METRO - Laird Street depot

[MTL0201]

RE: METRO - Laird Street depot
Sounds like the 484 was horrific yesterday [27th], the 14.36 departure from Arrowe Park stopped tracking at West Kirby, & started tracking again on the 15.36, seems no service then operated the full circuit until 22.36 [& this is supposed to be hourly] to which they allocated an Ultroliner.

https://bustimes.org/services/484-arrowe...p/vehicles

The last 483 tracked was 19.00 from Arrowe Park.

https://bustimes.org/services/483-arrowe...p/vehicles

Unless this of course was down to the tracker stopping registering.

[MTL0201]

RE: METRO - Laird Street depot
The timetable for the 413/414/414A routes is insane, Arriva had them down to operate every 15 minutes over the core route which was perfect for that route, but since the changes & because the 414/414A has been rerouted via Prenton Dell & Derby Road, they're now timed within a few minutes of each other over the core route then long gap for the next service, which brings chaos when they're delayed.

[SNL 824]

RE: METRO - Laird Street depot
Please forgive my cynism, but how many of our nice new shiny buses are going to get brick3d tonight?

[gka472l]

RE: METRO - Laird Street depot

(31/10/2026 00:56)SNL 824 Wrote:  Please forgive my cynism, but how many of our nice new shiny buses are going to get brick3d tonight?

I did notice that the 413/414 avoided going through Leasowe in the evening, and went from Moreton Cross to Wallasey along Leasowe Road......

[Metroline1511]

RE: METRO - Laird Street depot

(27/10/2026 15:30)DVG526 Wrote:  There were always going to be some teething issues during the changeover but unfortunately LCR/Merseytravel and Mr Rotheram & Co have got a lot to do. More could have been done in the months leading to the ‘take back’ of control, such as..

The depot. Laird Street isn’t big enough for all the vehicles required, this is causing major issues with capacity and staff parking.

The drivers. I have a few friends who are drivers at LS/RF. The transfer/TUPE is a major issue due to the complex wage structure of each of the operators and this has not been addressed. Not as many drivers as expected have made the move meaning a substantial shortage of established drivers.

The routes. The majority if not all routes (those established prior to the changes) have had inferior vehicles now allocated, with the exception of Cross Rivers altihough i believe the Ultroliners have a slightly lower capacity than the Hybrids. Routes that previously utilised 39/40+ seater Enviro 300s, longer Enviro200s and Streetlites etc now have been downgraded to 30 seater Enviro200s. This will affect many routes particularly the former 41/42/410/411/413/414/487 of which certain journeys were also double deck operated. Some of the new routes don’t make any sense. 408 for example does a random one way loop, the evening/Sunday 417 which also does a one way loop and wastes lots of time sitting at Moreton Cross.

The companies. There appears to have been a total lack of communication between Arriva and GNW which hasn’t helped the transfer due to the politics of the franchise process.

This is just a brief summary of the issues facing passengers, some of which probably could have been addressed prior to takeover. It’s going to be a long road to stability unfortunately.

I had for a while earmarked next Saturday for a trip to the area.

I am now going away for the night and postponing Wirral until the new year.

[moreton407]

RE: METRO - Laird Street depot
Is there a reason why the 413/414/414A are not going through the Leasowr Estate? I know there are times when the evening service skips it but they seem to be doing it in the daytime too now.

[mrd97]

RE: METRO - Laird Street depot
Think there needs to be a revision of the times on some services.

483/484 are given way too long between Arrowe Park and West Kirby via Greasby, and have been running up to 10 minutes early.

491 doesn’t have enough time on its route and is often late. Also don’t know why it skips Ashburton Road now?

453 should really run via Talbot Avenue instead of Manor Road, as it’s a wider road (the north end of Manor Road is single track with passing places) and has a bus stop at the top which could be used for Brimstage village. Don’t know why this route doesn’t enter the hospital grounds either.

417 evening and Sunday buses have an enormous layover in Moreton. Maybe run it through to Leasowe Station so at least it’s not sat around for 35 minutes?

Moreton circulars do not need to run evenings and Sundays. Nearly all of the routes are covered by other services, in fact Saughall Massie has more buses serving it in the evening than in the daytime. It’s a waste of resources.

418 should run into the evenings and on Sundays.

Needs to be a service from Claughton and Noctorum to Arrowe Park hospital, maybe run a ‘419’ alongside the 418 which does this instead of via st James church and Beechwood.

Appreciate its early days just some ideas going forward.

[Merseysidebusenthusiast]

RE: METRO - Laird Street depot

(Today 17:00)mrd97 Wrote:  Think there needs to be a revision of the times on some services.

483/484 are given way too long between Arrowe Park and West Kirby via Greasby, and have been running up to 10 minutes early.

491 doesn’t have enough time on its route and is often late. Also don’t know why it skips Ashburton Road now?

453 should really run via Talbot Avenue instead of Manor Road, as it’s a wider road (the north end of Manor Road is single track with passing places) and has a bus stop at the top which could be used for Brimstage village. Don’t know why this route doesn’t enter the hospital grounds either.

417 evening and Sunday buses have an enormous layover in Moreton. Maybe run it through to Leasowe Station so at least it’s not sat around for 35 minutes?

Moreton circulars do not need to run evenings and Sundays. Nearly all of the routes are covered by other services, in fact Saughall Massie has more buses serving it in the evening than in the daytime. It’s a waste of resources.

418 should run into the evenings and on Sundays.

Needs to be a service from Claughton and Noctorum to Arrowe Park hospital, maybe run a ‘419’ alongside the 418 which does this instead of via st James church and Beechwood.

Appreciate its early days just some ideas going forward.

I presume the 491 no longer serves Ashburton Road is because there's no bus stops on there, so instead just move it up to Upton Road for the bus stops up there instead. Also still don't get why the 418 doesn't run Sundays or during evenings, or even a higher frequency. Also I feel like the 492/495 need to be extended to Arrowe Park, via Upton By-Pass something Avon did with the evenings/sunday services a while back, making Arrowe Park accessible to Claughton and Noctorum both areas which don't have any, along with Beechwood and Bidston who only get an hourly bus to the hospital.

[MTL0201]

RE: METRO - Laird Street depot
The evening & Sunday 417 could be shortened as a 417E Moreton Cross-Clatterbridge, that takes about 50 minutes so you don't get that insane layover in Moreton, & also don't that daft situation were you have a a bus on the long loop around Eastham Rake going one way but not one [416/416A] going the other way.

I'd like to see the 407 evening & Sunday frequency every 30 minutes, every hour feels inadequate, also the Sunday 407 should be retimed as that runs a few minutes behind the 438A between Birkenhead & Moreton which is insane.

I would like to see the 414/414A going back on there old routes via Woodchurch Road & Borough Road & through to Woodside rather than the new route as passengers to Upton/Moreton had 4 buses an hour [413/414] down Woodchurch Road now only have the 413 at 2 an hour, maybe extend the 483/484 from Arrowe Park Hospital to Birkenhead as replacement instead with 483/484 every 30 minutes Birkenhead-Arrowe Park, remnants of the old Avon 83/83A when that was Birkenhead-West Kirby Circular