News bulletin: Merseyrail boss apologises for disruption as more timetable changes announced

The managing director of Merseyrail has apologised for the disruption commuters have faced due to faults with their trains and the operator has announced further changes to the timetable.

Andy Heath said he was “truly, truly sorry” for the inconvenience caused by changes to the timetables on Merseyrail lines as the operator announced an “unexpected” increase in wear on train wheel bearings.

The managing director couldn’t confirm however when services would return to normal.

Commuters’ plans have been thrown into chaos by the changes with rail replacement buses being used on certain lines.

Merseyrail have announced that further changes will be made to timetables across the network from Monday 13 June. 

 Over the last few weeks, a significant increase in wheel bearing faults has affected the number of trains available to run. This has resulted in the full fleet being tested, with those trains found to have the fault being taken out of service for repair. 

 From Monday 13 June, trains will run every 30 minutes on the Ormskirk, Kirkby, Hunts Cross, New Brighton, West Kirby, Chester, and Ellesmere Port lines. Trains will run every 15 minutes between Southport and Liverpool Central.

A supplemental rail replacement bus service will also be in place between the following stations in case services become overcrowded:

• Spital and Moorfields stations
• Birkenhead North and Moorfields stations
• Maghull and Moorfields stations
• Waterloo and Moorfields stations

Rail replacement buses will be timed to minimise waiting time for passengers.

Passengers on the Kirkby and New Brighton Lines will see trains re-introduced on Sunday the 12 th June with services operating the normal 30-minute Sunday timetable, before changing to an amended 30-minute timetable from Monday 13 June.

Trains will run every 15 minutes between Southport and Liverpool Central.

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Mr Rotheram was robbed outside the stadium ahead of the Paris final on May 28.

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A budget of almost £40m has been set aside by the authority for the entirety of the project.