Following a campaign with the Liverpool City Region Music Board, the University of Liverpool has successfully helped make the case to restore a night bus service linking Liverpool and Birkenhead.
The LCR Music Board, together with the University of Liverpool, Liverpool Guild of Students and Liverpool Nightlife CIC conducted a survey on late night buses over the summer. They successfully used the results to build a business case to take to the Combined Authority and bus companies.
The N1 night bus is now being reinstated from midnight on Friday, 8 December as a year-long city-wide trial. Operated by Stagecoach, the N1 runs from just before half past midnight and then every hour until around 5am every Thursday night/Friday morning through to Saturday night/Sunday morning.
The night bus service runs between Birkenhead and Allerton Library with stops across Liverpool city centre. The route also includes dozens of stops serving Toxteth, Wavertree and Mossley Hill.
Costing just £2 per journey, the route will connect Liverpool City Centre with Birkenhead and provide public transport in the early hours of the morning on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
This is the first time that a late-night bus route has been reinstated across the city region since they were discontinued during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The research was conducted cross-Faculty with the University’s Department of Music the Civic Data Co-operative and the Centre for Educational Development and Support all involved.
Senior Lecturer in our Department of Music and Liverpool City Region Music Board Member, Dr Mathew Flynn, said: “It’s great news for the our City Region that a night bus service has returned at weekends.
“Our discussions with venues, staff, visitors, gig-goers, the Guild of Students, and local residents made it clear that they would benefit from a reliable public transport service out of the city centre at night. It’s great that their voices have been heard and we have connections between venues at night in time for Christmas and 2024!”
The Liverpool Guild of Students Officer team said: “After the past 18 months of campaigning, lobbying and collaborating with the University and the Liverpool City Region Music Board we are thrilled that the night bus is back.
“We want to especially thank every student that has shared their feedback, signed a petition and previous Guild Officers who have worked on this campaign. The service is invaluable, offering a safe and affordable way for students to get home. We hope the trial service will continue as a regular timetable feature and be adopted by other providers and routes in the city.”
You can find the N1 timetable here
You can find the map here