTE was expanded to take on Coventry and Tyneside PTE expanded to include Sunderland becoming Tyne and Wear PTE in
3120-514: The operators. The Rail Delivery Group is the trade association representing the TOCs and provides core services, including the provision of the National Rail Enquiries service. It also runs Rail Settlement Plan , which formerly allocated ticket revenue to the various TOCs, and Rail Staff Travel, which manages travel facilities for railway staff. It does not compile the national timetable, which
3185-659: The passenger train operating companies (TOCs) of England , Scotland , and Wales . The TOCs run the passenger services previously provided by the British Railways Board , from 1965 using the brand name British Rail . Northern Ireland , which is bordered by the Republic of Ireland , has a different system. National Rail services share a ticketing structure and inter-availability that generally do not extend to services which were not part of British Rail. National Rail should not be confused with Network Rail . National Rail
3250-614: The process). In addition to this, two new PTEs were created for the newly established metropolitan counties of South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire . The 1974 reorganisation also abolished the PTAs, and their role was taken over by the Metropolitan county councils (MCCs). However, when the MCCs were abolished in 1986, the PTAs were re-created. Local government re-organisation in Scotland in 1975 created
3315-482: The region of Strathclyde , and the existing Greater Glasgow PTE was named after, and made to cover the new region. PTAs were recreated by the Local Government Act 1985 when the metropolitan county councils were abolished. The Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 had the same effect in the Strathclyde Region. Until the mid-1980s the PTEs operated bus services in their areas, but bus deregulation by
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#17328526444453380-433: The reopening of the former London Underground East London line and the extension to Barking Riverside . Eurostar is also not part of the National Rail network despite sharing of tracks and stations (along High Speed 1 ). Northern Ireland Railways were never part of British Rail, which was limited to England, Scotland and Wales. There are many privately owned or heritage railways in Great Britain which are not part of
3445-454: The role of PTEs in the franchising process has altered due by the 2005 Railways Act. From 11 December 2004, the NWRR franchise was merged into a new Northern franchise and operated by Northern Rail . The Merseyrail Class 142 units were repainted into Northern Rail livery. On 1 April 2016, the franchise was taken over by Arriva Rail North . Prior to the Transport Act 1985 , which nationally mandated
3510-444: The same carbon commitment, which was referred to as 'The Green Travel Pledge' and was cited on its website and via Rail Delivery Group media. In June 2023 the website was completely overhauled with an entirely new frontend retaining little of the old designs but the brand logo remained. The website is quoted as saying its website is, "cleaner, more modern, and full of better information". In addition, its original mobile website which
3575-402: The sectorisation period after 1983. TOCs may use what they like: examples include Futura ( Stagecoach Group ), Helvetica ( FirstGroup and National Express ), Frutiger ( Arriva Trains Wales ), Bliss ( CrossCountry ), and a modified version of Precious by London Midland . Several conurbations have their own metro or tram systems, most of which are not part of National Rail. These include
3640-510: The service is not busy, and 'anytime' tickets, which can be used on any train. Season tickets, which offer unlimited travel between two stations for a specified period, are also available. A 'rover' travel card ticket also exists that allows unlimited travel in a set area or on services of certain operators, for a certain period of time. Rovers which allow unlimited travel for only one day are sometimes referred to as ranger tickets, and are usually available for smaller areas. Passengers without
3705-442: The services of all operators on routes appropriate to the journey being made. Operators on some routes offer operator-specific tickets that are cheaper than the inter-available ones. Through tickets involving London Underground , or to some ferry services ( RailSail tickets) are also available. Oyster pay-as-you-go can be used on National Rail in Greater London from 2 January 2010. These same areas can also be journeyed to using
3770-512: The website. However, the website was quickly reverted back to its original design the same day following customer accessibility feedback. In July 2021 the Department of Transport published the world’s first ‘greenprint’ to decarbonise all modes of domestic transport by 2050 in the UK. It was published two months before the climate summit COP26, and planned to provide a world-leading ‘greenprint’ to cut emissions from 'seas and skies, roads and railways'. The nationalrail.co.uk website also signed up to
3835-526: Was a sub-domain (m.nationalrail.co.uk now redirects) was switched off. Earlier in 2024 National Rail's digital journey planner was also switched off and redirected to the new version. Online Journey Planner (OJP) was the engine used to plan routes, calculate fares and establish ticket availability. The OJP accesses real-time information directly from Darwin, meaning all journey plans take account of delays, schedule changes and train cancellations. The OJP data feed APIs are available for use under licence. Darwin
3900-557: Was created. It was later renamed the Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority and composed 18 councillors assembled from Merseyside's five districts: Liverpool , Knowsley , St Helens , Sefton and Wirral . On 1 April 2014, the Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority was abolished and reformed as the Merseytravel Committee of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority . The transport authority area
3965-634: Was followed in September 2021 by a similar service made available through WhatsApp. The service was closed in June 2023 leaving only a simple SMS based messaging service in place for customers. Both services were provided by a British transport technology company Zipabout. In April 2021 the National Rail website turned from colour to greyscale in a tribute to The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh who had died. The gesture however backfired after users highlighted accessibility issues and complained they could no longer use
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#17328526444454030-741: Was introduced by ATOC in 1999, (previously British Rail logo as used from 1965), and was used on the Great Britain public timetable for the first time in the edition valid from 26 September in that year. Rules for its use are set out in the Corporate Identity Style Guidelines published by the Rail Delivery Group, available on its website. "In 1964 the Design Research Unit—Britain’s first multi-disciplinary design agency founded in 1943 by Misha Black, Milner Gray and Herbert Read—was commissioned to breathe new life into
4095-486: Was largely the preserve of the individual TOCs. However, railway reforms which are currently in progress will restore the pre-privatisation position, with design responsibilities for the whole network resting with the new 'guiding mind', Great British Railways. However, National Rail continues to use BR's famous double-arrow symbol , designed by Gerald Burney of the Design Research Unit . It has been incorporated in
4160-482: Was required by the Monopolies & Mergers Commission to divest some of its Liverpool operations, which are now operated by Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire . There are also smaller Merseyside operators like Cumfybus and HTL Buses . Today, Merseytravel is also responsible for providing bus services which are considered socially necessary but are not profitable; these are operated by other operators, using
4225-540: Was responsible for day-to-day operation of transport services. In 1974, when the transport organisation's boundaries were made co-extensive with the new metropolitan county of Merseyside which was formally created by the Local Government Act 1972 , the authority was composed of 23 councillors of the new Merseyside County Council . When the metropolitan county councils were abolished by the Local Government Act 1985 , new structures had to be created. A new joint board - again called The Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority -
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