Aintree Grand National 2025: Road closures, diversions and public transport information

The Grand National returns to Merseyside this week, with more 150,000 people expected to attend the three-day festival at Aintree Racecourse.

The festival with run from Thursday (April 3) to Saturday (April 5), with the main event taking place on the final day and Ladies’ Day making its grand return on Friday.

Throughout the event, motorists and bus users may be affected by a series road closures and diversions. Here is everything you need to know about travelling to Aintree Racecourse.

Aintree Grand National 2025 road closures and diversions

A series of road closures and diversions will be implemented in and around Aintree to facilitate the transport management plan for the Grand National Festival. They are as follows:

• Melling Road: Closed at the junction of Seeds Lane to the junction of Aintree Lane from 7.00am on Wednesday (April 2) 10.00pm on Saturday (April 5). The diversion is Melling Road, Warbreck Moor, Ormskirk Road, Aintree Lane and vice versa.
• Ormskirk Road and Park Lane between Bridle Road and Ormskirk Road, will be closed between 3.00pm and 9.00pm on all three festival days (April 3, 4 and 5).
• Seeds Lane, Melling Road and Greenwich Road will be closed daily from 7.00am to 9.00pm between Thursday (April 3) and Saturday (April 5). Residents access ONLY.
• Melling Road, Greenwich Road and Heysham Road (at the bridge) will be one way between 3.00pm and 9.00pm between Thursday (April 3) and Saturday (April 5).
• Local residents not attending the festival are advised to avoid the A59.

Aintree Grand National 2025 bus diversions

Route 63 - 3.00pm to 9.00pm on Thursday (April 3), Friday (April 4) and Saturday (April 5)

• Will operate as normal from Bootle to Netherton Park Lane then via Bridle Road, Netherton Way, Bailey Drive, Southport Road, Hornby Road, Rice Lane, Walton Vale, Longmoor Lane to resume normal route to Aintree Hospital. (Omitting Park Lane and Warbreck Moor).
• Will operate as normal from Fazakerley, Aintree Hospital to Longmoor Lane, then this service will continue along to Walton Vale, then via Rice Lane, Hornby Road, Southport Road, Bailey Drive, Netherton Way, Bridle Road to Park Lane and resume normal route to Bootle. (Omitting Hall Lane, Warbreck Moor and Park Lane).

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Route 121 - all journeys until Monday (April 7)

• Will operate as normal from Broadway to Hall Lane then via Warbreck Moor to terminate at Aintree, Warbreck Moor, Black Bull. (Omitting a section of Warbreck Moor, Ormskirk Road & Aintree Station).
• Will commence from Aintree, Warbreck Moor, Black Bull (not Aintree Station) then as normal route to Broadway. (Omitting Aintree Station, Ormskirk Road and a section of Warbreck Moor).

Route 135 - all journeys until Monday (April 7)

• Will operate as normal from Bootle to Longmoor Lane then this service will continue along Longmoor Lane to terminate at Fazakerley, Longmoor Lane, Elmham Crescent. (Omitting Seeds Lane, Melling Road, Warbreck Moor, Ormskirk Road and Aintree Station).
• Will commence from Fazakerley, Longmoor Lane, Elmham Crescent (not Aintree Station) and then operate via Longmoor Lane then as normal route to Bootle. (Omitting Aintree Station, Ormskirk Road, Warbreck Moor, Melling Road and Seeds Lane).

Route 214 - all journeys from last bus Wednesday (April 2) up to and including Saturday (April 5)

• Will operate as normal from Walton, Lavender Way to Longmoor Lane, at Seeds Lane this service will continue along Longmoor Lane to Walton Vale to resume normal route to Walton, Cavendish Drive. (Omitting Seeds Lane, Melling Road and Warbreck Moor).
• Will operate as normal from Cavendish Drive to Walton Vale then this service will continue via Longmoor Lane, to resume normal route to Lavender Way. (Omitting Warbreck Moor, Melling Road and Seeds Lane).

Route 300 - Thursday and Friday (April 3 and 4) from 10.00am to 8.00pm and Saturday from 10.00am to 10.00pm

• Will operate as normal from Liverpool to Aintree Road then via Southport Road, Bailey Drive, Netherton Way, Bridle Road, Park Lane, Dunnings Bridge Road to Switch Island and resume normal route to Lydiate and Southport.(Omitting Hornby Road, Rice Lane, Walton Vale, Warbreck Moor and Ormskirk Road).
• Will operate as normal from Southport and Lydiate to Switch Island then via Dunnings Bridge Road, Park Lane, Bridle Road, Netherton Way, Bailey Drive, Southport Road to Aintree Road and resume normal route to Liverpool. (Omitting Ormskirk Road, Warbreck Moor, Walton Vale, Rice Lane and Hornby Road).

Route 310 -Thursday and Friday (April 3 and 4) from 8.00am to 8.00pm and Saturday from 8.00am to 10.00pm

• Will operate as normal from Liverpool to Rice Lane then via Hornby Road, Southport Road, Bailey Drive, Netherton Way, Bridle Road, Park Lane, Dunnings Bridge Road to Switch Island to resume normal route to Maghull, Ormskirk and Skelmersdale. (Omitting part of Rice Lane, Walton Vale, Warbreck Moor and Ormskirk Road).
• Will operate as normal from Skelmersdale and Ormskirk, Maghull to Switch Island then via Dunnings Bridge Road, Park Lane, Bridle Road, Netherton Way, Bailey Drive, Southport Road, Hornby Road to Rice Lane and resume normal route to Liverpool. (Omitting Ormskirk Road, Warbreck Moor, Walton Vale, part of Rice Lane).

Route 345 - Thursday (April 3), Friday (April 4) and Saturday (April 5) until 10.00am

• Will operate as normal from Liverpool to Walton, Rice Lane, then via Hornby Road, Southport Road, Bailey Drive, Netherton Way, Bridle Road, Park Lane to Ormskirk Road and resume normal route to Waddicar (omitting Rice Lane, Walton Vale, and Warbreck Moor and Ormskirk Road).
• Will operate as normal from Waddicar to Aintree, Ormskirk Road then then via Park Lane, Bridle Road, Netherton Way, Bailey Drive, Southport Road, Hornby Road to Rice Lane, and resume normal route to Liverpool City Centre (omitting Warbreck Moor, Walton Vale, and part of Rice Lane).

Route 345 - Thursday and Friday (April 3 and 4) from 10.00am to 8.00pm and Saturday from 10.00am to 10.00pm

• Will operate as normal from Liverpool to Walton Vale then via Longmoor Lane, Aintree Lane, Wango Lane to Bull Bridge Lane to resume normal route Waddicar. (Omitting Warbreck Moor, Ormskirk Road, Aintree Lane & Altway).
• Will operate as normal from Waddicar to Bull Bridge Lane then this service will continue along Bull Bridge Lane, Wango Lane, Aintree Lane, Longmoor Lane to Walton Vale and resume normal route to Liverpool. (Omitting Altway, Aintree Lane, Ormskirk Road & Warbreck Moor).

Aintree Grand National 2025 public transport info

During the Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the festival, Merseyrail will operate a seven-and-a-half-minute frequency service between Liverpool city centre and Aintree stations on the Merseyrail Northern Line before and after the races.

Shuttle bus services will also be available. Full details can be found here.