Revised travel advice for the Three Queens event has been published ahead of a planned rail strike for 24 hours from 5pm on Monday (25th May).
If it goes ahead, industrial action will impact on some of the original transport plans for the event, affecting mainline and City line rail services all day on the Monday as well as on Tuesday.
Transport organisations and operators, local authorities and police are continuing to work together to respond to the challenge as best they can so event go-ers can get there and home as safely and efficiently as possible.
There will be strengthened rail and bus services on Sunday 24th with plenty of public transport provision to get people to and from the headline event of the Three Queens in the Mersey on Monday 25th if people leave promptly afterwards.
Roads and car parking will be extremely busy.
Even if the strike is called off, if it is after 11am on Sunday (23rd), there will still be significant disruption to rail services. People intending to travel to the event are advised to visit www.merseytravel.gov.uk regularly for travel updates.
Cunard’s three ships will only be together for a short time on Monday 25th, but activities will take place across the weekend.
Advice for people travelling within Merseyside:
Use public transport where possible. Car parking will be limited.
Saturday 23rd: Normal bus and rail services will run
Sunday 24th: Strengthened bus and rail services (Merseyrail and City Line) will run.
Monday 25th: Whether you are viewing from Liverpool, Wirral or Sefton, there will be plenty of public transport provision to get you to and from the headline event of the meeting of the Three Queens in The Mersey, if you leave promptly. If you intend to stay for later events, there will be no train services to get you home.
Don’t aim for the last train. Leave plenty of time to get to the event and to get to the station or the stop on the way home. Allow for queues when you get there.
- Merseyrail will be running frequent and longer trains until 6pm. There will be no trains after this time.
- Services to and from Liverpool Lime Street on the City line will be extremely limited all day, with no services to St Helens, Wigan or Warrington all day. There will be no services at all on the City Line past 5pm.Do not rely on these services to get you to the event and home. Take advantage of strengthened bus services.
- There will be more buses on key routes across Merseyside.
- If you’re local, consider staying local. The Three Queens will be a full waterfront and coastal spectacle with opportunities to view from Liverpool, Wirral and Sefton. Walking and cycling may be the fastest and easiest way to get to and from the event.
- City Centre car parking will be extremely busy. Use public transport
- Park and Ride is available for people viewing in Wirral, but it is limited and expected to be very popular. If you’re able to, take advantage of public transport.
Tuesday 26th:
- There will be no rail services – Merseyrail or City Line. Services will resume on Wednesday morning though there still could be some disruption to services.
- Bus services will run as normal
If you’re travelling from outside Merseyside:
If you are travelling by rail there will be significant disruption from Monday morning as a result of the strike action, with no mainline services out of Lime Street from 5pm right through until Wednesday morning. You may wish to revisit your original travel plans.
Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th:
- Rail services in to and out of Liverpool Lime Street will run as planned, with some strengthened services. Be aware that scheduled engineering works on the West Coast mainline may mean delays or changes to your journey. Visit National Rail Enquiries for more information.
However, if you plan to stay in Merseyside be aware that services out of Lime Street will be extremely limited on Monday 25th with no services at all from 5pm and no services at all on Tuesday 26th. Services will resume on Wednesday morning.
Monday 25th:
- There will be significant disruption. Mainline rail services in and out of Lime Street will be extremely limited. There will be no services at all past 5pm Follow national travel advice
- Consider your journey carefully as motorways, roads and car parking will be extremely busy. As an alternative, you may want to take the opportunity to visit the start of the celebrations on Sunday 24th when the Queen Mary 2 arrives in Liverpool,
- Park and Ride is available for people viewing from Wirral, but it is limited and expected to be very popular.
- Consider your travel alternatives. Merseyside is served by an airport and national coach services.
Tuesday 26th:
- There will be no rail services out of Liverpool Lime Street. Services will resume on Wednesday morning, though there could still be some disruption.
- Consider your travel alternatives. Merseyside is served by an airport and national coach services.
As is the case during any big event, unforeseen events may impact on the transport network and services at short notice. Travel updates and alerts will be posted on the Merseytravel website and should you need any further help in planning your journey before or during the event, call Traveline on 0151 236 7676 or 0871 200 22 33. You may also want to follow us on Twitter. @Merseytravel, #3queenstravel
Said Liz Chandler, Merseytravel’s director of corporate development:
“This event will make maritime history – a showcase event that the Liverpool City Region with its stunning backdrop is made for.
“While the strike will cause significant disruption, a whole host of organisations have been working together, as they have been over many months in the lead up to the event, to ensure we are responding to the challenge as best we can, strengthening services where possible and advising people of their alternative travel options.
“The message remains to plan carefully, be patient and prepare for queues.”