An express bus service between Runcorn and Liverpool is set to make a comeback after more than two years.

Mayor of the the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said that as of Monday, December 16, the new Arriva-operated X4 service will run hourly with stops in Widnes, Speke and Aigburth.

Transport chiefs said the average trip between Runcorn and Liverpool ONE bus station on the X4 will take approximately 50 minutes, almost half the journey time of some existing services.

Tickets will cost £2, in line with the reduced adult single fare which Mayor Rotheram has committed to extend until September 2025.

Express bus services between Runcorn and Liverpool ended in April 2022 when the commercially operated X1 service was withdrawn. Last year, a 1,500-name petition was delivered to Mayor Rotheram calling for the X1 to be reinstated.

Mayor Rotheram has since been working closely with Halton Council to ensure the return of a rapid bus link for the area, which will initially operate on a trial basis.

Cllr 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."

Last year saw the Mayor take the decision to bring bus services back into local public control through franchising. Earlier this year he also announced the purchase of more than 100 new all-electric double decker buses to bolster the region’s zero-emission fleet.

Mayor Rotheram said the development of the bus network is a key element of his plan for an integrated London-style transport system.

He said: "For too long people have had to contend with a bus service run in the interests of shareholders rather than passengers."

"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."