Golfs fans advised to plan travel in advance as Open Golf Championship comes to Wirral

The 151^st Open is taking place at the Hoylake based course between 16-23 July 2023 and is expected to attract thousands of visitors to the area.

The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is working closely with local partners including rail and bus operators, Merseyside Police, Wirral Council and event organisers to help ensure that everybody’s journeys to and from the course are as easy and safe as possible.

Cllr Steve Foulkes, Chair of the Combined Authority’s Transport Committee, said:

“We’re delighted to see the return of the Open Golf Championship to the city region for the first time since 2017. This event always brings thousands of visitors to the area, and we’re expecting it will be no different this year.

“We want everyone to enjoy themselves so it’s important that attendees think ahead and plan their journeys to avoid any disappointment.

“And we also ask that people are kind, patient and respectful of each other and our transport staff who will be working so hard to get everybody to and from this year’s championship.”

Those travelling to the championship can find useful information to plan their journey on our webpage at https://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/customer-information/open-golf-travel-advice/ 

 

Top travel tips for those attending

Whether you are travelling to enjoy the golf, commuting to work or taking the family out for a day trip, key information and advice is now available to help you plan your journeys.

If you live or are staying local and are able to…

• Cycle or walk if you can – Active travel will often be the quickest way of getting around, and you’ll help to keep our air clean.

 

If you’re using public transport…

• Plan ahead – We expect services on the West Kirby branch of the Wirral Line to be busier than usual across the week of the championship.

• Check timetables – Make sure to do this ahead of and on your day of travel in case there are any changes – in particular check last bus and train times. Merseytravel and operators will use social media to publish changes made at short notice.

• Leave plenty of time – Some journeys might take longer than usual or be subject to delay or changes at short notice – so whether attending the event or not please be aware of the plans and changes.

• Consider your options – The transport network is expected to be busier than usual. Think about staggering your travel home times and have a plan B in case you can’t get the service you planned for. In particular, don’t wait for the last scheduled train or bus home as these can often be very busy.

• If possible buy travel tickets in advance and online – This will speed up your journey and help you avoid queues on the day.

• Arrive early at the station, stop or ferry terminal in good time – This is to avoid disappointment as there may be queues.

• Consider multi-modal tickets – Tickets that can be used over different modes of transport, such as Saveaways, will give you more options.

• Be patient – There will be lots of people travelling to the event.

• Please be kind and respectful to transport staff – Remember that they are working really hard to get you to where you need to be. Let’s make this event fun and be proud of our region!
  
  

Public Transport Summary

Rail

Merseyrail

The Merseyrail network links Liverpool city centre with many areas of the wider region, including Wirral, Knowsley, South Liverpool and Sefton. It operates trains to the closest station to Royal Liverpool Golf Club – Hoylake.

Merseyrail will be operating an enhanced service on the West Kirby branch of the Wirral Line across the week. You can find full details of the service levels on the Merseyrail website.

@merseyrail – www.merseyrail.org

Lime Street / Mainline Services

Note that there is an RMT strike on Thursday 20 and Saturday 22 July.

This does not affect Merseyrail services, but will affect mainline services provided by Avanti, Northern and other operators serving Lime Street station and Chester.

Before travelling check rail operator websites and Twitter accounts for more information

@northernassist - www.northernrailway.co.uk   

@TPEassist - www.tpexpress.co.uk  

@avantiwestcoast - www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk  

@LNRailway - www.londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk  

@tfwrail - www.tfwrail.wales  

@eastmidrailway - www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk

@NetworkRailLIV - www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/passengers/our-stations/liverpool-lime-street

@nationalrail – www.nationalrail.co.uk

Bus

Arriva and Stagecoach operate bus services in Wirral, offering another way to get to the course.

Throughout the championship, there will also be a park and ride service available. Full details of this can be found on the Wirral Council website.

This park and ride will be available throughout the event, with parking facilities in New Brighton and easy access to the motorway.

Check bus operator websites and social media accounts for up-to-date schedule information.

@arrivanorthwest - www.arrivabus.co.uk

@stagecoachMCSL - www.stagecoachbus.com

@nationalexpress – www.nationalexpress.com

@megabusuk - www.Megabus.com

Mersey Ferries

The iconic Mersey Ferries offer a great option for cross-river travel – with regular commuter services each weekday morning and evening, alongside River Explorer Cruises during the day.

You can find out more details on the Mersey Ferries website.

@MerseyFerries - www.merseyferries.co.uk/

Mersey Tunnels

The Wallasey (Kingsway) and Birkenhead (Queensway) are cross-river road options to get from Liverpool to Wirral, with the Wallasey Tunnel providing the best link to the Royal Liverpool golf course. AA traffic signage will direct all traffic to use Kingsway during the event.

Please note - due to an on-going comprehensive lighting upgrade scheme, the Birkenhead Tunnel is closed from 9pm to 6:30am each evening. This is not expected to impact the event.

Check Merseytravel social media channels for most up-to-date information on both tunnels.

@Merseytravel - www.merseytunnels.co.uk