Liverpool Airport 500 Bus Drops to Every 30 Minutes as New St Helens Express Prepares to Launch

Passengers travelling to Liverpool John Lennon Airport are facing changes to local bus services, with the airport’s Route 500 moving back to a 30-minute daytime timetable from Sunday, 30 August.

The express service links Liverpool city centre with Liverpool John Lennon Airport and is one of the main public transport connections serving the terminal.

Merseytravel has confirmed that the Monday to Friday and Saturday daytime Route 500 service has now been reduced to approximately every 30 minutes as it returns to its pre-summer timetable.

Sunday services are unchanged.

During the peak summer period, the 500 had been operating more frequently during parts of the week to accommodate increased passenger demand.

The current timetable shows buses leaving Liverpool John Lennon Airport at 30-minute intervals for much of the day, with corresponding services operating between Liverpool ONE and the airport.

The change means passengers who previously became accustomed to the enhanced summer frequency may need to allow additional time when planning journeys to catch flights.

However, another major change to airport connectivity is only a week away.

From Sunday, 6 September, a brand-new X3 express service will begin operating directly between St Helens and Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

The new airport link forms part of a much wider overhaul as bus services in St Helens become the first in the Liverpool City Region to return to public control.

For passengers looking for a door-to-door alternative between Liverpool, Manchester and the region’s airports, Manpool Transfers provides pre-booked private airport and long-distance transfers.

The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority says the new X3 will provide a direct express connection from St Helens to Liverpool John Lennon Airport from the first day of the franchised network.

It will operate alongside the existing Route 89 connection between St Helens and the airport.

The wider St Helens bus changes begin on 6 September and include revised routes, increased frequencies on some services and improvements to evening and weekend provision.

A new fleet of low-emission buses is also being introduced as part of the transition.

The Combined Authority says the changes are designed to create a more integrated public transport network and improve connections to employment, education, rail stations and other key destinations.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport is already served by several bus routes, including the 80A, 82A, 86A, 89 and 500, with connections available from Liverpool city centre, Liverpool South Parkway, St Helens and surrounding areas.

The arrival of the X3 will add another direct option for passengers travelling from the St Helens area.

Anyone travelling on the 500 from this week should check their departure time before setting off, particularly when heading towards the airport for a fixed flight check-in time.

The next major change takes effect on Sunday, 6 September when the new St Helens network, including the X3 airport express, begins operating.

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