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I think so, happy to be corrected on it

What's happening/will happen to 152 St Helens-Southport service under franchising, are Stagecoach going to be operating it?

(25/01/2026 06:33)M60lad Wrote: [ -> ]What's happening/will happen to 152 St Helens-Southport service under franchising, are Stagecoach going to be operating it?

According to the list of routes circulated, they will be renumbered 37/37A, by the looks of it hourly to Ormskirk with every other one extwnded to Southport. Not sure if it will be Stagecoach or part of category B (smaller franchise) routes.

(23/01/2026 12:08)moreton407 Wrote: [ -> ]It will be strange for everyone for a while, different operators (some new to the area), new buses, new routes etc. Just as it was strange back it the 80's at deregulations which created Merseybus, Liverline, Liverbus and Fareway etc etc etc, and when Arriva replaced MTL, when First took over Crosville and when Stagecoach took over Gillmoss and Rock Ferry. It will be strange for everyone, but we will get used to it as we have done in the past. Let's just hope that the future is a bright one!

I recall what people found strange is when Arriva North West's legal lettering was changed to Aintree. That meant buses across the North West were running around with an Aintree address on them, when people had been used to them displaying more local addresses. Pre-internet you'd use the phone number on the buses/timetables if you wanted to contact the operator.

Another strange one was when First took over Chester City Transport and made it a subsidiary of First Manchester.

I'm pretty sure all the regular bus routes will be operated out of St Helens and will not be part of a smaller franchise as staff at HTL who currently work the St Helens routes have already been told about moving over to St Helens in September.

(25/01/2026 13:51)CX06 EBK Wrote: [ -> ]I'm pretty sure all the regular bus routes will be operated out of St Helens and will not be part of a smaller franchise as staff at HTL who currently work the St Helens routes have already been told about moving over to St Helens in September.

Thanks for the clarification CX06. It was noted on another forum that Stagecoach were taking on 26 Routes in St Helens which seemed to suggest that some routes would go to a smaller franchise. Incidentally, the same post noted Go North West gaining 40 routes on the Wirral which I think is everything over there.

I would assume routes where there are an A (so 10/10A, 25/25A, 32/32A, 34/34A, 37/37A/X37) are for all intents and purposes classed as one route. Certainly nothing to suggest presently there will be anything other than schools in the smaller franchises which would make sense.

(25/01/2026 18:07)CX06 EBK Wrote: [ -> ]I would assume routes where there are an A (so 10/10A, 25/25A, 32/32A, 34/34A, 37/37A/X37) are for all intents and purposes classed as one route. Certainly nothing to suggest presently there will be anything other than schools in the smaller franchises which would make sense.

Will Evening and Sunday routes be the same as daytimes ie 32A evenings serving Mill Lane instead of Gerards Lane and Ridgewood Drive?

(25/01/2026 18:39)Y458 KNF Wrote: [ -> ]Will Evening and Sunday routes be the same as daytimes ie 32A evenings serving Mill Lane instead of Gerards Lane and Ridgewood Drive?

Nobody knows is your answer. Will be a case of watch this space.

It is very unlikely they will change routes from day one. as there is so much going on.