People heading to the final of The Open on Sunday 23rd July are being reassured that they will be able to get there by rail, as Merseyrail pulls out all the stops to minimise the impacts of industrial action during one of the biggest sporting events in the world.



Merseyrail has confirmed that – despite the plans of RMT guards to strike that day, and the expectation that train drivers will not cross picket lines – it will be able to run a service specifically designed to get people to and from Royal Birkdale.

There will be a service every 15 minutes between Liverpool Central and Hillside and Southport and Hillside from 9am to around 12.30pm and then from around 5pm to approximately 8.30pm.

To support spectators who ‘park and ride’, morning services between Liverpool Central and Hillside will call every half hour at Blundellsands and Crosby and every evening service back to Liverpool Central will call at this station.

There will, however, be a significant knock-on impact for those not heading to the golf, with no services able to run at all across the rest of the Merseyrail network.

No industrial action is planned for any other rail operators that day, meaning that people can still travel into Liverpool and around other parts of the Liverpool City Region as normal, including on Northern services into Southport where they can also access the Merseyrail network to travel to The Open.

For those who would normally use the Merseyrail network, the City Region’s extensive bus network is being recommended as an alternative transport option for many passengers. Local commercial bus services will be strengthened on some key routes. People wanting advice on their transport options can visit www.merseytravel.gov.uk/railstrike

23rd July is also the finale of LIMF at Sefton Park. No rail services will be serving the event, but concert-goers will be able to travel to and from Sefton Park by commercial bus services, with special shuttle bus services put on after the event. These will take people back to the City Centre where they can catch commercial bus services.

So you can get to The Open by train only from Liverpool or Southport or can get to Blundellsands Station and use the car park that has 101 spaces.

Why would you use the train from Southport when every twenty minutes there is a free shuttle bus from Lord Street?

The X2 appears to have been re-routed for the Championship but, will there be additions to the 47 and X2 services?

So if you need the trains to get to work you're snookered, but if you just want to go and watch the bl---- golf that's OK - they're running specials.
Priorities?