Stagecoach Bus Merseyside is arguably the largest bus operator in the Merseyside region which…read moreincludes Lancashire, Cheshire, North Wales, Wirral - some bus routes even go between these boroughs including the X2 which connects Liverpool to Preston, via Southport, at 2 hours and 16 minutes this is one of the largest bus journeys's I've come across, this, by comparison, is about the same length of time as a train into London and enough to get the train from Liverpool to Preston and back, with time to spare via Transpennine Express or even the slow Northern train! It amazes me how Stagecoach Bus in Merseyside hasn't been reviewed since July 2010, which is nearly ten whole years. In that time, so much has changed and it seems Stagecoach have got worse, perhaps that is through the complacency of being ahead in the region for too long with little competition. Due to how big Stagecoach is, if you're planning to use public transport around Liverpool you're pretty much going to have to use either Merseyrail or this. They do run train services to Anfield on a match-day, however because of traffic around the ground and the fact the bus has a further route to go after the stadium, they are forced to divert however despite having signs around Queens Square Bus Station and telling the bus driver where I was going, no one told me about the diversion and even other match-goers on the bus didn't seem to know, this was after a long wait for the bus which seemed to suffer delays as well to make it even worse (luckily I didn't miss kick-off!) Buses are typical Stagecoach across the UK, not too modern in most regards. Despite the growth of Arriva in Liverpool, Stagecoach are still the main players and it really does seem that from service, time-keeping and overall condition of buses they are taking that too granted, yet still anything beats First Manchester which caused me trouble for a great number of years closer to home and I do think they make their routes a little clearer than other operators, even if they don't factor diversions into it. 2*

Since my last review, I now have a negative comment about Stagecoach much to my annoyance and shall…read moretherefore drop not 1 but 2 stars in its rating. More recently if you take the 21 route or any other Stagecoach bus that travels along London Road, the driver tends to change driver which could sometimes mean a 10 minute wait which is obviously not good if you're in a hurry to get somewhere. If you're lucky, the switch of driver will take place instantly but on one occasion, I had to wait nearly 15 minutes with other disgruntled passengers because the driver did not turn up, so I had to watch the original driver take a cigarette break whilst I was waiting to get to work on time but ended up late all because of poor service and an arrogant driver who did not even apologise to anybody. Other fed up passengers actually got off and waited for another bus and when that occurred, the driver immediately got back on and started driving; I not only felt sorry for those passengers but thought this was rude and felt as though he was playing games. I requested if he could let me off at the traffic lights as I was already late for work but he simply replied "no" with no apology and without realising that he kept everyone waiting longer than expected. I applaud the group of girls who pressed the stop button several times as they got off. It was obvious that most people were annoyed by the driver's actions. Even though it may not be entirely the driver's fault, Stagecoach should sort out their poor timing when switching drivers (very much unlike them); this took me by surprise. I aim to lodge a formal complaint if this happens more than once and I will suggest others also do so if they experience the same.

This is a small little train station with only one platform on one side--it's kind of eerie in that…read morewhen the Kirkby line ends you can get off the train and walk a little way down the platform to board a new train to get a train headed toward Manchester, I think ... or some other town? Someone correct me if I'm wrong on where it goes. It's a small station with not much else besides the basics. There is a pretty good car park, though, and a bus stop within the station grounds which is very handy. You can also walk to the town centre from the train station by heading straight across the street and up Kirkby Row, then up Cherryfield Drive. It's about a mile I think or maybe less.

This is a very pretty little train station in the countryside area of Ormsirk or greater Liverpool…read more The approach to the station is very pretty in the summer time with fields on either side, and lots of horses out grazing. It's a breath of fresh air compared with the city train stations. This station is tidy and well kept, and the staff here are friendly and helpful. I've not stopped off here often, but when I have it's always been a pleasant experience.

This is a small, fairly basic railway station, but it's located very close by to the University…read moreHospital and there are a small number of shops scattered along Longmoor Lane. Also, if you walk down to your right as you come out of the station you will soon come to Kirkdale Cemetery. The station itself seems well kept, and staff have always been fairly friendly when I have needed something.

I think Aintree railway station is one of the more better stations in Liverpool. It definitely…read moreshould be, considering that Aintree is home to the World's biggest steeplechase that always draws in hundreds of crowds each year. The station may be small and simple but it is well designed for passengers entering and exiting with nice overhead footbridges and walkways to ensure an orderly manner. I am quite familiar with this station since I regularly get off here if I need to go to shops nearby (with Aintree Retail Park just a few minutes walk away). Plus, when I worked at the National for a few days, the train travel remained well organised by Merseyrail staff instead of the mayhem I was expecting. Staff dealt with those days in the correct fashion and managed to avoid any commotions.

Aintree Station is pretty pleasant as far as train stations go. It looks quite modern and seems…read morewell maintained. It is always clean and tidy. The station is often busy during the daytime, particularly at weekends. The train times are displayed clearly on each platform and there are shelters to protect you from the elements. The addition of a small newsagents and a toilet would be very welcome but otherwise it's a good place.

Vile staff aggressive towards kids trying to get them to pay adult fares. no better than aintree…read morestation. the staff need training on how to speak to people

Old Roan station is a very small train station in Aintree, a few miles north of Liverpool. I used…read moreto use this station a lot when I lived in Walton and caught the train to Asda--until I realized it was only about a mile to walk it. Waste of train fare! There's not really anything here, no toilets, no café, etc, but it is a neat and clean little station.