An express bus services providing a link between Runcorn and Liverpool city centre returned on 16 December. The new Arriva-operated X4 service runs hourly with stops in Widnes, Speke and Aigburth, offering a faster service for passengers from the Halton area. The service promises shorter journeys with an average trip between Runcorn and Liverpool’s ONE bus station taking approximately 50 minutes, almost half the time of some existing services.
Tickets will cost £2, in line with the reduced adult single fare which Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram has committed to extending until September.
Express bus services between Runcorn and Liverpool ended in April 2022 when the commercially operated X1 was withdrawn, and the Mayor says he has been working closely with Halton Council to ensure the return of a rapid bus link for the area since then. The service will initially operate on a trial basis.
Mayor Rotheram said: “This is more great news for Halton on top of the tens of millions of pounds we have been able to invest to bring about jobs and prosperity for the area. I know people have been calling for the return of an express bus between Runcorn and Liverpool to make travelling quicker, so I’m delighted that we’ve been able to step in and find a solution. The X4 service will be fast and affordable, an example of the kind of new express bus connections I want to see linking communities across our city region. This is another positive step on the journey to putting the public back into public transport.”
Councillor Mike Wharton, Leader of Halton Borough Council and Deputy Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, said: “Since the withdrawal of the express service between Runcorn and Liverpool in 2022, our residents have continually requested that the service be reinstated to reduce travel time. Halton has worked closely with the Combined Authority and so it is really good news that an express service is to be reinstated and will also include an additional stop at Widnes Green Oaks.”
