VISITORS into Liverpool this Sunday for both the Sky Ride Liverpool event and Stage One of the Tour of Britain are being urged by Merseytravel to think very carefully about their journey, in advance.
Thousands are expected to watch some of the biggest names in the world of cycling, including British Tour de France stars Sir Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish. They will take part in the opening stage of this year’s Tour of Britain competition. If you are plannning to go as a spectator, see panel below.
The roads will be closed from early morning to motor vehicles, and so the Sky Ride will see thousands of amateur cycling enthusiasts ride the same route.
Picture borrowed from LovelobikeIf that's you and you are planning to get into Liverpool with your bike on Merseyrail, they say "allow more time". Indeed, there are only two/three spaces for bikes at the front and back of the train, and that's if nobody is sitting in them. Therefore expect intimacy as your pedals get jammed into someone elses spokes, your handlebars into someone else's ribs and you are told by an irate passenger that bikes are meant to be ridden on roads and not on trains. If you have Sky Ride ambitions and you are planning to catch a train in from Wigan, forget it: a bus replacement service is in operation.
Merseytravel points the way
Bus
To facilitate the events there be road closures from around 4am to 8pm, resulting in some disruption to bus services across the city.
Details on which bus services are affected, including diversions and any changes to pick up or drop off points, can be found on the travel updates section of the Merseytravel website.
Merseyrail
Merseyrail will be running a normal Sunday service, with some additional trains between 8am and 7pm on the Hunts Cross line. Please use the Merseyrail Journey Planner to check train times for the day.
Due to it being the closest station to the start and finish point for the Tour of Britain stage, James Street station is expected to be extremely busy, with customers advised to use nearby stations Liverpool Central and Moorfields if possible.
All trains on the Merseyrail network have designated areas for cyclists at both ends of the train. However, as there are likely to be more customers than usual travelling with bikes, they are advised to allow more time for their journey.
Information on changes to train times can be found on www.merseyrail.org
City Line
Northern Rail services to Liverpool Lime Street from Wigan North Western and Manchester Oxford Road via Newton-le-Willows will be rail replacement bus services up until 12:30pm and will not be able to carry bikes.
Northern will also be operating a St Helens Central to Liverpool Lime Street shuttle. Services in and out of Liverpool will also be strengthened to four carriages where possible.
For more information visit www.northernrail.org
Birkenhead Tunnel
Anyone intending to use the Queensway (Birkenhead) Tunnel on Sunday is reminded that the Liverpool Dock Exit will be closed due to the Strand being shut, with vehicles having to use the Old Haymarket exit instead.
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